AN OPEN LETTER FROM BJP LEADER ANIL SINGH

AN OPEN LETTER FROM BJP LEADER ANIL SINGH

2-NOV-ENG 11

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA----------------------Writing this open letter might cause me political harm; however, if my loss ensures the dignity of our party workers and upholds the self-respect of the party, then there could be no greater political honor for me!

In the BJP, the organization was once paramount; today, individuals (leaders) have risen above the organization!

The culture, ideology, and organizational style of the Bharatiya Janata Party have always been defined by its dedicated workers. Yet, a significant question arises today: who truly belongs in the organization—those committed to its ideology, or those who secure positions merely by orbiting around leaders?

The current situation is such that workers who have dedicated years to the organization and its ideology are left feeling disheartened, while those who hover around leaders—participating in their personal events and attending to their needs—are the ones securing organizational positions.

In the name of expanding power and the organization, individuals from other parties are being entrusted with significant responsibilities without any thorough organizational assessment. One must ask: should the mere ability to win elections be the sole criterion for holding an organizational post? Have ideology, loyalty, experience, and years of struggle lost all significance?

There was a time when even the most influential, wealthy, or powerful individuals could not easily organize an event for a prominent leader in a district without the knowledge and consent of the local (Mandal and District) presidents. The organization commanded its own dignity, office-bearers were respected, and the role of every worker was valued.

Today, however, prominent leaders hold events at the local level—cutting cakes and hosting functions—often without the responsible organizational office-bearers even being informed. In what direction is this shift taking us?

If our MLAs and MPs possess such a profound understanding of how to run the organization, why not entrust them with all organizational responsibilities—from the district level all the way up to the state level? And conversely, why not grant the workers who have toiled for the organization for years the opportunity to contest elections? Perhaps then it will also become clear how many people within the organization truly wish to run it, and how many merely desire a retinue of individuals to serve their personal needs.

Today, the greatest distress for a party worker is: to whom can they voice their concerns? How many elected representatives or office-bearers actually answer calls from party workers? How many listen to their problems with genuine seriousness? In many places, workers struggle just to reach their own leaders. Leaders remain preoccupied within their own narrow circles, officials are absorbed in their own ways of functioning, and the grassroots worker stands alone, left to grapple with their own challenges.

The most pressing question is this: why is it that a party worker—hailed as godlike before an election—becomes neglected once a government is formed?

The true strength of the BJP does not lie in its offices, buildings, social media engagement, vehicles, or grand events. Its real strength is the party worker—the individual who, even in the face of adverse circumstances, never abandoned the party’s flag or its ideology.

Positions within the organization should not be granted through someone’s personal favor; rather, they should be earned based on merit, experience, dedication, ideological commitment, and contributions to the organization.

Leaders must realize that a party worker is not a personal servant standing at their doorstep, but the very backbone of the organization.

The truth may be bitter, but introspection is essential. If the organization fails to restore the respect and importance due to its dedicated workers in time, then the widening chasm between the organization and its workers must be addressed with the utmost seriousness.

Remember, the BJP is built by its workers—not merely by its leaders. The organization was, is, and must always remain paramount.

Yet, the culture of the BJP has shifted, its ideology has evolved, and much of what once safeguarded the dignity, honor, and self-respect of the party’s workers has changed. What I have written may perhaps cause pain to some, but I have penned these words out of a restless heart—driven by the fear that the lotus, which has reached the Red Fort, might one day fall.