The party has become intolerant: Jaswant

Jaswant Singh cannot hide his anguish and hurt over his summary expulsion from the BJP for the crime of writing a historical book in which he analysed the roles of Jinnah, Nehru and Sardar Patel in the partition of India. In an interview to DNA , he lamented the culture of intolerance that has overtaken the BJP and blamed its current troubles on the feelings of fear and mutual suspicion gripping the leadership.

You were closely involved in resolving the row that erupted over Advani’s description of Jinnah as “secular’” during a trip to Pakistan in 2005. Did you not anticipate that your book would stir up trouble for you?
I have never been deterred from doing something because of fear or threats. I expected that there might be some observations. But I had consistently been informing the RSS, Advaniji and Rajnath Singh that I was working on this book. My writing was not a state secret.

And none of them tried to stop you or caution you?
No. Rajnath Singh asked me to delay the launch of the book, first till after the (December) state assembly elections and then till after the Lok Sabha elections. I agreed. I was to launch the book in Mumbai shortly but my friends in the BJP in Maharashtra have asked me to wait because of the assembly elections.

How has the BJP changed in the intervening years between the row over Advani’s comments on Jinnah and the current controversy?
Vajpayee. Atalji could not have run a coalition government of disparate parties so successfully for six years if his approach was not inclusive and accommodative. He knew how to resolve seemingly intractable differences. Since then, most of our allies have left us. And the BJP has become a party which is being pulled apart in different directions.

Is the party becoming more intolerant?
Clearly. Not becoming, it has become intolerant.

Is intolerance a characteristic of the younger generation of leaders?
You can hardly call them young any more. But yes, their impatience leads them to complete disregard of norms, propriety and tolerance without which a democracy cannot function.
 
Was there room for dissent earlier?
Of course. I disagreed with the party on the alliance with Shiv Sena but I remember Pramod Mahajan went to great trouble to explain why it was necessary. We discussed it in the national executive and I forced a vote. I was outvoted so I went along with the decision. I disagreed with Advaniji’s rath yatra. That too was discussed in the national executive and I stood isolated. It goes greatly to the credit of Atalji and also Advaniji in those days that they tolerated my dissent. I represented that oddity in the party who was not from the RSS. I didn’t attend shakhas. I openly said that I take a drink. That culture of tolerance has gone now.

Why did you stay on in the BJP then?
I thought it was a party that stood for values and national good, for loyalty to colleagues. That is the value system to which I was used from my childhood and my years in the army.

What are your future plans? Are others in the BJP who are unhappy about the current state of affairs likely to join you?
I continue to be an MP representing Darjeeling. The people there sent a delegation to reaffirm their continued faith in me. This is only the beginning of my parliamentary term. Let’s see what happens.

Do you have any message for the BJP?
The party is gripped by fear today. They are fearful of each other. They don’t trust each other. We used to say this about the Congress. Now we are victim to the same problems. How can you run a political party like this? I can only say good luck to them. They should try and enter the 21st century.