The Jantar Mantar agitation started by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) taught a lesson that was not learned by political parties in 79 years of democratic politics in India. The first hint of such a ‘lesson’ was visible earlier this year, but of that a little later.

Hitherto, history has taught us that political parties, through struggle and winning elections, can bring about change. That lesson still remains true. Congress led the movement that won independence. By winning successive elections, Congress erected several pillars of Indian democracy such as Constitutional rule, secularism, reservation, linguistic states, an independent central bank, devolution of resources, etc. Regional parties — for example, the Dravidian parties — won elections in states and asserted the primacy of the State’s language, States’ rights, cultural identity, land reforms, etc. The JP-led movement in 1975 replaced a central government and enacted Constitutional safeguards for liberty. The AASU movement in 1978 triggered legal provisions to control cross-border migration. In fact, it can be confidently asserted that all major changes in the governance of India were brought about by political parties through struggle and elections.

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