In 1966 Dr Ram Manohar Lohia, while lambasting Congress Party for creating regional imbalances and exploitation of poor as well as rampant price rise in India, had commented in a public speech in l historic and sprawling Gandhi Maidan in Patna that in years to come democratic process in India will be strengthened with a host of regional parties, having secular and socialist credentials rooting in the election arena in the process of capturing power from national parties like Congress in states and at the centre. By that time many socialist thinking politicians, who were part and parcels of the Congress, had left Congress and started launching regional parties of socialist orientation under the present democratic structures in India. In the process , the present Hindu party-the Bharatiya Janata Party, which was originally Jan Sangh and had considerable support in the country, had also faced the tune of revolt.From Jan Sangh, number of leaders also resigned and had joined conservative and bourgeoisie party like Swatntra Party and many other outfits, having communal credentials.
Churning process in democratic system in India , which had started after independence of the country in 1947, continued. As regards united left party, number of communist leaders, who had formed the communist party, could not go together and splits after splits in Communist party, made the left forces weaker. But in few states like Kerala and West Bengal, the communist forces grew gradually.Rule of left front government led by CPI(M) stalwarts Jyoti Basu and later by CPI(M) leader Buddhdeo Bhattacharya continued for over 30 years in West Bengal and Left parties continues to be strong o in Kerala in extreme south India More progressive communist leaders, separated from mainstream communist party, had started revolution in Telegana region of Andhra Pradesh and many other states, who were later termed Naxalites and now they are called mainly Maoists.Some of them differ with the present democratic forces and wanted direct revolution against feudal forces to revenge exploitation of poor, dalits, tribal etc. Influences of Naxalites or Maoists have also to some extend lessened exploitation of poor in Naxalite-influenced parts of the country and the union government and respective state governments have started launching progressive measures in neglected areas.
The prophecy of Dr Ram Manohar Lohia came true. Even before his such statement, for the first time, CPI, having no national status so far because of differences of opinion overt Marxism and Leninism among socialists and communists, a first non-Congress government of Communist Party of India got victory in the Assembly elections of Kerala during the premiership of Pundit Jawahar Lal Nehru in 1950s. First Communist government led by E M S Namboodaripad was installed in 1950s. But in the middle of 1960s, number of state governments were formed by non-congress parties. Coalition arrangements of smaller regional parties remained key factors in installing non-congress governments in various states including Bihar, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat etc.In this game because of numerical lesser strength of the so called Jan Sangh , now Bharatiya Janata Party, had also joined the anti-congress forces.
More over in many states , particularly in Bihar, the then Jan Sangh remained coalition partners and its legislators were ministers with communist and other socialist parties. Currently in new avatar-BJP is coalition partners in governments in Bihar and Punjab. Likewise, Congress being national party , is also coalition partners in West Bengal government led by Mamta Baneerjee. Congress also remained coalition partners in Rabari-Laloo government in Bihar.Now taking into polarisation of Hindu votes, the Bharatiya Janata Party also become national party and joined the tags of Congress in such term.
Strengthening of coalition era proved successful when under the leadership of Lok Nayak Jay Prakash Narayan all non-congress parties except Communist parties merged into a single Party -Janata Party- and succeeded in defeating the Congress led by Indira Gandhi after much-maligned emergency in the country. Morarjee Desai was installed prime minister, first -ever non-congress government in Delhi.
Thereafter, number of coalition governments have survived including the present one -UPA government led by Manmohan Singh in Delhi. Some of the government remained short-lived at the centre but democratic system continued as usual!Congress leadership led by Sonia Gandhi of Nehru clan , who were dithering over joining coalition politics, had to realise the truth and only after that Congress could get some strength and won maximum seats and formed UPA government under the leadership of Manmohan Singh twice.
In between national politics had seen many twists and turns! Demolition of Babari Masjid in course of Somnath to Ayodhya rathyatra of the BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani also changed the political scenario of the country mainly because of consolidation of Hindu votes.But the influence of BJP among masses had started also declining in view of recent assembly elections results.The BJP is gradually losing its grip over masses and except Karnataka in south India, it continues to be the party of Hindi heartland and cow belts.Although as the voting pattern in entire country shows, the Congress continues to be national party as the party gets votes in each and every parts of the country, but its number of seats in Lok Sabha , Rajya Sabha as well as state assemblies are declining sharply, posing a big question mark whether the BJP and Congress will remain national parties!
During all these years of coalition era, regional parties had trumped. These regional parties had important says in forming governments at the centre and different states.In coalition politics, masses have to great extend benefited and fruits of developments have spread in states also. It was moribund during one party rule of Congress in successive years because of lack-lustre regional imbalances, created by it in the country. Says of states have gradually pushed the centre and its Planning commission to flow of funds for equal development of the states. It was because of the pressure of coalition partners, dynamic and progressive programmes like quadrilateral communication network in the country during Atal Behari Vajpayee regime and right to information Act, employment guarantee schemes, right to education etc by UPA government of Manmohan Singh had been implemented on the basis of common minimum programmes of both the coalition governments at the centre as well as by different state governments, having coalition arrangements
Notably, Congress and BJP should also accept the reality of facts and find path of coalition politics, which is rather strengthening the democracy and also fruits of developments are reaching to the grass-root level. Unity and integrity of the country as well as politics of development not the path of confrontation should be motto of these so called national parties. The days of single party rule at national and states level are gone. Many regional leaders have emerged and they appear capable to handle the affairs of the country under democratic process. It also appears the liking of Indian electorate in the country!
