At Kozhikode meet BJP has a lot to reflect on

The BJP is all set for a party conclave which will revolve around its ideologue Deendayal Upadhyay and his ideas, in Kozhikode this weekend.

It was in the same city, while making his address as Jan Sangh president in 1967, that Deendayal had spoken against political appointees for post of governor, so that neither state governments nor home ministry would have a role in appointments.

Around five decades later, the BJP government, like Congress regimes, is facing allegations of making party leaders as governors in states and "misusing" the constitutional post.

When Deendayal had spoken against "rejected politicians" and "retired civil servants" being given the job, it was in the backdrop of Congress losing its monopoly over some states, bringing coalition governments in some states, and the role of governors being questioned for the first time. Speaking of "arbitrary" conduct of governors in several states, he said since they were representatives of the Centre, the central government must own full responsibility. Congress was in power at the Centre.

While Deendayal rejected the suggestion that it should be an elected post, he said appointees should be men of integrity capable of exercising their discretion in a judicious manner and in whose impartiality there would be general confidence. "I think that it would be better if instead of selecting rejected politicians or retired civil servants for this job, the Government turned its eyes to retired judges of the Supreme Court," he had said. He said that if some such convention was followed, neither the consent of the State Government concerned, nor the wishes of the Home Ministry would have any relevance and suggested that a list be drawn up on basis of their dates of judges' retirement and posts be filled by them in their order of priority.

While Deendayal was talking in the context of Congress making its way to power with assistance of governors in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan then, the BJP is now under Opposition attack, particularly after the Supreme Court quashed Arunachal Pradesh governor Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa's direction and restored the Congress government of Nabam Tuki. Earlier this month, the government removed Rajkhowa, a move which met with further criticism with Congress accusing Centre of "dumping" him after "his utility was over."

Last month, four BJP leaders-- former union minister Najma Heptulla (Manipur), former Rajya Sabha MP VP Singh Badnore (Punjab), Banwarilal Purohit, a three-time former Nagpur MP (Assam) and former MLA Jagdish Mukhi (Andaman and Nicobar Islands)--were appointed governors.

BJP leaders who recall Deendayal, said he was against political untouchability and was open to the idea of an issue-based alliance with the Communists, with whom the BJP is now engaged in a fierce ideological war in Kerala.

The BJP was then part of the Samyukta Vidhayak Dal along with socialist parties. Unlike his predecessor Balraj Madhok, who was of the view that the Jan Sangh should keep a distance from the Communists, Deendayal opposed any kind of untouchability.

In his address in Kozhikode, Deendayal spoke of how the coalition governments were a step in eradicating political untouchability. "A readiness to appreciate the opponent's view point and a willingness on part of different parties to work together inspite of variations of policy is an index of a democratic temperament and nation's basic homogeneity. Whatever be the nature of these coalition governments, I wish we are able to conserve this achievement," he had said.

He said the coalition experiment had "given birth to a sense of realism and a habit of objective political appraisal, that, in itself, would be a gain".

Highlight Deendayal's philosophies

The BJP will be highlighting Deendayal's philosophies of antyodaya and integral humanism, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi launching the year-long centenary celebrations on September 25 at the close of the party's national Council meeting.
"We want to spread Deendayalji's message of integral humanism and antyodaya through seminars and conferences all through the year. The Modi government's policies are also based on the philosophy of antyodaya, reaching out to the last man in the queue," said BJP general secretary Arun Singh.