Turning Point in the Dalit Samaj Politics – Realignment of Political Forces

 

Turning Point in the Dalit Samaj Politics – Realignment of Political Forces

 

Politics is a game of possibilities. Kanshi Ram explored and exploited these possibilities fully during his life time before his health deteriorated in the early years of 2010s. He made the Bahujan Movement an important phase in the fast changing political scenario of India under the banner of BSP. Taking advantage of the ill health of a visionary and politically astute leader, Kanshi Ram, Mayawati

and her coterie, under the guise of owning the legacy of Kanshi Ram, made the BSP a family fiefdom to appropriate ill-gotten economic assets to their personal advantage. The lofty mission of Kanshi Ram was lost on the way.  The ‘Caravan’ of Babasaheb Ambedkar which Kanshi Ram was pulling and pushing forward with great ability and visible success was halted. It is matter of regret and remorse. There is no point in harping on the negative and self-centered approaches of the coterie and Mayawati herself which brought the BSP to its current status of ‘non-entity’. The machinations of the ruling elite exploited the situation fully to negate and defeat the egalitarian
agenda of bringing about an equitable social order initiated by Babasaheb and steered by Kanshi Ram by using the dictum of ‘Sham, Daam, Dand, Bhed’. They succeed in breaking the backbone of the Bahujan Movement of Kanshi Ram by exploiting Mayawati, who herself was a leader to reckon with otherwise, over her allegedly

ill-gotten financial fortunes. She could not face and withstand these blows of her political rivals and succumbed to the pressures. The ground reality is amply clear. There is no point in stressing the point further. I took the courage of writing this as apolitical analyst and a stakeholder in the affairs of the weaker sections of the society and its empowerment without any ill-will towards Mayawati and her coterie. I have no claim that I have any inside information or knowledge. I am dwelling my thoughts on the information available in the public domain only.

The immediate provocation to write this piece is the standoff between Mayawati and Akash Anand. It seems it would be a turning point in the dalit samaj politics. Change, in the process, is an imminent offshoot of the evolving situation. BSP and Mayawati have failed Kanshi Ram in the pursuit of her vested interests without caring for the larger interests of the community as initiated by Babasaheb Ambedkar and Kanshi Ram. BSP and its leadership have lost steam. Its vote share has come to naught. It has come to such a pass that BSP has become irrelevant in the political scene of the country. There is no possibility in sight that BSP can retrieve its lost position with the current leadership at the helm. The redeeming aspect in the process appears to be the young and educated lot like Chander Shekhar Azad, Akash Anand, Chirag Paswan, Raj Rattan Ambedkar among others who should shed all inhibitions and join hands in carrying forward

the ‘Caravan’ of Ambedkar and Kanshi Ram. It is a difficult task. But there is no other way out if the dalits and the weaker sections of the society – the Bahujan Samaj and the minorities like the Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians and others are to be integrated with the mainstream of the polity and economy and also the society large. The emerging political and socio-cultural situation is getting polarized on the basis of religious and sectarian considerations. The answer to this lies in getting together as a coalition of Dalits, Ati-backwards, Muslims and other minorities as a counter weight to the Hindutava ground realities. In the given situation, the Hindutava bandwagon has no wherewithal and intension to accommodate and integrate the socially weaker sections of the society and the minorities to the main stream of the society. Caste and graded inequality is the hallmark of the Hindu establishment and ethos and it will remain so in the years to come for a long time.

The followers of Babasaheb Ambedkar and Kanshi Ram are law abiding citizens. They are interested in making India – a Socialists, Secular and Democratic India as stipulated in the Preamble of the Constitution of India. To begin with, the like-minded political and social leaders shall get together to face the challenges of the future. The new generation under the leadership of the likes of Chander

Shekhar Azad, Akash Anand, Raj Rattan Ambedkar, Asaduddin Owaissi among others shall consider and exploit the emerging political scenario to challenge the forces of ‘caste and graded inequality’ to secure ‘Justice, Liberty, Equality and Fraternity’, the lofty vision of our forefathers led by Babasaheb Ambedkar and Kanshi Ram and others. The new movement may spread pan-India in due course. A beginning may be made in Northern region, the Hindi heartland.

It is said ‘well begun is half done’. Let us hope the new leadership of the marginalized segments of the society consider and take note of the ground reality’s and act; the sooner the better. It will be a

befitting tribute to the memory of Manyawar Kanshi Ram on his birth anniversary on March 15. I conclude with a poetic assertion of Allama Iqbal –

Zara Dekh Uss Ko Jo Kuch Ho Raha Hai, Hone Wala Hai
Dhara Kya Hai Bhala Ehd-e-Kuhan Ki Dastnon Mein

Pay attention to what is happening and what is going to happen
What good there is in repeating the tales of the old glories?