The young, urban Dalit is still not as alert and politically active as he was a few years back. In that sense, the young Dalit community is not as organised as it was earlier.
Urban Dalits must organise themselves better for active political participation, says Ramdas Athavale
MUMBAI: The young, urban Dalit is still not as alert and politically active as he was a few years back. In that sense, the young Dalit community is not as organised as it was earlier. It is less likely to take to the streets and resort to militant means to claim its rights.
For some of our followers, there is a frustration that comes from being very close to power without actually getting it. Young Dalits will react aggressively to emotional and sentimental issues, like they did when the statue of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar was desecrated in Kanpur or after the Khairlanji incident.
But sadly, they are not as aggressive when it comes to grappling with issues of economic disparity and social injustice. Earlier, Dalit parties had activists who strove selflessly for the cause of Dalit upliftment. But now, some activists have become selfish and power-hungry thereby diluting the movement.
While some Dalit leaders may have lost touch with the ground realities, the same isn’t true for the overall movement. What has happened, though, is that there is a growing sense of frustration thanks to the several factions. Even in Uttar Pradesh Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party has several factions. But that is inevitable. I don’t mind factionalism as long as all groups stay true to the Dalit ideology. If everyone is working for the same cause, there’s an opportunity for us to come together.
Mayawati is not likely to have a significant impact on Dalit politics in Maharashtra. The reasons behind her victory in UP were entirely different.
People there wanted an alternative to Mulayam Singh Yadav. She also had the support of the Brahmin community. Her party will hurt the Congress more than the Dalit parties, but is unlikely to do any damage beyond that. The results of past elections are evidence of that.
Ramdas Athavale is leader of the Republican Party of India (Athavale)
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