Historic Opportunity For Akhilesh Yadav In Uttar-Pradesh
Sunday March 18, 2012 08:05:22 PM,
Vidya Bhushan Rawat
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It may be a co-incident that
Akhilesh Yadav is taking over the reins of Uttar-Pradesh on
March 15th which is the birthday of Bahujannayak Manywar
Kanshiramji but samajwadi party should utilize this day to reach
out a wider section of people who are committed to the Bahujan
philosophy of Kanshiram. That it was Kanshiram’s experiment with
Samajwadi Party which brought Mulayam Singh Yadav back as chief
minister of Uttar-Pradesh in 1993 after the Babari-Masjid
demolition. We all remember the euphoria created all over the
country over the merging of two icons of the Dalit-Bahujan
movement though we knew it well that there were weak links and a
political revolution will not succeed in the absence of a cultural
revolution despite the good will this combination created all over
the country. The counter slogan Uttar-Pradesh witnessed after the
thorough communalization played by the Hindutva gangs was ‘mile
mulayam kanshiram-hawa ho gaye jaishreeram’. It is a fact that
this unity literally threw away the Ram Temple movement from
Uttar-Pradesh. Hence a Ram mandir may be an issue for Gujarat,
Madhya Pradesh or elsewhere for political reasons but for
Uttar-Pradesh, the people have clearly understood the brahmanical
agenda behind it and hence rejected it wholeheartedly.
That experiment of 1993 threatened to destroy the status quo in
Delhi itself and many states were on the verge of following the
same experiment. The hitherto political marginalized forces
started taking centre stage and started deliberating their own
future in the current polity and deciding about their strategies.
And the result was that the political changes which were
threatening everyone were nullified by creating a permanent wage
between the two. Mayawati was propped up BJP to break the alliance
in Uttar-Pradesh and the rest is history now. Mulayam’s own
behavior during this has been absolutely unfair and not worthy of
a chief minister. The guest house incident shook not only
Uttar-Pradesh but all of us who believe that parting ways in
politics does not mean humiliating the person who was your partner
just an hour before and that humiliation was not just political it
threatened to be physical that time. Fortunately, the situation
was saved from getting into worst and what followed rest is well
known to us.
That is why I write today that Akhilesh is young and dynamic. He
does not have a history of political manipulations. He seems to be
forward looking and to make his success stronger he can actually
follow the mantra of late Kanshiramji. He can restart the process
of building the bridges between the Dalits and OBCs by bringing
them together and vigorously following certain things which make
Dalits a bit suspicious about Samajwadi party.
One of the major focuses of Kanshiram was actually cultural
changes though most of them remain symbolic yet they were very
important for us. Those changes are now permanent. Buddhism born
in Uttar-Pradesh is given its due respect in the state by BSP and
it will be good for Akhilesh not to touch upon any of these
things. He could do well to promote it but should not anything in
the negative that stop this cultural revolution in Uttar-Pradesh.
Secondly, Akhilesh should implement the SC-ST Prevention of
atrocities act more powerfully if there are cases of violence
against Dalits. In Mayawti regime this act was actually made
redundant and nobody could question that. Thirdly, it is time for
government to evaluate its land acquisition policy. You need
development but you cannot develop yourself at the cost of
dislocating people and making them landless. UP must come out with
a progressive policy where land must not be acquired at any cost
if it makes people landless and impact on environment.
The government should continue with both Ambedkar village scheme
as well as Mahamaya and Kanshiram Awas Yojna. They are important
to empower landless Dalits. In fact, the government of
Uttar-Pradesh must focus on land redistribution process which has
been side tracked by the government in the state. Land Ceiling
laws are being circumvented and huge track of lands are being
acquired in the name of religious trust. Akhilesh would do well if
he and his advisers can formulate policies where the thugs in the
name of religion do not amass huge tax free property and absolute
uncontrolled land. It is ironical that while government claims it
does not possess much land to redistribute to landless people
while at the same point it has enough strength and will power to
distribute huge plots to religious gurus, big companies. It would
be prudent not to destroy people’s livelihood.
Uttar-Pradesh needs development. It needs investment in education
and health. It needs a lot of planning as the educational system
in Uttar-Pradesh is in complete mess. Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav has
already done a lot of damage to that system when he virtually
‘legalised’ mass copying forcing the teachers to pass every
student. Such ‘favor’ to students will only kill them. Government
schools and colleges should be made more accountable and workable.
