BJP’s Kerala huddle set to shape govt’s foreign policy

KOZHIKODE: The picturesque coastal town of Kozhikode in Kerala, which will host 1,700 BJP leaders over the next three days, looks set to make a significant contribution in shaping the NDA government’s security and foreign policies.

The BJP national council, the apex decision-making body of the ruling party at the Centre, will brainstorm over India’s response to the terror attack on the army base in Uri last Sunday and the party’s line on the over ten-week long unrest in Kashmir Valley.

Kozhikode or Calicut is the birthplace of late VK Krishna Menon. The legendary diplomat, who later became defence minister, had made an eight-hour-long speech — arguably the longest ever — at the United Nations in 1957, defending India’s stand on Kashmir.

Six decades hence, Kozhikode could again play a role in defining India’s policy on Kashmir and also its response to recent cross-border terror attacks. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will reach here on Friday evening, is likely to share his thoughts on the recent developments at a rally the next day.

BJP leaders, who are known to bristle at the first signs of public outrage over any Indo-Pak fracas, have been guarded but have kept emotions in check.

None came out in public to endorse general secretary Ram Madhav’s jaw-for-tooth strategy vis-a-vis Pakistan. Senior functionaries of the government have been cautious. They have called Pakistan a terrorist state and warned that the perpetrators will not go unpunished but have refrained from feeding onto jingoistic sentiments.

External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj will further address their concerns by attacking Pakistan in her speech at the UN general assembly on September 26.

It will be the first time after the Uri attack that the entire top leadership of the ruling party at the Centre will discuss the issues at the BJP national council meeting.

The party will surely take a tough line on Kashmir. But will the ruling party draw another red line? After committing to a dialogue with all stakeholders in Kashmir in the agenda of alliance with the Peoples Democratic Party, will the BJP renege on it when it comes to talks with Hurriyat leaders?

What happens to another commitment for a review of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA)? The BJP’s stand on these issues will determine the longevity of the coalition government in Jammu & Kashmir.

The Kozhikode meet will also see the BJP make another attempt to showcase the Modi government’s welfare schemes to fend off attempts by Opposition leaders, especially Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, to project it as a party of the rich. Kozhikode has an important place in BJP’s history. It is here that Deen Dayal Upadhayay was elected the president of Jan Sangh, BJP’s former avatar, in 1967.