The latest results of assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa, had again proved that national parties -Congress and BJP- cannot control the country single-handedly. Although in some cases, it was a fractured verdict, theory of consensuses could form the government in Uttarakhand specially
Churning process in democratic system in India , which had started after independence of the country in 1947, continued. As regards united left party, number of communist leaders, who had formed the communist party, could not go together and splits after splits in Communist party, made the left forces weaker. But in few states like Kerala and West Bengal, the communist forces grew gradually.Rule of left front government led by CPI(M) stalwarts Jyoti Basu and later by CPI(M) leader Buddhdeo Bhattacharya continued for over 30 years in West Bengal and Left parties continues to be strong o in Kerala in extreme south India More progressive communist leaders, separated from mainstream communist party, had started revolution in Telegana region of Andhra Pradesh and many other states, who were later termed Naxalites and now they are called mainly Maoists.Some of them differ with the present democratic forces and wanted direct revolution against feudal forces to revenge exploitation of poor, dalits, tribal etc. Influences of Naxalites or Maoists have also to some extend lessened exploitation of poor in Naxalite-influenced parts of the country and the union government and respective state governments have started launching progressive measures in neglected areas.
The prophecy of Dr Ram Manohar Lohia came true. Even before his such statement, for the first time, CPI, having no national status so far because of differences of opinion overt Marxism and Leninism among socialists and communists, a first non-Congress government of Communist Party of India got victory in the Assembly elections of Kerala during the premiership of Pundit Jawahar Lal Nehru in 1950s. First Communist government led by E M S Namboodaripad was installed in 1950s. But in the middle of 1960s, number of state governments were formed by non-congress parties. Coalition arrangements of smaller regional parties remained key factors in installing non-congress governments in various states including Bihar, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat etc.In this game because of numerical lesser strength of the so called Jan Sangh , now Bharatiya Janata Party, had also joined the anti-congress forces.
More over in many states , particularly in Bihar, the then Jan Sangh remained coalition partners and its legislators were ministers with communist and other socialist parties. Currently in new avatar-BJP is coalition partners in governments in Bihar and Punjab. Likewise, Congress being national party , is also coalition partners in West Bengal government led by Mamta Baneerjee. Congress also remained coalition partners in Rabari-Laloo government in Bihar.Now taking into polarisation of Hindu votes, the Bharatiya Janata Party also become national party and joined the tags of Congress in such term.
Strengthening of coalition era proved successful when under the leadership of Lok Nayak Jay Prakash Narayan all non-congress parties except Communist parties merged into a single Party -Janata Party- and succeeded in defeating the Congress led by Indira Gandhi after much-maligned emergency in the country. Morarjee Desai was installed prime minister, first -ever non-congress government in Delhi.
Thereafter, number of coalition governments have survived including the present one -UPA government led by Manmohan Singh in Delhi. Some of the government remained short-lived at the centre but democratic system continued as usual!Congress leadership led by Sonia Gandhi of Nehru clan , who were dithering over joining coalition politics, had to realise the truth and only after that Congress could get some strength and won maximum seats and formed UPA government under the leadership of Manmohan Singh twice.
In between national politics had seen many twists and turns! Demolition of Babari Masjid in course of Somnath to Ayodhya rathyatra of the BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani also changed the political scenario of the country mainly because of consolidation of Hindu votes.But the influence of BJP among masses had started also declining in view of recent assembly elections results.The BJP is gradually losing its grip over masses and except Karnataka in south India, it continues to be the party of Hindi heartland and cow belts.Although as the voting pattern in entire country shows, the Congress continues to be national party as the party gets votes in each and every parts of the country, but its number of seats in Lok Sabha , Rajya Sabha as well as state assemblies are declining sharply, posing a big question mark whether the BJP and Congress will remain national parties!
During all these years of coalition era, regional parties had trumped. These regional parties had important says in forming governments at the centre and different states.In coalition politics, masses have to great extend benefited and fruits of developments have spread in states also. It was moribund during one party rule of Congress in successive years because of lack-lustre regional imbalances, created by it in the country. Says of states have gradually pushed the centre and its Planning commission to flow of funds for equal development of the states. It was because of the pressure of coalition partners, dynamic and progressive programmes like quadrilateral communication network in the country during Atal Behari Vajpayee regime and right to information Act, employment guarantee schemes, right to education etc by UPA government of Manmohan Singh had been implemented on the basis of common minimum programmes of both the coalition governments at the centre as well as by different state governments, having coalition arrangements
Notably, Congress and BJP should also accept the reality of facts and find path of coalition politics, which is rather strengthening the democracy and also fruits of developments are reaching to the grass-root level. Unity and integrity of the country as well as politics of development not the path of confrontation should be motto of these so called national parties. The days of single party rule at national and states level are gone. Many regional leaders have emerged and they appear capable to handle the affairs of the country under democratic process. It also appears the liking of Indian electorate in the country!
The latest results of assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa, had again proved that national parties -Congress and BJP- cannot control the country single-handedly. Although in some cases, it was a fractured verdict, theory of consensuses could form the government in Uttarakhand specially
Why don't you re-write Bihar:Through The Political Ages?
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