From last couple of months, politics in Uttar Pradesh has been witnessing a new controversy. This time, it is not the old bete noire – Mulayam and Mayawati. Rather, ‘Prince of Congress’, Rahul Gandhi is at loggerheads with ‘Dalit ki Beti, Mayawati. This battle till date has achieved good returns for the media.
Market players have a self interest in pushing this battle and making it more intense as it is increasing their revenues and without going deep into the problems of the deprived sections.
The high profile visits by two political heavyweights to forgotten places of modern India bring pitiful picture of our democracy. Even after sixty years of independence, it is a matter of shame that a section of our citizens live in plight and distress. Practically, no change is possible in the nation by a night’s stay at the Dalit’s “forbidden” residence except that a few fake cheers and applause will fill the ears of the “bold” courtier.
Let’s ask a simple and straight question to the Prince of Congress as why these huts are still visible in India although his family ruled this nation for more than forty years and the ruling alliance is still headed by his party? Where has gone the much published, propagated, and cherished concept of ‘Socialism’ introduced by no other than his grandmother late Mrs. Indira Gandhi?
During 1990’s the Congress regime opened India economy for sale as they were of the view that ‘There is No Alternative’ (TINA). The present misery of Indians is much to do with the blind economic liberalisation followed by subsequent Indian governments. It is not that any downward trend in subsistence level of Dalit is witnessed only in the state of UP, but everywhere in India.
Why this favoritism by the much glorified Prince of Congress who in his late 30s is interested to known what this nation is all about by his ‘Bharat Darshan’? I hope that he had read ‘Discovery of India’ written by none other than Pt. Nehru or else he has to do a bachelor course in Indian history. Prince is silent on the rising prices of essential commodities which are directly linked with the day to day life of the common man and making their life harder to live.
Even our past kings used to go for ‘Jan Yatras’ to take the account of public life so if Rahul Gandhi is roaming or doing road shows all over the nation then he is only following the footsteps of our ancient Indian rulers.
The pathetic condition of Indians can be evaluated if one just had followed the farmer’s suicide in last one decade. Vidharbha region is an existing morgue where every week farmers are committing suicides; what the Prince has to say on the condition of this region which is in boundary of the state ruled by his own party?
On the other hand, Mayawati, once leader of crusade against ‘Manuwad’, talks of ‘Sarwa Samaj’ and Brahaman Samaj. She is now the frontrunner in all her campaign of caste reconciliation. Still the Bahujan Samaj Party should be credited with leading the fight of social justice in UP, and for ensuring respect for the Dalit community in the society.
Although, the present policy of BSP is not different from other state governments, which had accepted neo-liberal policy as a fate accompli and are hardly worried about the social security of individuals, the present policy is not going to bring any substantial change in the living standard of those who are put on the sidelines by this irrational pace of market economy.
The father of Indian constitution, Baba Saheb Ambedkar, rightly observed that political equality was necessary but without economic equality, the desired change will not be achieved in the society. The question of economic equality is the core of social transformation and nothing substantial can be achieved without bringing economic equality in the society.
Unfortunately, the social engineering for electoral gains has nothing to do with the economic transformation of the society and will only maintain the status quo. Forget about the policies, it is much of surprise that Mayawati is not willing to believe that anyone other than her can talk of deprived section in UP. This is undemocratic and anybody from the Prince of Congress to a common man, anyone can raise the finger on Mayawati as far as issues of downtrodden are concerned. This is undemocratic and everybody has an equal right to question, every government is accountable towards people in a democracy.
In fact, both the approaches have its own fallacies and are inadequate to deal with the real issues of the people. A complete social revolution is the only way to bring desired change and equality in the society. The media covered expeditions are not the solution except in improving the personal rating of individual leaders. Hope both Mayawati and Rahul will understand this simple fact and work both within the party and outside their parties to bring cheer on the face of real India.
E-mail author: The writer of this article Dhananjay Tripathi is a research scholar from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).
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