Let the teachers be accountable to village Panchayat. Government
must stop the politicization of these schools which is the order
of the day. Most of the new colleges and schools are mushrooming
out of the MP and MLA local areas funds in connivance of both. It
is a dangerous precedent. These colleges are nothing but political
power to control. It is time we make them more accountable towards
students so that they create better environments.
Thousands of children have died in Poorvanchal during the past 5
years because of Japanese encephalitis and yet nothing happened.
Our medical colleges and hospitals are in pathetic shape. They do
not give patience a confidence of his health and well being. Like
a police thana, our hospitals too frighten the people to keep away
from them.
Many of the Samajwadi party workers, MLAs have already become
‘ministers’ and are taking control of the districts. It is time
when party send strong signal to them to behave. It is true that
Samajwadi party has not compromised on the issue of Muslims and
they voted the party in the largest. The faith of Muslims on
Samajwadi party actually sealed the fate of Congress Party’s
return in Uttar-Pradesh. So it has a bigger responsibility to take
care of them particularly bringing the developmental programmes to
Muslim homes. It would be difficult to implement all that is
promised in the manifestoes and if they are able to do it, it will
give people a confidence.
In the last term, Amar Singh and company had control of the
Samajwadi Party. There is nothing wrong to invite investors to
Uttar-Pradesh but it is also important that they do not take
things for granted and given specific task. They cannot dictate to
the government against people’s welfare.
In Mayawati regime, law and order was relatively better than the
previous regime of Samajwadi party. It is therefore important that
party’s rogue element be sending clear message not to take law on
their hands. Just by blaming the opponents for every criticism
will take the government nowhere.
Today, when Akhilesh formally become chief minister of
Uttar-Pradesh, he must realize one fact that Kanshiram’s biggest
achievement was to bring together Dalit Bahujan communities and
reviving the great legacy of Dr Ambedkar which was confined to
academics and a few pockets, to general masses. It is this legacy
of him which has empowered people in Uttar-Pradesh that even the
most marginalized people in the state can speak of a political
language and fight for their battle. Is it not great that when
Bahujan Samaj Party lost power during this election, the new
government of Akhilesh Yadav is Samajwadi Party by name but
represent huge good will of the shudra communities and Muslims and
not from the Brahmins or Thakurs? As a chief minister, he rightly
says that the government was voted by all the caste and religions
and there is no problem in admitting that but there is a reality
also.
Nobody can deny that BSP was formed by Kanshiram and that he
groomed Mayawati to lead it but there is nothing wrong in
implementing the vision of Kanshiram by Samajwadi party. Great
people become not individual centric but anyone to follow.
Kanshiram’s efforts to empower the most marginalized communities
as well as bring a cultural change need to be strengthened
further. In democracy, people make parties and part ways but it is
also the beauty of democracy that we can always take good things
from all. Dalit Bahujan history of India cannot ignore the immense
contribution of Kanshiram for their political and social
empowerment. Uttar-Pradesh today would not have been the same if
Kanshiram had not come into the horizon. Both Samajwadi Party and
Bahujan Samaj Party may be fighting against each other but they
can always implement and work towards the vision and mission of
Kanshramji. And what else could be a better day then today when we
celebrate his birthday. Let us salute him and his contribution for
the vast Dalit Bahujan masses of India and take his message
further. Therefore Akhilesh has a historic opportunity which his
father lost in 1993. May be that time he was in the coalition
government but this time he has got an absolute majority and
Samajwadi Party can do well to strengthen the Dalit Bahujan
movement initiated by Late Kanshiramji as people all over the
country are watching them in great expectations for future.
One hope that Akhilesh’s tenure will not give leaverage to those
powerful groups who have lost their political power but are
manipulating people’s mandate to maintain status quo. These power
communities are lying low but have not lost hope. They will try to
create a wage between different communities by targeting Muslims
particularly raking up the nondescript Ayodhya issue again and
again. Therefore, it is important for Samajwadi Party to
understand well the philosophy of Kanshiram in keeping a safe
distance from these forces who are hell-bent to destroy our peace.
Uttar-Pradesh has no place for the communal Hindutva forces and a
big contribution for it is the unity of the Dalits and Shudra
communities under the leadership of Samajwadi party and Bahujan
Samaj Party. It is time to revive the thought of unity among
communities. If leaders find time to unite well and good but
people must be united towards a new enlightened agenda for future
and not putting them to religious fanatics maintaining status quo.
Akhilesh has enormous good will of the people and one sincerely
hope that he would be able to deliver if he overcome all the
prejudices of his party in the past. Uttar Pradesh welcome him
with open arm and great hope for future.
Vidya Bhushan Rawat is a social and human rights activist. He
blogs at www.manukhsi.blogspot.com
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