)
With optimism taking root in the Sangh Parivar that Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi might become the country's next prime minister, efforts are on in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s parent organisation, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), to breathe new life into a set of almost inactive organisations to counter him if he strayed from the Sangh's core economic ideology.
The Swadeshi Jagaran Manch (SJM), a RSS-inspired organisation which used to attack the economic policies of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government and staged many anti-disinvestment protests, is once again gearing up for agitation.
Founder of the SJM and the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (another affiliated outfit of RSS) Dattopant Thengadi had taken out protests against the economic policies of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, causing much embarrassment to Vajpayee. Thengadi passed away four years ago, but the Sangh Parivar celebrated his birth anniversary in November last year, otherwise a tame affair, in a big way with more than one function.
The RSS' new-found enthusiasm for swadeshi and Thengadi should be viewed in the light of its chief Mohan Bhagawat's recent comments expressing disapproval of the foreign direct investment policy of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. Addressing a RSS conclave on Vijayadashami last year, he had said, "Why do we need to give permission to foreign companies to sell soap, oil and vegetables at the cost of destroying our retailers?"
The SJM, which used to be more aggressive than even the opposition parties then, fell silent ever since the UPA came to power in 2004, though the Congress-led coalition government pursued several policies of the Vajpayee government.
Though the RSS is standing solidly behind Modi, there is a lurking fear among sections of the Privar that Modi, a votary of foreign direct investment (FDI), would aggressively follow policies the Sangh has been opposing.
In December, the SJM launched an agitation - "Mend policies, save nation" - to highlight the negative impact of globalisation pursued by "successive governments".
All-India Co-Convenor of SJM Ashwini Mahajan said, "The present ills of the economy, inflation and bad governance are due to mis-directed policies of the government. We also want to warn the future government against these policies."
According to him, the Manch has given shape to an agitation plan. Asked if his organisation would remain silent if Modi followed the policy of aggressive liberalisation and globalisation, he said, "Our policies won't change according to regime change. We are against giving concessions to foreign corporations and undue advantage to Indian corporate houses... We are not asking to vote for Modi: That's not our job."
According to SJM sources, Modi and the Gujarat unit of the Manch are at loggerheads over the economic policies of the state government. "We disapprove of his economic policies, but we could not air our views publicly, thanks to the intervention of the Sangh. We were surprised when he said he would not allow FDI in retail in Gujarat. We hope he would stick to that," said a SJM leader.
BMS President Saji Narayanan said the BJP should learn from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)'s victory and go back to "people-friendly policies". "If the BJP pursues anti-labour policies, we would, without any hesitation, hit the streets."
According to a Sangh veteran, the RSS believes Modi would not be able to carry on his autocratic style of functioning once he comes to the Centre. "These organisations can create nuisance, if Modi pursues an economic policy that is detrimental to our ideology," he said.
Former BJP general secretary and ideologue K N Govindacharya has been working overtime to punch holes in his "rival" Modi's prime ministerial ambitions. His organisation, Rashtriya Swabhiman Andolan, has been supporting the AAP. In Maharashtra, the outfit, which has units in 150 districts across the country, would support the AAP in the coming general elections.
"Pro-Bharat, pro-poor space is vacant in Indian politics. The AAP is one of the experiments. Old generation parties are saturated, and status quoist and their policies are pro-rich. We would work for the defeat of the Congress and the BJP," said Govindacharya. He, however, said he won't join the AAP, but would support its efforts. Sources said his organisation had supported the AAP with volunteers in the recent Delhi Assembly elections.
