The Tories were once seen as the natural party of power in Britain but three successive electoral defeats threatened to irrevocably dent that reputation. Labour was able to capture power in 1997 because Blair had astutely assessed that post-Thatcher, the British elections would be fought over the centre-ground. To this end, he persuaded the Labour party to bury its ideological aversion to private enterprise. Three successive electoral victories have followed. The wheel has come around a full circle since. Just as a younger Tony Blair had recognized the importance of discarding staunch ideological convictions, today, David Cameron, the youthful Tory leader exhorts his party to welcome the reality of a modern Britain by returning to the centre-ground.
Recently, the Tories published a text of their aims and values which their party membership will be asked to vote on. In this statement, the Tories declare, "We are an open and inclusive party. We will act to ensure that our party, at every level, is representative of modern Britain." Cameron seems determined to soften his party's hardline anti-immigration agenda. There are other statements in the document about the environment and public services that one would not ordinarily associate with the Tories. The old school Tory ideologues must be wincing at this bold recasting of their party's image. Nevertheless, this is an important incremental step towards a Tory revival. It shows that Cameron, like Blair before him, understands the necessity of calibrating a clean break with his party's past.
These are valuable lessons that the BJP can glean from their Tory counterparts. Like the Tories who are now moving closer towards embracing a multicultural Britain, the BJP needs to get comfortable with the reality of a plural India. If the BJP aims to avoid a prolonged spell in political wilderness, it must resist its instinctive lurch towards the right by turning towards the moderate centre-ground for inspiration. A break with the past is in order. The party must be prepared to reconcile its ideological baggage with a modern outlook and a socially inclusive approach. As with the Tories, the challenge before the BJP is whether it can demonstrate that it is a 21st century party with progressive values that belong to the 21st century.
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A Slice of India
I arrange to meet a friend for lunch over the weekend at Southall. Located in west London, Southall is home to a substantial portion of London's Punjabi community. At the train station, the signboards are in English and Punjabi. As I walk towards the high street, a branch of ICICI bank appears in sight. There are supermarkets laden with Indian groceries. The street is buzzing with people. I walk past the delightfully named Himalaya Picture Palace, a multiplex cinema that screens the latest Bollywood offerings. A poster from Taxi No. 9.2.11 is hanging outside the cinema's façade. Shops selling Hindi music and DVD's are belting out tunes to outdo each other. It is a vivid recreation of an Indian bazaar and evidences London's diversity. Lunch is sumptuous. I gleefully tuck into a large plateful of papri-chaat and gol-gappas. The piece de resistance follows later: after lunch, we spot a paan-wallah! Savouring the paan, I catch the train back to central London feeling rather contended with the afternoon's excursion.
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(Rishabh Bhandari is a lawyer at a global law firm in London. These are his personal views.)first published:March 13, 2006, 10:34 ISTlast updated:March 13, 2006, 10:34 IST
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The Tories offer the BJP some valuable lessons
The Tories were once seen as the natural party of power in Britain but three successive electoral defeats threatened to irrevocably dent that reputation. Labour was able to capture power in 1997 because Blair had astutely assessed that post-Thatcher, the British elections would be fought over the centre-ground. To this end, he persuaded the Labour party to bury its ideological aversion to private enterprise. Three successive electoral victories have followed. The wheel has come around a full circle since. Just as a younger Tony Blair had recognized the importance of discarding staunch ideological convictions, today, David Cameron, the youthful Tory leader exhorts his party to welcome the reality of a modern Britain by returning to the centre-ground.
Recently, the Tories published a text of their aims and values which their party membership will be asked to vote on. In this statement, the Tories declare, "We are an open and inclusive party. We will act to ensure that our party, at every level, is representative of modern Britain." Cameron seems determined to soften his party's hardline anti-immigration agenda. There are other statements in the document about the environment and public services that one would not ordinarily associate with the Tories. The old school Tory ideologues must be wincing at this bold recasting of their party's image. Nevertheless, this is an important incremental step towards a Tory revival. It shows that Cameron, like Blair before him, understands the necessity of calibrating a clean break with his party's past.
These are valuable lessons that the BJP can glean from their Tory counterparts. Like the Tories who are now moving closer towards embracing a multicultural Britain, the BJP needs to get comfortable with the reality of a plural India. If the BJP aims to avoid a prolonged spell in political wilderness, it must resist its instinctive lurch towards the right by turning towards the moderate centre-ground for inspiration. A break with the past is in order. The party must be prepared to reconcile its ideological baggage with a modern outlook and a socially inclusive approach. As with the Tories, the challenge before the BJP is whether it can demonstrate that it is a 21st century party with progressive values that belong to the 21st century.
A Slice of India
I arrange to meet a friend for lunch over the weekend at Southall. Located in west London, Southall is home to a substantial portion of London's Punjabi community. At the train station, the signboards are in English and Punjabi. As I walk towards the high street, a branch of ICICI bank appears in sight. There are supermarkets laden with Indian groceries. The street is buzzing with people. I walk past the delightfully named Himalaya Picture Palace, a multiplex cinema that screens the latest Bollywood offerings. A poster from Taxi No. 9.2.11 is hanging outside the cinema's façade. Shops selling Hindi music and DVD's are belting out tunes to outdo each other. It is a vivid recreation of an Indian bazaar and evidences London's diversity. Lunch is sumptuous. I gleefully tuck into a large plateful of papri-chaat and gol-gappas. The piece de resistance follows later: after lunch, we spot a paan-wallah! Savouring the paan, I catch the train back to central London feeling rather contended with the afternoon's excursion.
(Rishabh Bhandari is a lawyer at a global law firm in London. These are his personal views.)
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