An open letter to Swami Ramdev, with request to not reject good people, and to revert to his own party and reform movement

Dear Swamiji

I am taking the liberty of writing this open letter to you since a lot of people are now extremely confused by your rejection of good people and putting ‘all your eggs’ (as they say) into the BJP basket – something you personally and clearly told me you would never do.

Last year (2012) in October (or was it November) you initiated communication with me over phone – in the presence of Ram Atri and Justice Tewatia who were in Patanjali Ashram for a few days. In this introductory conversation you spoke about your continuing interest in political reform and you invited me to come over and discuss details with  you.

In this first conversation I pointed out key flaws in India’s governance system and the need for policy reforms, including the need to apply principles from Arthashastra. I pointed out that FTI was (at that stage) working with Anna Hazare’s team to determine the feasibility of a People’s Candidate model.

I requested you to make up your mind clearly and then we could discuss further.

In early December 2012 you called me for a second time. This time the conversation was far more urgent. You wanted me to come over at once to commence discussions regarding political action. I thought about your request and decided that I should go. It cost me an extraordinary amount (it was peak season, and I paid more than double the normal fare), after taking leave from work without much advance notice, to meet you in person.

Within two phone calls you had persuaded me to spend both my time and money. You do have magnetic skills of persuasion!

I spent over 10 days (in two phases) with you during my December 2012/ January 2013 visit. Most days we had at least one, and often more than one meeting. You were also kind enough to allow me to speak about reforms both in Patanjali and at a Jantar Mantar event.

In relation to the MAIN issue – politics – initially we discussed whether the People’s Candidate model could work. I’m linking here the last document FTI had prepared for Team Anna on this issue. But after a just two conversations – in presence of a few MLAs whom you had invited – you and I decided to abandon this idea. The main reasons were that:

a) the people’s candidate model was unlikely to give us a sure way to ensure quality of candidates;

b) its transaction costs and organisations requirements were excessive; and

c) candidates elected in such manner would be unlikely to follow any agreed policy/manifesto.

It was also not possible to raise funds in such a model since only political parties get income tax exemption.

So we moved into detailed discussions about floating our own political party.

We worked out extensive details of how this would occur. The slide set that I used in making a presentation to your team on (possibly on 22 December 2012 – but I’ll have to see my detailed notes to confirm the date) is linked here. [I have removed most names, to ensure some confidentiality, should this effort be revived in the future.] This was a  three hour meeting with around 20 top members of your team. You had extensive discussions after I left the meeting, and by evening, despite resistance from some people in BST, everyone had agreed to launch the party on 10 May 2013 – the commemoration of the 1857 kranti. Or (as I suggested later) 4 June.

GENTLEMEN’S AGREEMENTS

We agreed (you and I) that:

1) We would  put in place a process to form a party

2) FTI and BST will supply roughly 50 members each for the Central organising committee of the new party.

3) We will NOT work directly with BJP (which is almost as corrupt as Congress – and you agreed with this). We did agree, however, to support NDA as a pragmatic step in 2014, on the way to becoming our own independent national party by 2019.

You signalled this agreement publicly by printing the FTI logo (sone ki chidiya) on your vision document – which also contained key edits that I had suggested:

Based on this gentlemen’s agreement, I activated FTI in a big way and many members of the team worked day and night (in complete secrecy) for the next few months. Many spent thousands of rupees of their own money. Many ignored their own work/business to jump into this reform opportunity.

a) We worked out detailed processes for registration of the party. Your representative, Dr. Jaideep Arya met a Supreme Court lawyer Amarjit Maini along with FTI member Sureshan P.  on 16 March 2013 to confirm all steps for political party formation (that I had prepared and provided for your consideration). [Note that I've removed email IDs from the image files extracted below - click for larger image].

b) We prepared a party constitution (which is now the constitution of Swarna Bharat Party) which I consulted with BST regularly, e.g.

(This was an early version. Printed versions were also handed over in Haridwar for your perusal.) You and I discussed options for a name in which you mentioned that you did not think that Sone Ki Chidiya Party (my preferred option) was a very suitable name. Based on your suggestion and later advice from a few others, I got the name changed at the last minute to Swarna Bharat Party before starting it on 1 June 2013.

c) A mechanism to operate a national reform movement in a systematic manner (the Sone Ki Chidiya Federation). This was again consulted extensively with BST, and indeed I was regularly informed by Dr Arya that you were being consulted. He raised a few issues about the trust deed of SKCF over phone which I addressed, by pointing out the flexibility of the deed.

d) A national reform summit to prepare the basis/policies for a reform movement. This was held in Patanjali after I held extensive discussions with everyone, including with you. There were some communication problems experienced in your system, potentially leading to the relatively low turnout (only about 100). Anyway, we got excellent results at Patanjali and I thank you for the excellent organisational skills and hospitality of BST. Dr Arya was keynote speaker and congratulated everyone on their efforts on  your behalf.

