Vajpayee unfazed

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JULY 8. The Prime Minister and his advisers appear to have taken in their stride the criticism voiced by the RSS chief, Mr. K.S. Sudershan of the Vajpayee Government's economic and domestic policies. It is perhaps a measure of self-assurance felt at the Prime Minister's Office that no body is going to lose sleep over Mr. Sudershan's stridency.

Earlier an idea was mooted that there should be a dialogue between the Prime Minister and the RSS brass to sort out differences; that idea has been allowed to fade as neither side was sure that the dialogue would produce any meeting of minds. At best, the Finance Minister, Mr. Yashwant Sinha, could be asked to meet the RSS leaders and explain the rationale and compulsions of the economic polices being pursued by the Government.

For now, comfort is being derived from the fact that the RSS boss has apparently argued that while the Government is free to proceed as it deemed best the Sangh Parivar is equally free to keep on expressing itself on various issues. This two- track formulation suits the Prime Minister's establishment fine.

The assumption is that the RSS is not in a position to make any demand on the Vajpayee Government; after all, it is argued, the Nagpur bosses could not be unaware of its precarious political strength. Beyond a point, the RSS would not be in a position to insist that the Government follow the BJP agenda to the letter. Even on Kashmir and other issues like the minorities, the Government is not likely to yield to the demands of the Sangh Parivar.

In fact, it is being suggested that it would still be the politically clever thing to do for the Government to pursue its ``moderate'' line and the RSS to continue to keep talking in ``hawkish'' terms, thereby keeping the hard-core of the Hindutva constituency from defecting. Periodic fulminations from the Nagpur establishment would not hurt anyone, while Mr. Vajpayee can continue to play the ``moderate'' card.

In any case, there is a conviction in the sarkari parivar that the RSS is overrated, both in terms of its spread and ideology; perhaps there is an exasperation that the opposition parties continue to give so much importance to the RSS and its presumed influence.

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