The Bharatiya Janata Party has decided to intensively liaise with the government, especially the commerce ministry, on World Trade Organisation related issues to prevent the "bureaucratisation" of a potentially explosive political issue. The decision was taken after a meeting between the BJP and the Swadeshi Jagran Manch a month ago in Mumbai.

Though there were many in the government who were scornful of the SJM's swadeshi fundamentalism, BJP sources said in New Delhi on Wednesday that the Mumbai meeting revealed the depths of ignorance among even the BJP's leaders about the ways in which economic issues, especially relating to the World Trade Organisation and foreign direct investment, were going to impact the people.

"On divestment, even on World Trade Organisation  political feedback to the government is absolutely necessary," a BJP general secretary said. However, this was not possible, he said because of ignorance in the party about basic economic issues.

The party, for instance, had submitted a study based on anecdotal evidence on the possibility of imposing non-tariff barriers, permitted under World Trade Organisation rules, on cheap imports from China,

Indonesia, Malaysia and Taiwan, to the food and civil supplies ministry.

The party had argued that products like medical diagnostic kits, electronic blood pressure monitors and "magical" slimming remedies that are neither medicine nor food should be brought under the mandatory certification. But the government was yet to react to it, he added.

"At the (Mumbai) meeting, we were impressed by the amount of work the SJM had done on the World Trade Organisation. We have to learn from them, especially in the area of agriculture. For instance, at that meeting, we came to know that several sets of Quantitative Restrictions were lifted even before it was necessary to remove them.

But because this decision was guided by the bureaucracy, there was no political intervention. We are trying to ensure this does not happen in future," said a BJP general secretary.

The party is not sure what mechanism it will set up to address this problem - whether it will be a committee, or a group of ministers.

However, party leaders feel the World Trade Organisationis one area that will help bridge the gap and absence of dialogue between the SJM and the BJP.

"Till 1997, there was intensive and vigorous dialogue between the SJM and us (the BJP). However, when we came into power, we got too involved in running things that systematic conversation came to a standstill. This will be one way of reviving this," he  said.