If during the Vajpayee regime there was policy wrangling with Sangh affiliates, the Modi government is apparently trying to ensure there are no discordant notes.
For over three hours, some union ministers and leaders of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and its wings went into a huddle in the Capital on Tuesday. Leaders of RSS affiliates spoke -- on concerns ranging from foreign direct investment to condition of sugarcane farmers -- and the ministers gave a patient hearing.
Significantly, the meeting was held neither at the RSS headquarters at Jhandewalan nor at the party office but at a neutral venue -- the Madhya Pradesh Bhavan.
A first formal step in its efforts at coordination, the meeting was attended by information and broadcasting minister Prakash Javadekar, power minister Piyush Goyal, agriculture minister Radhamohan Singh and labour minister Narendra Singh Tomar from the government's side. RSS leaders Suresh Soni and Krishan Gopal, BJP general secretaries Ram Madhav and Ram Lal and representatives of seven wings of the RSS were among those present.
The Sangh affiliates, including the Swadeshi Jagran Manch, Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh and Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, refrained from taking an extreme view trying to strike a balance between the capitalist and socialist approach, sources said.
The Swadeshi Jagran Manch, the Sangh's economic wing, cautioned the government against blindly going in for FDI saying it should look not just at investments but its repercussions. It clarified that it was not against investments but it should not be at the cost of national interests. The SJM also spoke of the need to protect indigenous products under the Patents Act.
The Sangh's trade union wing, BMS, sought regularisation of contract workers and extension of benefits to them at par with regular workers. It also sought regularisation and granting of employees status to anganwadi workers.
"In West Bengal we have seen years of communist regime. But what has it resulted in. We have to keep that in mind. At the same time, we should not allow our national interests to be compromised," said BMS's Vigesh Upadhyay.
The BKS wanted the sugarcane MSP to be raised drawing the government's attention to the condition of sugarcane farmers.
While the industry wing -- Laghu Udyog Bharati -- sought less interest on loans for Small Scale Industries and Single Window clearance, the Vanvasi Udyog wanted the government to ensure that in mining in tribal areas they get a share in profit.
The government's efforts at keeping in regular touch with the Sangh and its affiliates is clearly an attempt to maintain cordial relations and ensure egos are not hurt.
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