Comments on: Minoo Masani And The Swatantra Party http://indianeconomy.org/2005/09/29/minoo-masani-and-the-swatantra-party/ Issues & insights Wed, 9 Jul 2008 02:06:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: Hussain http://indianeconomy.org/2005/09/29/minoo-masani-and-the-swatantra-party/#comment-5183 Hussain Sun, 25 Jun 2006 09:17:36 +0000 http://indianeconomy.org/2005/09/29/minoo-masani-and-the-swatantra-party/#comment-5183 Hi The Liberal Group ian't really a political entity. There was an attempt by a few liberals, led by Sanjeev Sabhlokh, to kick start a political party (they supported the SBP, led by Sharad Joshi, for a brief period, until they realised he wasn't really in the Masani/Rajaji mould). In fact, he ran an active mailing list, subscribed by over 50 members. This did include a couple of people associated with the old Swatantra party. The exercise fizzled out, and Sanjeev has abandoned all hopes. However, I do think that the Swatantra party, if it did exist today, would have been a party of choice for the middle-class. It would be THE ideal alternative to the Congress and the BJP Hi

The Liberal Group ian’t really a political entity. There was an attempt by a few liberals, led by Sanjeev Sabhlokh, to kick start a political party (they supported the SBP, led by Sharad Joshi, for a brief period, until they realised he wasn’t really in the Masani/Rajaji mould). In fact, he ran an active mailing list, subscribed by over 50 members. This did include a couple of people associated with the old Swatantra party.

The exercise fizzled out, and Sanjeev has abandoned all hopes. However, I do think that the Swatantra party, if it did exist today, would have been a party of choice for the middle-class. It would be THE ideal alternative to the Congress and the BJP

]]> By: Vivek G http://indianeconomy.org/2005/09/29/minoo-masani-and-the-swatantra-party/#comment-1094 Vivek G Mon, 05 Dec 2005 15:03:46 +0000 http://indianeconomy.org/2005/09/29/minoo-masani-and-the-swatantra-party/#comment-1094 Hi Amit: You are probably aware of this,, but I discovered this site a few months ago: http://www.liberalsindia.com/. The Indian National Congress was a liberal party to begin with under the auspicies of people like G K Gokhale. It was nationalists like Gandhi and Tilak who marginalized the liberals within the party. Hi Amit: You are probably aware of this,, but I discovered this site a few months ago: http://www.liberalsindia.com/.

The Indian National Congress was a liberal party to begin with under the auspicies of people like G K Gokhale. It was nationalists like Gandhi and Tilak who marginalized the liberals within the party.

]]> By: sanjeev http://indianeconomy.org/2005/09/29/minoo-masani-and-the-swatantra-party/#comment-1059 sanjeev Fri, 02 Dec 2005 11:28:13 +0000 http://indianeconomy.org/2005/09/29/minoo-masani-and-the-swatantra-party/#comment-1059 Please read: "To Save freedom" from “Why Swatantra,” 1960, by C. Rajagopalachari, copy at http://sabhlokcity.com/writers/rajaji1.html No one is perfect, but in the early days of 1959, when the world was beholden to socialists, Rajaji had hit upon most of the classical liberal ingredients. More stuff at: http://sabhlokcity.com/writers/writings.html Thanks a lot for your interest. Regards, sanjeev Please read: “To Save freedom” from “Why Swatantra,” 1960, by C. Rajagopalachari, copy at http://sabhlokcity.com/writers/rajaji1.html

No one is perfect, but in the early days of 1959, when the world was beholden to socialists, Rajaji had hit upon most of the classical liberal ingredients.

More stuff at: http://sabhlokcity.com/writers/writings.html

Thanks a lot for your interest.

Regards, sanjeev

]]> By: sv http://indianeconomy.org/2005/09/29/minoo-masani-and-the-swatantra-party/#comment-383 sv Mon, 03 Oct 2005 04:51:49 +0000 http://indianeconomy.org/2005/09/29/minoo-masani-and-the-swatantra-party/#comment-383 CR was really great. The cultural conservatism of CR is a nonissue (as for the economy) because you could be a cultural conservative and still believe in total economic freedom. The lack of economic freedom is the number one reason for the sorry state of India now. I think India in the past was one of the richest countries in the world because various kings that ruled India (or parts of India) encouraged economic activity by the people. These kings were no social liberals. CR was really great. The cultural conservatism of CR is a nonissue (as for the economy) because you could be a cultural conservative and still believe in total economic freedom. The lack of economic freedom is the number one reason for the sorry state of India now. I think India in the past was one of the richest countries in the world because various kings that ruled India (or parts of India) encouraged economic activity by the people. These kings were no social liberals.

