Today, India remembers Kanshiram Saheb on what would have been his 87th birthday. His followers, admirers, friends and political scientists will all remember him. His presence, from the Indian political horizon, is missed desperately. Particularly by the Bahujan movement which is facing an extreme political crisis in the absence of growing expectations of the masses and the utter failure of political parties, particularly those which claim a Bahujan legacy, to respond to these.
In it’s second term, the Narendra Modi government has been on stage two of an all out war with the opposition and Indian citizens who have stood against the various policies of this government. The aim of the ruling party people is to discredit political dissenters by dubbing them anti national. Specific actions of this government that have resulted in nationwide disquiet but which failed to evince a strong response from parties like the BSP (which was founded by Manyawar Kanshiram) need to be critiqued.
But before that, the re construction of the Bahujan world, a concept that Kanshiram had built so laboriously, travelling across the country, bringing so many diverse communities to one platform, giving them home and aspirations. This was unparalleled.
Those Indians who had never tasted power even at the Panchayat level rose to become leaders of consequence, were made to contest from unreserved constituencies and won these elections! toSuch voices face extinction now as the power of money dominates! Political leaders misuse the term, ‘ I am opportunist’ remarked upon by Kanshiram Saheb to suit their own corrupt practices. It was clear when he used the term opportunist that for the welfare of his people he was ready to go to any extent–building alliances with forces etc– but none can ever blame him either for being monetarily corrupt or for not working towards the consolidation of the interests of the Bahujan Samaj.
The BSP, as a political party came out from a powerful Bahujan movement with strong Ambedkarite leanings and therefore the expectations of the common people today are similar as they used to be in the days of its birth and growth.
In the greater interest of the people, we therefore say, do not kill the party or weaken it but play a bigger role in democratising it and making the leadership understand that people are expecting the top leadership to respect their sentiments.
Things have changed now. We can not have same sets of standards. When Kanshiram Saheb started his movement, his faith lay with his people, Ambedkarites in unknown villages and towns who joined him and trusted him. That trust was never betrayed and people got space in the leadership spectrum. He nurtured them. Today, it is the youth of India that have been crying and speaking up against the anti people policies of this government.
The Universities are being targeted, reservation is under the threat, political dissent being crushed, there is a lock down in Jammu and Kashmir with more than 7000 political activists –including former chief ministers in jail — and there has not been a significant response from this Bahujan political leadership. The silence or the calculated silence on anti CAA, anti NPR-NRC protests as well as on the question of targeted violence against Muslims —by the police both in Delhi as well as Uttar Pradesh — should have evoked a sharp, political response. There has been, instead, a studied silence.
There has been no attempt from the Bahujan leadership to reach out to communities which reflects the ideological crisis of the leadership.
Why we say this is not only because Ambedkarites do not suffer from ideological inefficiencies like the brahmanical secular sections with their ‘balancing’ act of ‘sarv-dharm-sambhav’. For us, the Bahujan, secularism is making spaces for the most marginalised, respecting the Constitution and de-brahmanising political forums and cultural spaces. We all know that the protests against CAA, all over India showed how the country was embracing Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar and his thoughts. How people were finding that Ambedkarism and his progressive, democratic ideas are the only way to fight against brahmanical hegemony and their methods to divide people through creating false narratives. Ambedkarites actually know these narratives better than any one else in India because they are in the best position to expose them.
But this opportunity has been allowed to slip. The breaking up of alliance with Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh was a big set back. It is a well known fact that it was the BSP which gained most from such an alliance. Akhilesh Yadav had shown a lot respect to the BSP. His ability and capacity to understand Dr Ambedkar and his philosophy made him a better politician. I have been a critique of Samajwadi Party’s campaign attempt against Dr Ambedkar in the past when the party tried to pitch Lohia against Dr Ambedkar. The fact is Lohia wanted Dr Ambedkar to be the leader of a united opposition. For all these misadventures, the alliance between Samajwadi Party and BSP could have worked as it ignited the caders of both the parties and they felt that the good old days of ‘mile mulayam kanshiram, hawaa ho gaye jaishree ram’ will return.
While both parties failed before the corrosive onslaught of the BJP with its divisive campaign, the breaking up of an alliance unilaterally by the BSP was the bigger jolt. It trashed all the hopes of the people who felt that the combined strength and longer term coalition of the Bahujan is the only guarantee to defeat the brahmanical forces, particularly in Uttar Pradesh.
Now, we hear that another party is being launched today. I am not a fan of party politics but somewhere these developments reflect the
failures of the BSP leadership to handle challenges with care. Now, if Chandrashekar Azad forms a party, this can only damage BSP in Uttar Pradesh. It will be difficult to re-build both the confidence and brand like the BSP. Which is why I am of the opinion that it is the BSP leadership that must introspect and include young leaders within its fold particularly those Ambedkarites who are emerging from the Universities. Provide them space, not necessarily a party ticket but send them to work among communities, build up and support cultural spaces and social movements. Keep critiques close or atleast read them as ‘bhakts’ only damage the party. Psychophants never give the correct picture of the masses who are getting increasingly disillusioned.
It is time the BSP re-dedicates itself to the philosophy of Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar by reaching out to the masses as Manywar Kanshiram Saheb had done by travelling across the length and breadth of the country . Can the new young aspiring leaders of party be asked to make a move, leave their Scorpios and pick up a cycle or walk through the dusty lanes and wadas and tolas of the villages to connect to the people and assure them that the party stands with them and to uphold their rights? While a lot of time has been wasted, yet, all is not lost. Nor the battle over. Can the BSP leadership rise above itself?