RPI joining hands with Sena-BJP has set in motion a rat race to appease the state’s largest votebank — Dalits. But a closer look reveals there is no social reform on the anvil, just a lot more politics.
Last month, Manuski, a Pune-based NGO working in the field of social reforms, published its report on ‘Police Atrocity against Dalits in Phaltan’ on its website. The fact-finding report of the violence which broke on April 26, and which was followed by the arrests of Dalits and Nomadic Tribes in Phaltan, a city in Satara district considered a stronghold of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), shows how the police machinery targets the weaker sections of the society.
The mention of this report is necessary for two reasons. The first is that when these alleged atrocities were taking place, the talks of Shivshakti (saffron alliance of Shiv Sena-Bhartiya Janta Party) and Bhimshakti (Dalit faction of Republican Party of India) joining hands were making headlines. The common minimum program (CMP) which both the sides have agreed upon is based on three points — tackling corruption, inflation and growing atrocities against Dalits. However, despite that, all the major political parties failed to even notice what was happening in Phaltan at the time.
Secondly, Phaltan being the fortress of the NCP and with it chanting Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar’s name louder than ever these days, it was expected that it would take a serious note of the issue. However, when one of the authors of the report, Tulshidas Ganvir, spoke to DNA, he mentioned that there was complete silence from political parties on police atrocities against Dalits.
“We have not joined hands with the Sena-BJP on ideological grounds. We have our differences on various issues. But we have the CMP to follow, and this is an adjustment for the elections in which we want to defeat the Congress-NCP front,” said Arjun Dangle, supporting RPI chief Ramdas Athwale’s move of joining hands with the saffron brigade.
For Dangle, the argument of Sena being a right-wing party does not hold water. “We know what they are as we have been observing them for 40 years now. Those who call them right wingers should answer why they took Sena’s votes for the president’s election? When Sharad Pawar became the chief minister of the Purogami Lokshahi Dal government in the state, the saffron-led Jansangh had supported him. Why didn’t this issue come up at that time?” asked Dangle.
Saffrons not pro-Dalit
A look at the web portal of National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR) reveals some startling figures. India witnesses 27 atrocities against Dalits everyday, while 13 Dalits are murdered each week. Three Dalit women are raped everyday, while 11 Dalits are beaten up each day.
It must be noted in this context that in 1995, the Sena-BJP alliance in its pre-election rallies had promised to repeal the Prevention of Atrocities Act, 1989, if voted to power. And in one of the first moves, the alliance withdrew more than 1,000 cases registered upper caste offenders. The incident at Ramabai Ambedkar Nagar in Ghatkopar is a stark example of the alliance’s unwillingness to act against those who were guilty in committing atrocities against Dalits. Ten Dalits from the mob which was protesting against the desecration of Ambedkar’s statue were killed in the police firing, while 20 were wounded. It took 12 years for the court to punish the guilty — the then sub-inspector, Manohar Kadam, who ordered firing.
Alliance of benefits
Why then the sudden change in Sena-BJP’s attitude? “At that time Other Backward Castes (OBCs) were against Dalits over the Mandal commission report. The Sena, by opposing Dalit reservations and also the renaming of Marathwada University to Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar University, successfully attracted OBC voters. But after reservations were given to OBCs, this issue has lost its importance in terms of political gain. And since there is no conflict of interests between the voters of two parties now, there is no harm for Sena in befriending RPI. Three parties with different voters’ base coming together could cause serious political damage to the Congress-NCP in the elections. It’s an alliance formed for only for electoral benefit,” said Subhash Thorat, author and a social activist. He added that one should not assume that social reform is taking place through this alliance.
Commenting on the renaming the Dadar railway station to Chaitya Bhoomi station, a demand hyped by deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar last week, Thorat said that it was a clear attempt to corner the Sena. “Renaming Dadar station, though a demand made by the NCP with political intentions, has much larger emotional value attached for the oppressed class. It is a recognition of their identity, which has been denied till now. But now the demand has become part of a political gain game,” he said.
Premature to judge
According to professor Hari Narke, head, Mahatma Phule Chair, Pune University, it is too early to predict whether the alliance will work or not. “Actions on the ground show the work, than mere words. Once the blue print of their agenda is out in the open, can one evaluate this alliance’s performance,” said Narke. He also mentioned that the allegations made be the RPI of not getting enough representation should be the subject of retrospection for others. “After all, the main aim of being in the politics is to capture power. All are part of this rat race and that’s why they are with each other,” he added.
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