]]> By: kuffir http://indianeconomy.org/2005/09/29/minoo-masani-and-the-swatantra-party/#comment-370 kuffir Fri, 30 Sep 2005 20:19:13 +0000 http://indianeconomy.org/2005/09/29/minoo-masani-and-the-swatantra-party/#comment-370 i confess i was thinking about just the same thing the other day. identity politics wouldn't be such a great hurdle.. just find a little spot in our country where one of the founders belongs to the dominant community..and if you can manage to get three/four mps elected who in turn can manage to stay in the news and in the right places in parliament..you can wrench enough bargaining/blackmailing power to swing policy. learn from the naxals- the tactics need to be modified to overcome adverse environment. look at ambumoni ramdoss and endless other fringe groups.. i confess i was thinking about just the same thing the other day. identity politics wouldn’t be such a great hurdle.. just find a little spot in our country where one of the founders belongs to the dominant community..and if you can manage to get three/four mps elected who in turn can manage to stay in the news and in the right places in parliament..you can wrench enough bargaining/blackmailing power to swing policy.
learn from the naxals- the tactics need to be modified to overcome adverse environment. look at ambumoni ramdoss and endless other fringe groups..

]]> By: DesiPundit » Minoo Masani and the Swatantra Party http://indianeconomy.org/2005/09/29/minoo-masani-and-the-swatantra-party/#comment-367 DesiPundit » Minoo Masani and the Swatantra Party Fri, 30 Sep 2005 16:16:56 +0000 http://indianeconomy.org/2005/09/29/minoo-masani-and-the-swatantra-party/#comment-367 [...] 12:15 pm by Patrix Amit Varma in his typical libertarian thinking mode wonders if a modern Swatantra Party would survive in today’s India [...] […] 12:15 pm by Patrix Amit Varma in his typical libertarian thinking mode wonders if a modern Swatantra Party would survive in today’s India […]

]]> By: Amit Varma http://indianeconomy.org/2005/09/29/minoo-masani-and-the-swatantra-party/#comment-361 Amit Varma Fri, 30 Sep 2005 05:35:09 +0000 http://indianeconomy.org/2005/09/29/minoo-masani-and-the-swatantra-party/#comment-361 I think we need to judge a political party by the policies they espouse, not by the personal beliefs of their leaders, be they fans of advaita or sceptics of technology, unless they try to impose their beliefs on others. In case CR did that, do educate me on the subject. But if not, his private beliefs should surely not be a subject of this discussion. I think we need to judge a political party by the policies they espouse, not by the personal beliefs of their leaders, be they fans of advaita or sceptics of technology, unless they try to impose their beliefs on others. In case CR did that, do educate me on the subject. But if not, his private beliefs should surely not be a subject of this discussion.

]]> By: shrikanthk http://indianeconomy.org/2005/09/29/minoo-masani-and-the-swatantra-party/#comment-360 shrikanthk Fri, 30 Sep 2005 03:54:09 +0000 http://indianeconomy.org/2005/09/29/minoo-masani-and-the-swatantra-party/#comment-360 I guess the question to be asked is: Why did the Swatantra experiment fail? Is it because it's ideology was too high-brow and its leaders prudish to the extreme? Why did Rajaji acquiese to an alliance with the Jan Sangh? Were they not strange bedfellows with little in common? I guess the question to be asked is:
Why did the Swatantra experiment fail?
Is it because it’s ideology was too high-brow and its leaders prudish to the extreme?
Why did Rajaji acquiese to an alliance with the Jan Sangh? Were they not strange bedfellows with little in common?

]]> By: Nilu http://indianeconomy.org/2005/09/29/minoo-masani-and-the-swatantra-party/#comment-359 Nilu Fri, 30 Sep 2005 02:38:41 +0000 http://indianeconomy.org/2005/09/29/minoo-masani-and-the-swatantra-party/#comment-359 And the guy(CR) was obsessed with Advaita. I hate those types ;) And the guy(CR) was obsessed with Advaita. I hate those types ;)

]]> By: shrikanthk http://indianeconomy.org/2005/09/29/minoo-masani-and-the-swatantra-party/#comment-358 shrikanthk Fri, 30 Sep 2005 01:51:10 +0000 http://indianeconomy.org/2005/09/29/minoo-masani-and-the-swatantra-party/#comment-358 Btw, Swatantra was heavily influenced by the Gandhian ideal of 'Ram-Rajya'. Take for instance CR's call for minimal defence expenditure, something that you wouldn't associate with a right-wing ideology. Btw, Swatantra was heavily influenced by the Gandhian ideal of ‘Ram-Rajya’. Take for instance CR’s call for minimal defence expenditure, something that you wouldn’t associate with a right-wing ideology.

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