Book Review: Shantanu Gupta's 'BJP – Past, Present & Future'

As a standalone entity, BJP is just a 40-year-old organization and re is only so much an organization can achieve in that time frame. When I started reing book 'Bharatiya Janata Party: Past, Present, and Future: Story of World’s Largest Political Party', by author Shantanu Gupta, little did I kw book was a chronicle of Nationalist movements that have played on soil. By establishing a link between events that occurred both, pre and post-independence, book puts in perspective long-standing contribution and perseverance party has displayed, without diluting its stance on a single issue that it started with.

book deals with a lot of questions that have w become rhetorical due to sheer absence of an objective explanation to those questions. One such question is related to RSS and independence movement. Be it contemporary discussions or literature related to independence movement, elephant in room has been constant i.e. role of RSS, parent organization of BJP. Thankfully, author decides to dress that with brevity. Gazette dated August 5, 1940, has never been discussed, and its elaborate explanation in book will put a lot of allegations and accusations to rest. book also highlights turbid vision of Quit India Movement, whereby 7 questions asked by RSS of underground leer Jayprakash Narayan could t be answered to satisfaction.

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One of first trends that is etched in my mind, as I moved from chapter on Nationalist Movements (1857-1925) where cow protection was an active topic of debate to targeted vilification campaign against RSS in 1948 that is visible even today, to 8 point demand by Praja Parish, an ally of BJS in 1952; is that, while organization has undergone structural metamorphosis, DNA continues to be dominant generation after generation. form and substance of struggle have changed, but framework of operation continues to be dictated by principles of integrity, cultural preservation, self-sufficiency and ‘Antyodaya’. Interestingly, author has been able to highlight a challenge too, that has remained unconquered i.e. sparse cover of organization activities except those which directly involve Chief of RSS or President of BJP.

As book hits Emergency Years, it successfully highlights how Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) which was used to detain political opponents and why impact of promulgation of 3 ordinances was perhaps last invisible nail in coffin. author unequivocally concludes Indira Gandhi’s purpose of imposing emergency was served day political stalwart JP was tied to a dialysis machine for rest of his life.

While re is a compelling similarity that one sees with cracked state of Opposition of today with reasons for disintegration of Janata Government, book tes how Bharatiya Jan Sangh relinquished its claim, t only to PM’s post but also to CM Office at State levels. Conditional participants, intra-party feuds, and conflicting ambitions led to derailment of ‘total revolution’ and amplified infirmities that h struck political consortium.

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As book enters 1980s and depicts initial years of BJP, re is eugh and more clarity on reason for its formation, its world view, its challenges and how its historical struggle h me party resilient and morally inelastic. From bearing brunt of sympathy wave to mulling over revival of BJS, author illustrates challenges that seem unthinkable for BJP of today. With Vajpayee and vani and helm, BJP t only embraced character of “an aggressive party with a strong social identity”, but dynamic duo was also able to maintain balance between ‘cre-based’ and ‘mass party’.

book gets riveting when it discusses leer Vajpayee was and how vani thought top position was Atal ji’s ‘natural ’. author points out that after 1996 elections, BJP was more politically untouchable party. It h emerged as one acceptable to India that was vying to redemption from corruption, dynasty, nepotism, and above all, political instability (Congress withdrew support from Deve Gowda, IK Gujral).

Just like telling whole truth of RSS’s participation in independence movement, this book does complete justice to intellectual integrity by giving a timestamp-wise chrology of events at Godhra in 2002. While liberals have used Vajpayee’s “Raj Dharma” vice to create outrously false propaganda against Narendra Modi, who was exonerated from all charges by SIT appointed by SC in 2012, last few ps of chapter titled “ Golden Years of BJP: Government at Centre (1996 - 2004)” expose selective nda pursued by cabal to create rift between two leers. BJP’s lost dece may have been unfortunate, but book does see period as one where UPA exposed its sinister nda and tired Nation with policy paralysis.

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Beginning of Era of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah in 2014 serves a rey reckoner for Governance years of Narendra Modi and pathbreaking expansion spree of BJP under President Amit Shah. Be it busting myth of Hindu Terror, India’s growing stature on international st or dismantling of Lutyen’s power structures, book documents all events that will eventually define BJP’s political fortune. Modi 2.0 was written all over, and with sporic political appearances of celebrity Netas in Opposition and distasteful campaigning, electorate was resolute in giving a repeat mandate to him who vowed to rebuild India by rebuilding Indians. book concludes with Narendra Modi taking oath as PM for second time, which leaves reer wanting more, as author keeps ‘Future’ undisclosed. A very comprehensive compilation of making and raising of world’s largest political party that does break a lot of myths with facts.

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Gunja Kapoor is a Delhi-based political analyst, TV Panelist & Policy Researcher. She can be found on Twitter @gunjakapoor

( views and opinions expressed within this article are personal opinions of author. facts, analysis, assumptions and perspective appearing in article do t reflect views of Republic TV/ Republic World/ ARG Outlier Media Pvt. Ltd.)