http://blogs.hindustantimes.com/hindi-heartland/2010/04/20/because-ambedkar-sells-in-the-vote-bazaar/
Because Ambedkar sells in the vote bazaar I repeat here what you all must have heard or read umpteen times. Caste and caste alone sells in Indian politics. Or else why do political parties scramble for political space on Ambedkar Jayanti while keeping Gandhi Jayanti a low-key affair? Sadly, the Father of the Nation does not fetch votes in the vote bazaar as Ambedkar does. Come Ambedkar Jayanti and all parties get into an overdrive – processions, speeches, garlands. People vote for Ambedkar, they identify with him, his caste, not with Gandhi. Circa 2008: Union Minister Sharad Pawar unveiled a 17ft-tall statue of Ambedkar in Nagpur. A few kilometers away in the infamous Khairlanji village where fellow villagers had butchered four Dalits in September 2006 people celebrated a weeklong Bhagwat Saptah to mark the return of social harmony in the village. The irony was that the only surviving dalit family remained within the four walls of their home during the week. Despite round-the-clock police vigil since the incident, the family members of Durwasji Khobragade lived an isolated and insecure life. Few perhaps remember that the incident had sparked off caste clashes in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh. The statue that Sharad Pawar unveiled did not give them any sense of security or dignity. Come to 2010. Both the Congress and the BSP vied with each other for the Dalit pie. Rahul Gandhi went to Ambedkar Nagar, flagged off ten yatras that would tour all the 403 assembly constituencies in the state for full 90 days. The ruling BSP, that claims to enjoy Ambedkar’s legacy, refused permission to Rahul to garland his statue. So he garlanded his portrait. By now the yatra has already got stuck in controversies with nautch girls taking the centrestage at some places, throwing the party’s dalit agenda into the backyards. Mayawati also roared, refusing to get cowed down by opposition’s propaganda against the memorials and parks built by her. She also went down accusing the Congress of denying Bharat Ratna to Ambedkar till the 1990’s. The message was clear; “Ambedkar got his rightful place only after the BSP’s emergence on the state’s political horizon.” Thus, the BSP is the only party in the state that could safeguard the interest of his followers too. Thereafter, Mayawati went on an aerial survey of the celebrations while her constituency of dalits fought for basics like water and power on the ground. The Congress exploited them, showed them dreams—- the same dreams Mayawati is showing them today. I wonder who will be the next! Posted by Sunita Aron on Tuesday, April 20, 2010 at 6:06 pm ------------------------------------ ---- INFORMATION OVERLOAD? Get all ZESTCaste mails sent out in a span of 24 hours in a single mail. Subscribe to the daily digest version by sending a blank mail to [email protected], OR, if you have a Yahoo! Id, change your settings at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/join/ PARTICIPATE:- On this list you can share caste news, discuss caste issues and network with like-minded anti-caste people from across India and the world. Just write to [email protected] TELL FRIENDS TO SIGN UP:- If you got this mail as a forward, subscribe to ZESTCaste by sending a blank mail to [email protected] OR, if you have a Yahoo! ID, by visiting http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/join/ Also have a look at our sister list, ZESTMedia: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
