HVK Archives: SP's bid to wrest Dalit leadership in State politics
SP's bid to wrest Dalit leadership in State politics - The Indian Express
Express News Service
()
4 August 1997
Title: SP's bid to wrest Dalit leadership in State politics
Author: Express News Service
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: August 4, 1997
The Samajwadi Party has initiated efforts in right earnest to fill the
leadership vacuum in Dalit politics of Maharashtra.
The party, which has a negligible presence in the State, today announced a
plan of agitation against the ruling coalition.
The party's general secretary, Amar Singh, who is a close confidant of the
Union Minister and party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, visited the city with
clear intentions of making a fresh beginning in the State. He said his
party would start an agitation from August 8 against the State Government
for its failure to protect the interests of Dalits. Demanding the dismissal
of the wing coalition, the SP leader said an anti Dalit government had no
right to rule the State.
Amar Singh's visit is significant due to the fact that the desecration of a
bust of Dr Ambedkar in Mumbai and subsequent police firing that killed 11
people had brought to focus the existing vacuum in Dalit leadership. The
faction-ridden Republican Party of India stood completely discredited among
neo-Buddhists that constitute over 50 per cent of the Backward Caste
population.
While the attack on the R-PI leaders Ramdas Athawle and R S Gawai was a
clear indication of the prevailing anger among Dalits, the leadership faded
to unite even after the gruesome incident, paving way for Dalit leaders
from outside the State to increase- their clout 'm the State politics.
With a view to having a head start over the Bahujan Samaj Party, Mulayam
Singh Yadav had deputed Singh to restart the intermediate caste politics in
the State.
Coming down on the State Government, Amar Singh said the alliance
government could not escape the responsibility of the desecration tragedy
and subsequent police firing.
The fact that no action had been taken against the police official
responsible for the unprovoked firing underlined that the anti-Dalit bias
of the government, he stressed.
Mounting a frontal attack on the Shiv Sena-BJP government, Singh recounted
the events of the last month to conclude that the government was not fit to
rule. "What could you expect for common man where the leaders of the
opposition were not safe," Amar Singh asked.
Singh alleged that in the name of slum redevelopment scheme, the State
Government was arbitrarily demolishing slums. His party would, not tolerate
such atrocities, he added. Singh also did not fail in taking a potshot at
the BSP chief Kanshi Ram and the UP Chief Minister, Mayawati. The so
called Dalit leaders were yet to visit the State, he pointed out.
Talking about his party's prospects in the State, Singh said the Samajwadi
Party had a natural advantage over BSP which is in coalition with the
Bharatiya Janata Party in UP It would have been difficult for Kanshi Ram to
start an agitation in Maharashtra where BJP is a ruling partner.
Commenting on the controversy over Arun Shourie's book on Dr Ambedkar, he
said his party would insist on a ban on the book.
The State unit of the party met this morning to chalk out an agitational plan.
As per the plan the party activists would gather at Azad Maidan on August 8
and would march towards Mantralaya.
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