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In June 1995, she had created political history by becoming the
first Dalit woman chief minister of India. And after her
ignominious exit a few months later, many thought that it was
curtains for Mayawati.
But now, the 40-year-old general secretary of the Bahujan Samaj
Party is back with a bang. With her party having struck a deal with
the Bharatiya Janata Party, Mayawati has taken office as CM of UP.
Here, she speaks of the BSP-BJP tie-up, the United Front
government, and the plans for her six-month rule. Excerpts:
SUNDAY: What prompted you and your party to ultimately strike a
deal with the BJP?
Mayawati: It was UP's deteriorating law and order situation
that brought us together once again. You see, the rule of law was
totally absent in UP. As complete lawlessness prevailed, the worst
affected were the poor and downtrodden. Their grievances remained
unheard due to the absence of a popular government, as the state
had remained under President's Rule for the past 17 months.
Q: But earlier, the proposal for such a coalition had been rejected
by your own party chief, Kanshi Ram, who insisted that he would
accept BJP support only from the outside...
A: At that time, we did not have a very clear mind on this. But now
we decided to agree to a coalition because we realised that
atrocities were being committed on members of the BJP and on Dalits
in a big way. Therefore we felt that our insistence on outside
support might lead to greater problems for both parties.
Q: Did the increasing influence of the Samajwadi Party chief
Mulayam Singh Yadav on the governance of UP prompt you and the BJP
to come together?
A: Well, there is no denying that President's Rule under Governor
Romesh Bhandari was, in effect, proxy rule of Mulayam Singh Yadav.
Not only we, but every other party including the Congress talked
about it.
Q: But don't you agree with the common view that this alliance is
an unnatural one? While the BJP is known to be an upper-caste
party, the BSP is devoted totally to the cause of the Dalits.
A: Our party does not talk only of the Dalits. Our 67 MLAs here
include members from all communities - the upper castes, OBCs and
minorities. We believe in 'sarva samaj'. Yet, I would like to
point out why we lay greater emphasis on the plight of the Dalits.
After all, they are the most down-trodden of all and therefore
deserve more attention and greater sympathy. Even the central
government lays greater stress on them; every government does that.
Q: There is widespread apprehension that your alliance will be a
short-lived one.
A: Well, it is going on and I am sure it will continue smoothly.
Q: Mulayam Singh Yadav has been quick to term this alliance
"opportunistic" and predicted that the rotational agreement of
chief ministership will fail.
A: Tell him to worry about himself. Today he already stands
decimated in Uttar Pradesh; and the day is not far when Mulayam
Singh Yadav will be totally marginalised at the Centre also.
Q: Do you feel that your alliance with the BJP has given a serious
jolt to Mulayam?
A: It is a jolt not only to Mulayam, but to the entire United Front
and all other parties as well.
Q: But the BSP has had alliances with the SP, the BJP and the
Congress earlier. And none of them lasted.
A: Considering that we had an understanding with the Congress
during the last elections, it was their duty to stand by their
promise of making me chief minister. And if they found the United
Front disagreeable, they should have withdrawn support to the UF
government at the Centre then and there. But the Congress
developed cold feet and the United Front was pressurised by
Mulayam, who did not agree to abdicate his own claim to the chief
minister's chair. Imagine, even the Prime Minister failed to
convince Mulayam. The double standards of the UF and the Congress
were exposed.
Q: Do you consider the BJP more reliable than the Congress and the
UF?
A: Absolutely. The Congress failed to honour its commitment and
the United Front's oft-repeated claims about being the messiah of
the poor and down-trodden too were belied. But here, the BJP has
kept its word.
Q: So, unlike most parties, you do not regard the BJP as
'untouchable' for their communal bias.
A: We have always fought against untouchability. And in any case,
manyavar Kanshi Ramji has already said that the United Front is
"feudal" and therefore it was more dangerous than anybody else.
Q: What are your government's priorities and what do you propose to
do to ensure their implementation?
A: Restoration of law and order in the state tops my agenda,
followed by development, which has also suffered due to absence of
a popular government. Besides, I wish to make the administration
more responsive to the needs of the people. Thus I have already
issued directives to all district magistrates and district police
superintendents to hold 'janata durbars' for direct redressal of
the common man's grievances.
I will myself undertake surprise inspections to ensure that this
new system is being followed.
Q: Your style of functioning appears to he quite different from
that of the previous tenure.
A: Well, at that time I was new to everything and I had to learn a
lot of things. Naturally, it took me some time to get a hang of
things and I remained quite busy in the learning process itself.
But this time, there is no difficulty at all as I am already
well-trained now.
I can assure you that this time I will accomplish the task of six
years in six months.
Q: But do you hope to create a new administrative environment by
merely transferring and shuffling officers?
A: I do not believe in transferring or shifting people just, for
the heck of it. I am not stupid. I have shifted officers only when
it was absolutely necessary.
Q: Is that necessity dictated by considerations of caste?
A: Certainly not. Caste has not been the consideration in the
transfers ordered by me. I am shifting people solely on merit. It
is the integrity, honesty and performance of the officer that will
determine his posting.
Q: Finally, how do you think the latest development in Delhi will
affect the fate of your government?
A: It will not have any bearing either on my government, or on the
BSP-BJP alliance.
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