We were all committed to two things at that stage:

1) A Total Reform Movement to create a wave for reform.

2) A political party (name at that time not decided) to be launched in May/June. This included organising a high quality training program for potential candidates – to be held at Patanjali.

By the time I left India in April, however, I noticed you were no longer providing me with the clear signals necessary for these activities to make strong headway. I had gone to India twice at great expense (although FTI reimbursed my second trip’s airfare) at your behest. But by the end of April, your position became less clear. You said you needed more time to think.

Unlike you, I do not have to think further about the reform steps for India. I am VERY clear that we need a political party/political presence with good people in Parliament who advocate good policy. That’s all it needs. TOTAL CLARITY. I have it. You seemed to have lost it somewhere around that time.

Also, I always complete the work I begin. I do not change my mind easily, either – once know I am doing the right thing.

And so, although FTI created SKCF (in late March 2013) – we did not get your support for it in the end.

And FTI created SBP on 1 June 2013 (with your full awareness and even encouragement: Dipinder personally briefed you in late May in Haridwar). But you did not put any support into it. None of the 50 BST people you had promised in December.

I am convinced that SKCF and SBP are actions in the right direction, and that no other alternative method will work as well as these two will.

But on 4 June 2013, you decided to publicly support Modi, holding your press conference at exactly the same time as the launch of the SKC movement. You thereby signalled that you did had totally backed  out from your own plans and commitments. From October 2012 to June 2014 I engaged with you in good faith. But the outcome to date has been unplanned, unexpected and without any consultation. Most disappointingly, you have gone against your clear statements that you would never support BJP directly.

I do not blame you for this.

Everyone is entitled to change their mind and I have no natural right to be consulted, although six months of my time (and a lot of money) was spent in this process. You are an eminent person with total independence to form your own opinion without having to consult me.

I do not question your right to change your mind. But I believe you have made a great strategic and tactical error by deviating from our joint well-planned strategy to run a reform movement and bring good people into Indian politics.

By supporting an existing major party, you have let down India in a big way.

India deserves MUCH MORE than BJP. I don’t see any policy capability within BJP. I have been in touch with their policy think tank but to date I have not been provided any information about their policies or policy making process. I sent them whatever information I could but despite repeated reminders, there has been no response.

When BJP was last in power, I was still in the IAS. I was in very close touch with my very esteemed friend and senior colleague Ashok Saikia, who was Vajpayee’s favourite Joint Secretary. I went to the PM office very frequently to meet various officers, but do not recall ANY reform orientation in Vajpayee’s BJP. Many ideas which I handed over to BJP’s Planning Commission, Finance Ministry and PMO fell stillborn, since I was told there is no political will for reforms.

I similarly don’t see ANY evidence of reform orientation in the current BJP – the hype about Modi notwithstanding.

I though you and I were talking about a NEW INDIA, and new SYSTEM. That’s why I decided to work with you. But to no avail, it would seem.

So how are we to get that new India if you support an existing corrupt party?

In the meanwhile I have found that many aspects of Modi are highly questionable. I believe he has been deeply involved in criminal actions as Chief Minister. I believe he has subverted the justice system in Gujarat and that he is not a good man. I believe the law will one day catch up with him and he will be punished for his extensive crimes. 

The Indian system is terribly corrupted, and that Modi has not even ONCE tried to reform the system. He thrives on this corrupt system, just like Congress.

So you have chosen the wrong man (Modi) and the wrong party (BJP).

I don’t understand what were the compulsions which made you reject GOOD PEOPLE in favour of questionable ones.

I urge you to reconsider your conscious rejection of all good people (who had at one stage come close to you: even Justice Tewatia is, I gather, very unhappy with the way you have ignored him and his ideas; and Varun Arya.)

You CANNOT get a good India by rejecting good people.

I encourage you to resume support for Swarna Bharat Party – the party created AS PART OF YOUR PLANS FOR INDIA.

I had no plans to launch SBP in 2013. It all happened because you wanted it. Now you have backed out for the wrong reasons.

Let us build SBP. We can ally with NDA but we can’t be directly support  BJP. That is dangerous folly. You are risking the total loss of your reputation by supporting a corrupt outfit and a man who had destroyed all traces of justice and good administration in his state (I mean Modi).