The economic-political crisis in the country is continuously deepening which is being reflected in the growing political instability at the Centre. To overcome this crisis and political instability a section of the ruling classes is proposing to abolish the limited democratic rights given in the Constitution and to change the very parliamentary system of governance. These proposals clearly show that this section does not see any way out of the present crisis within the framework of the present constitutional structure and hence is openly advocating the abolition of the present structure and imposition of frank dictatorship in its place.

In recent past, a concerted campaign has been launched by the ruling BJP in this direction. Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee has advocated fixed terms for Lok Sabha. His ostensible logic is to save the people from repeated elections. But the Constitution Review Commission appointed by the BJP led Govt. has gone further. The proposals circulated by the Commission envisage saving the people from the ‘trouble’ of elections altogether.

According to the suggestions circulated by the Commission, direct elections will be held only for village panchayats and local bodies. All other elections upwards should be indirect i.e. village panchayats should elect district councils, district councils should elect state assemblies and they in turn should elect members of Lok Sabha. People should be spared of this ‘trouble;’ and ‘burden’. The recipie is to hold indirect elections in place of direct elections.

The clear meaning of the suggestions of Mr. Vajpayee and those of the Constitution Review Commission is their search for stability and the campaign of BJP-RSS to replace the present constitutional framework with frank dictatorship.

In his address to the country, President K. R. Narayanan on 25^th January outlined the danger of dictatorship in the name of Constitution review and openly criticized the ‘limited’ democracy being sought to be imposed. Criticizing such proposals Mr. Narayanan stressed the importance of accountability over stability. He compared these suggestions of ‘limited democracy’ with the ‘guided democracy’ of the former military dictator of Pakistan, Ayub Khan who had laid the foundation of military rule in Pakistan.

Criticism of Mr. Narayanan definitely shook the proponents of limited democracy. The Commission distanced itself from these suggestions reiterating its commitment to preserve the basic structure of the present Constitution. But the Commission failed to clarify as to how such suggestions were circulated by the Commission in the first place. On the other hand, ruling BJP accused President Narayanan of speaking the language of the opposition parties.

The suggestions of Mr. Vajpayee and the Commission are not only against the present Constitution but are reflective of the fascist designs of RSS-BJP. RSS-BJP leadership is definitely worried at the growing people’s struggles against the new economic policies and intensifying contradictions in the ruling NDA led by the BJP. RSS-BJP seek to find ways to suppress these struggles and perpetuate themselves in power.

Mr. Vajpayee had made his attitude towards the present Constitution clear while during his visit to USA, he claimed that he is “first a swayamsewak”. It is well known that RSS has been an opponent of parliamentary democracy and has been an admirer of fascist dictatorship of Mussolini and Hitler. In the present situation of deepening economic-political crisis, a big section of the ruling classes has turned supporter of RSS’s views.

These suggestions should be viewed in the context of growing fascist repression in the country. In AP, the govt. itself is patronizing the criminal gangs and utilizing them to brutally murder the leaders of the organizations fighting for democratic rights. Killing of communist revolutionaries in fake encounters has any way become routine. In Bihar, ruling class parties are organizing and supporting the criminal feudal gangs of Ranavir Sena which have committed a number of massacres of the rural poor. Police officers and ruling class politicians are openly maintaining links with Ranavir Sena. Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Rajnath Singh is openly advising the police to kill “four in place on one”. In UP, police is making a record of killings in ‘encounters’ and the local journalists are special targets of retribution.

As the central and state govts. are increasing the oppression and repression over the people and increasing sections of the people are coming out in struggle against the anti-people policies of the govts., it is becoming increasingly difficult for the ruling classes to maintain their rule.

Ruling class parties are intensifying implementation of the pro-imperialist new economic policies which are leading to worsening of the conditions of the workers, peasants and other sections of the people. In the recent past, in the course of implementation of new economic policies, offensive against rich peasants and small and middle industrialists has been intensified. These sections were tailing the ruling classes since a long time and constituted an important political base of the main ruling class parties. Sharp decline in the prices of agricultural produce and the campaign to remove industries from big cities like Delhi has badly affected them and their resentment against main ruling class parties has increased.

As a part of the new economic policies, govt. is gradually withdrawing from the arena of development, rate of employment generation is declining and unemployment is soaring to great heights. Due to falling purchasing power of the people, industry and agriculture are facing decline.

Certainly in these conditions, it has become difficult for the ruling parties to even maintain their base, what to talk of expanding it. Therefore to overcome the increasing political instability they wish to abolish the role of the people altogether so that they can serve their imperialist masters and the domestic reactionaries regardless of the reaction of the people.

Therefore, these suggestions of the Prime Minister and the Constitution Review Commission are a serious challenge. All progressive and democratic forces must expose these conspiracies with the aim to impose fascist dictatorship over the country. Progressive and democratic forces are no supporters of the present constitutional structures, they have suffered a lot of repression under it even as the lot of the people has progressively worsened. While exposing the anti-people character of the present system, we should be in the front ranks in the struggle against the attempts to substitute it with frank and open dictatorship.