POLITICAL COMMENT The Ringside View

Economist Column Stateless world of Bangladesh refugees, a question of rights Ringside View The country goes to the husting again.

Whodun'it?

The twelfth Lok Sabha meets with premature death. No, not the first time. Its predecessor, the eleventh Lok Sabha, too, met with the same fate. That time it survived for eleven months, this time before completing thirteenth month.

The history of jinxed Lok Sabha traced back to 1979. Mr Charan Singh could not stay on to his Prime Ministerial seat beyond 24 days. Next came VP Singh, Chandrasekhar, Gowda and Gujral. Their tenures ranged from 60 days to 400 days. Vajpayee had also created a history of sort. Twice he became Prime Minister, but first time he lasted for thirteen days and last time thirteen months.

From Charan Singh to Vajpayee, any discerning reader will not miss a common thread for premature death of successive coalition governments. Every time it was Congress which either solely or joining hands with this party or that party pulled the plug. Charan Singh was propped up by Congress which withdrew support after 24 days. The Congress-BJP combine pulled down VP Singh's government. Again Chandrasekhar was propped up by Congress and pulled the plug within a period of 60 days. Both Gowda and Gujral had to go because of Congress' withdrawal of support. Such is the history of Congress, which never relished any government other than its own.

With the exit of Vajpayee government the people heaved a sigh of relief. But they didn't immediately want another election. Rather, they liked a secular combine of parties to fill in the vacuum. The Congress could take the initiative to form such an alliance and lead it. The Left and some other parties had sincerely tried to bring about such an alliance. Some hopes were also generated. But the Congress belied the hope.

Thus, the Congress missed the opportunity of projecting itself a party devoted to bringing together all secular forces to meet the challenge of communalism.

So the country goes to the husting again.