India's new leader

With the election of Atal Bihari Vajpayee as prime minister, India enters a potentially dangerous new period in its tumultuous history. Mr. Vajpayee, president of the main Hindu nationalist party, portrays himself as a conciliator and plays down his party's pledge to dismantle the long-standing protection of the country's Muslim minority. But the party has not repudiated its platform, and if enacted it would tear India apart. To his credit, Mr. Vajpayee says he wants to govern by consensus and accommodation. No Indian prime minister can afford to do otherwise.

Mr. Vajpayee's biggest test will be to tame the hard-line elements of his own party. Bharatiya Janata has long been seen as controlled behind the scenes by the notorious Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, or National Voluntary Service. Since the earliest, violent days of India's birth and partition with Pakistan, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has been associated with the most militant opposition to Muslims.

Four years ago, the destruction of a mosque by Hindu gangs in Ayodhya touched off the worst anti-Muslim riots since independence. Bharatiya Janata governed in the state where the mosque was destroyed. Mr. Vajpayee says the failure to prevent the mosque episode was a terrible blunder. His leadership will now be judged by whether his actions match his moderate words.

-- The New York Times