Date:17/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/17/stories/2008111753620400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

‘Form alliance of secular parties to defeat BJP’

Special Correspondent

— Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

Introspection: The former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, writer U.R. Ananthamurthy and Janata Dal (Secular) president H.D. Deve Gowda at the release of a booklet in Bangalore on Sunday.

BANGALORE: It is time for stock-taking within the Janata Dal (Secular), according to a booklet titled “Aftermath of Friendship with BJP — A Retrospection” that was released by Jnanpith Award winner U.R. Ananthamurthy at the party office before a select audience and media. Janata Dal (Secular) president H.D. Deve Gowda and State unit president H.D. Kumaraswamy were present.

Releasing the booklet, Dr. Ananthamurthy said: “We are seeing the effect of the Bharatiya Janata Party coming to power in the State. The ‘fascist forces’ are all across the State and the secular fibre is being eroded by design. If socialism still has any chances of survival in this country, it is only through revival of parties such as the Janata Dal (Secular). It is time all estranged leaders of this party came together and forged a greater alliance with like-minded parties to defeat the BJP and its allies.”

Dr. Ananthamurthy said he had his disagreements with the party and with some of the decisions taken by Mr. Gowda and Mr. Kumaraswamy in the last three years or so, but still felt that “the Janata Parivar that followed the socialist ideology of thinkers such as Ram Manohar Lohia and Jayaprakash Narayan was still the best bet to check the march of fascist forces.” “I would not mind to come in open support of the Janata Dal (Secular) if it were to align with other socialist parties with true and honest credentials to defeat the fascists,” he added.

But the fight against the BJP and its Sangh Parivar members will not be easy as “they have tremendous patience and resources and they work out their strategy scientifically before making a political move which were hard to find in other parties,” he said. Dr. Ananthamurthy said he sometimes detested the hasty decisions and statements of the Janata Dal (Secular) and advised Mr. Kumaraswamy to be “cautious and reserved” when putting out political statements.

“The estranged Janata Parivar leaders like Siddaramaiah, M.P. Prakash, P.G.R. Sindhia and others should return to their roots and Mr. Gowda and Mr. Kumaraswamy should be gracious enough to accept them back,” he said.

He said India was fast becoming a majoritarian country where having a tag as a minority entailed suspicion and hate. “Today, being a Muslim in this country means being under a blanket of suspicion,” he said and added there were only few leaders left in this country like Mr. Gowda who could defeat the fascist forces.

Mr. Gowda said the National Democratic Alliance and the United Progressive Alliance Governments had done nothing to prevent 22 crore Muslims feeling insecure in this country.