Dattapant Thengadi may spoil PM Modi's first anniversary after coming to power

By Dinesh Narayanan
NEW DELHI: In 1999, the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government was about to celebrate its first anniversary when it was hit by a broadside. Dattopant Thengadi, then a doyen of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, called Vajpayee a ‘petty politician’ playing into the hands of policy advisers with doubtful credentials.

Speaking at the 12th national convention of the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), the powerful trade union he founded, Thengadi lashed out at the economic policies the government was pursuing. Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM), Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (BKS) and BMS—all three founded by Thengadi—took up cudgels against the government.

Now when the Narendra Modi administration— the first government of the Bharatiya Janata Party that enjoys absolute majority in Lok sabha— is close to completing a year in office, Thengadi’s legatees are up in arms threatening to spoil the anniversary party.

“The ministries are bonded slaves to the finance ministry,: CK Sajinarayanan, steering committee member and former president of BMS, told ET. “This government is beholden to corporate interests.:

On the sidelines of RSS National Council meet in mid-March, leaders of several affiliate organisations met with BJP leaders and complained that the party was not paying heed to their concerns, mainly on land acquisition and workers issues. The BJP did not appear to yield. The RSS leadership was of the opinion that the affiliates need not compromise on their founding principles and that they should act as checks if the government went astray.

Two senior leaders from these organisations said that over the past few months RSS leaders have been working to bring the party and these opponents on the same page. “It is not that they are directing the party on specific issues such as the land bill, but asking them to pay heed to what we are saying and find a common ground,: said one of them. BJP president Amit Shah held talks with them on May 13 they claimed he had to hear some heavy tirade.

The government appears to have capitulated as it deputed three ministers— labour minister Bangaru Dattatreya, coal minister Piyush Goyal and oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan— met 12 trade unions for five hours at Shram Shakti Bhavan, the headquarters of the labour ministry on Friday night. The unions were assured that the prime minister would meet with them personally, likely in June. Meanwhile, the three ministers would hold day-long talks with the unions.

SJM, which is virulently opposed to foreign investment, believes that the government is trying to push farmers out of their lands to build a labour force for factories as industrial activity expands.

“It is a theory of pain and it is wrong. They (government) are saying let the poor suffer in the short term for future prosperity,: SJM national co-convener Ashwani Mahajan told ET. Mahajan claims the government had agreed to include a clause providing for jobs for those losing land to projects following SJM pressure.

On January 5, nearly 500,000 coal workers, including those belonging to BMS, went on a five-day strike protesting attempts to expand privatization of the coal sector. The strike threatened to shut down power plants, over 90 of which had no more coal stocks than to run for five days. On the second day, coal minister Piyush Goyal held a six-hour meeting with unions before reaching an agreement that largely appeared like the government had caved in.

“This government is in the grip of the disease called amnesia,: Pawan Kumar, BMS’ zonal organizing secretary told ET. He said in August 2014, Modi announced with much fanfare a minimum Rs 1000 pension for all. But it appeared like it was being discontinued when no fresh notification came until March 31 when the scheme ended; triggering nationwide union protests. On April 29, the union cabinet decided to reinstate the scheme in perpetuity. BJP president Shah, however, said reviving the scheme was a routine procedure.

A senior leader recalled a meeting in the early seventies where Thengadi and Vajpayee had a face off over the organisation’s (then Jan Sangh) strategic direction. Vajpayee argued that to capture power it was necessary to keep principles aside for a while. “To which Thengadiji replied, ‘satta ka siddhanton se samjhauta ho sakta hai, lekin siddhanton ka satta se samjhauta kabhi nahi ho sakta (power can be compromised for principles but principles can never compromise with power)’."