Flipside; Dilip Bobb


	March 20 2000

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FLIPSIDE
Comrades (Up) in Arms

By Dilip Bobb

Here's the rub. The National Democratic Alliance, as most people have been led to believe, is a stable entity. Some would argue that with friends like these who needs the opposition. But there are others who would say that with an opposition like this, who needs friends. However, we are assured by unusually reliable sources that the NDA is solidly unified. Here are some prime examples:

Yashwant Sinha's Budget: While industrialists are still divided over the issue of whether this is a good budget or a terrible one, the NDA allies are solidly united in their stand. In fact, so united that every single constituent has urged the prime minister to support them, instead of the other way around, in opposing the finance minister's proposals and make sure the fertiliser doesn't hit the fan. In fact, the allies are more in tune with the Congress on this issue.

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The Khaki Knicker Klan: Though most NDA partners have kept this as a hidden agenda, it could be soon out in the open. There is complete unity between the TDP, the DMK, Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress and the Indian National Lok Dal over the issue of allowing government servants to join the RSS. In fact, their stand on the issue is only matched by the one taken by Principal Opposition Parties (POP) like the Congress and Mulayam Singh Yadav's SP.

Constitutional Reform: Once again, the NDA constituents are solidly united in their stand on constitutional review and reforms as proposed by the BJP. Most of the allies believe that the Indian Constitution is a historic document that has stood the test of time. To allow a party which has solid Hindu nationalist credentials to tinker with it would not go down well with their own constituencies. Here, surprisingly enough, they are in complete agreement with the Congress.

Cultural Terrorism: The NDA constituents are, once again, unanimous in their view that creative endeavours and freedom of expression should not be curbed or subjected to violent disruptions. Equally, the allies are united in their concern about Murli Manohar Joshi's definition of human resource development and his constant attempts to rewrite history books. On this particular issue as well, wonder of wonders, their view seems co-authored by the Congress.

Simmering On the Backburner: There are still certain burning issues which the BJP's allies in the NDA are collectively nervous about. Though shifted to the backburner to divert some of the heat, pending issues like the Uniform Civil Code, abrogation of Article 370 and the construction of a temple at Ayodhya are items on the so-called hidden agenda which a majority of the allies are uniformly opposed to. In this, to no one's great surprise, they mirror the stand taken by the pop.

Mom and POP: The bottom line remains simple: unless the POP stages the mother of all rallies, and other POP's rally behind it, the BJP's main enemy will continue to be its best friend.

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