has been done in terms of building a genuine secular atmosphere even of the composite culture variety. It is not certain how far the chief minister's policy of projecting a section of Muslim power brokers and criminal elements on the one hand and encouraging all sorts of brahminical, reactionary and communal Hindu elements will help in anti- communalism. The latter under Mulayam anti-communalism' has become an open form of political manipulation and opportunism which came to the fore in the reception given to the visiting Iranian head of state Rafsanjani at Lucknow where, projections like 'Mulayam the protector of Muslims and Shere-Hind, etc, went hand in hand with a total silence on the real problems of the Muslims. This has become the practice with dalits and backwards who are showing increasing restlessness going beyond sops like control of power and reservations. Worse, as was evident in incidents of communal rioting in Moradabad and other places, there are signs of a dangerous backlash or communally sensitive situation developing with Mulayam himself tilting towards the Congress with all its familiar planks of soft communalism and creating a fear psychosis amongst the minorities. The BJP thus remains a threat necessary for Mulayam's survival.
