The Hindu : BJP discusses `Vision' document

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 26, 2004

National

National

BJP discusses `Vision' document

By Neena Vyas

NEW DELHI, MARCH 25. The Bharatiya Janata Party held a meeting here today to take a final look at its party's "Vision" document, which will reflect its hardcore Hindutva ideology.

The document is scheduled for release before April 6 when the next phase of the election campaign will be launched.

Party leaders say that while the "Vision" document will take note of all the issues "dear" to the BJP — such as the Ram temple, a uniform civil code, abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution in Kashmir, a ban on cow slaughter, and so on — this will not be for implementation.

The document on the basis of which the new Government will govern, if the BJP leads the National Democratic Alliance Government, will be the NDA agenda paper, which is being drafted separately in consultation with the BJP's allies.

The party spokesperson, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, made it clear today that the "Vision" document was essentially to let the BJP workers, supporters and sympathisers know that the party had not abandoned its old ideology and that it remained firmly committed to it even if it was not going to implement it. The party would like to create a consensus on these issues.

Two-child norm

Another issue, expected to find a place in the document, is the "two-child norm". The suggestion is for an aggressive population policy through a nationwide campaign. The party feels this is essential if the fruits of development are to be shared by all.

The party general secretaries, Pramod Mahajan, Sanjay Joshi and Mr. Naqvi, the Law Minister, Arun Jaitley, the Disinvestment Minister, Arun Shourie, the Agriculture Minister, Rajnath Singh, and party leader, Bal Apte, attended the meeting.

The party's views on economic reforms and disinvestment will also be given the pride of place. Mr. Naqvi said there was hardly any difference of opinion now on this, and the consensus was that the disinvestment should also go forward.

In 1999, the BJP did not issue a separate party manifesto but came out only with a joint NDA agenda for governance. However, this time the need is felt to ensure that the party does not lose sight of its own ideology.

Some weeks ago, at a meeting with the Prime Minister, senior RSS leaders expressed the hope that the BJP would once again commit itself to the agenda that was also dear to the Sangh Parivar. At the recent Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha at Jaipur — it was a meeting of the RSS working committee — the same view was expressed and resolutions were adopted to which the BJP president, Venkaiah Naidu, and Mr. Joshi were also party.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad has also let it be known that during the elections its cadre would work for "any party" that commits itself to the agenda dear to it. The "Vision" document will serve the purpose of allaying doubts, if any, in the minds of the Sangh organisations that the BJP may have strayed from its original ideology for the sake of power.

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