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Journalism of Courage
The announcement by the fiery K.N. Govindacharya that he will not return to the BJP, reveals the extent to which the political system8212;both of the Congress and the BJP8212;is still unable to accommodate public or private dissent.
After his perceived mismanagement of the BJP in Bihar, Rajasthan and UP but, most importantly, after his notorious 8216;8216;mukhota8217;8217; statement against Vajpayee when he stated that the prime minister was nothing but a mask for the RSS, Govindacharya has been in the wilderness with no one in the party top brass appearing overanxious to have him back. Indeed BJP leaders have often scorned him as the party8217;s 8216;8216;Hindutva CPIM8217;8217;.
In many ways Govindacharya8217;s exit also reveals the longer running battle between the old and new within the parivar. He was always, notwithstanding rumoured romantic interludes with political colleagues, the classic old-world RSS swayamsevak, above party politics, centred around swadeshi and and keenly opposed to economic liberalisation. Indeed, his stringent opposition to the party line on economic policy may be another reason why he was no longer considered suitable for a BJP increasingly conscious of its marketeability. The sidelining of Govindacharya, as well as the expulsion of the outspoken Shanta Kumar are signs of how sternly all rebellion within the party is put down.
The BJP is hardly exceptional in its authoritarianism. The Congress is known to be utterly feudal when it comes to voices of criticism against The Family, as borne out by the collective fate of Sharad Pawar, P.A. Sangma as well as former prime minister P. V. Narasimha Rao, the latter once doomed to journeying between law courts appearing in various hawala cases, alone and friendless.
In both parties, a dependence on the supreme leader, the durbars and coteries around heavyweights and the whisper campaigns and factions akin to a royal court, militate against robust inner party democracy. Govindacharya has paid a price for free speech and his exit contains portents for any politician contemplating rebellion.
