Goodbye Gandhian socialism: BJP with Conservative, Christian democrats?

BJP is now a member of an international coalition of political parties - IDU

To some of his critics, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has jettisoned his earlier promise of reform, job growth and supporting private enterprise and adopted ‘garib kalyan’, or welfare of the poor, as the leitmotif of his government. His government's demonetization decision has even been described as Stalinist. But his party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) doesn’t consider itself a party of ‘Gandhian socialism’ anymore.

It is now a member of an international coalition of political parties, the International Democratic Union (IDU), that comprise "Conservative, Christian democrat and like-minded political parties of the centre and centre right.”

Vijay Chauthaiwale, the chief of the Overseas Friends of the BJP (OFBJP), the party’s overseas outreach wing, is currently in Munich, Germany, to attend a three-day meeting of the IDU's executive committee. This will be the first meeting of IDU’s executive committee that will have a BJP representation after it joined the organisation in February last year.

Chauthaiwale told Business Standard that he doesn't see any inconsistency in Modi government's pursuit of policies for the welfare of the poor, but also espousing the cause of economic reforms. "I don't see any contradiction. For example, we are for ease of doing business, which will generate more employment to poor and needy. At the same time, poor in our country need helping hand to provide them good health, sanitation, education, skill development and job opportunities. The BJP government is working on both these aspects and they are complimentary to each other," Chauthaiwale said.

The OFBJP chief said that even "Modi government's reforms, may it be in the power sector, providing clean fuel to the poor, enabling common men to be part of digital economy are meant to empower poor and also bring efficiency and transparency in the governance."

The IDU describes itself as a working association of over “80 Conservative, Christian democrat and like-minded political parties of the centre and centre right.” It was founded in 1983 by such founding members as then British prime minister Margaret Thatcher, then US vice president George Bush Senior, Jacques Chirac, who was then the mayor of Paris and German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, among others. 

The IDU’s members include the Conservative Party of Canada, the Republican Party of the US, the British Conservative Party, Australia’s Liberal Party, Taiwan’s The Kuomintang, and others. In India’s immediate neighbourhood, its members are Sri Lankan United National Party and Mohamed Nasheed-headed Maldivian Democratic Party. The addition of BJP to its list of members was recognised by IDU as a shot in the arm. The BJP, which was founded in 1980 on the tenet of 'Gandhian socialism' is the only member of IDU from India.

In contrast, the Congress party is part of the Progressive Alliance, which is an international alliance of social democratic and progressive political parties. The only other member of this from India is Uttar Pradesh based Samajwadi Party. The Progressive Alliance was founded in May 2013 and has 140 members.

Several of its members had broken away from the Socialist International to oppose the latter which have as its members political parties that ran undemocratic regimes and involved in human rights violations. The Socialist International website continues to count the Indian National Congress as a member.

The IDU ‘principles’ include commitment to political liberty, personal freedom, the right to free elections and the freedom to organise effective parliamentary opposition to government and the right to an independent media. It commits to support the institution of the family as a fundamental social and cohesive force. 

It states that “political democracy and private property are inseparable components of individual liberty” and that the socially-oriented market economy provides the best means of creating wealth and material prosperity. It advocates low taxation and consumer choice and is aware “to the threats posed by the extreme Left and the extreme Right.”