Skip to main content

Battle 2019 is still wide open: Anti-caste, secular and social justice forces must unite on one platform

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*
After winning Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand and losing other three and stealing two of the three states against all the ethical norms, the next agenda of the Sangh Parivar and their paid trolls is to target the leadership of the three parties... Started with Rahul Gandhi, who they continue to call Pappu with TV anchors have started doing it, putting aside all the decency which is required for the media.
The debate is not on why BJP stole two mandates but about how it won the mandate in UP and Uttarakhand. It happened same last time when the party lost in major states but the entire discussion was converted into humiliating the Congress Party. The ruling party agenda is not satisfied with their victory in Uttar Pradesh but they want to completely eliminate the leadership of the opposition to create anarchy and chaos in their cadres hence we have to be very careful.
For a healthy democracy we need strong opposition and therefore it is our duty to protect our parties, make them more reasonable and accountable to people. it is not easy to make a party and get accepted in these times of highly media savvy age.
Congress lost but to suggest that a Jitin Prasad, Jyotiraditya or Sachin Pilot or Shashi Tharoor should lead the party is not the business of the media or BJP. Can they really do and replace the Gandhis who despite all the abhorrence and mocking remain a brand that can counter Modi and RSS . It is the job of the party to do so. Similarly, attempt are to demolish BSP and Samajwadi party. Yes, they lost and I had been calling for their alliance. It is still not late for the two to come forward.
We know BSP need to reenergise and regroup itself. It need to bring new faces of Ambedkarite movement but also make the party open to all the anti caste forces as Baba Saheb had wanted. Miss Mayawati is a national brand in terms of appeal among the Bahujan masses even if there are weaknesses in the party. The party need to go beyond Uttar Pradesh but will have to work in alliance now. The coming years are very crucial for all of us who want to look the idea of India as inclusive and secular. BSP need to put the Bahujan agenda back to politics, develop new leaders of various communities, give space to diverse Dalit Bahujan identities but also open its space for others anti caste people who might not be born as Dalit Bahujans but politically oriented to Ambedkarism, Socialism and anti caste movements.
BSP needs to build up new generational leadership and Bahin ji should continue to lead and nurture them. It is time to develop a strong cultural organisation which raises issues of caste, class, gender, and other socio-political issues and educate the masses.The Buddhist movement should also be strengthened. It is time to rebuild it and take it to all the Bahujan masses.
Ms Mayawati and Mr Akhilesh Yadav should join hand in the greater interest of Bahujan masses. But to all those who want these parties to eliminate, will only help the likes of Amit Shah. It is not easy to build a brand. All these parties have their people all over the country. Congress is not going to get anything from Brahmins, nor are they going to help BSP and SP. The parties need to provide space to Dalits, Muslims, OBCs. Sangh Parivar have used the Muslim card to bring all OBCs, Dalits under its umbrella.
Our work is not over. Let this team join hand. I know there are murmurs in Samajwadi Party against Akhilesh Yadav but it will be playing in the hands of BJP if he is isolated. He has shown courage and only need to understand the issues of Bahujan Samaj. He must not give credence to any one in the party who have anti Dalit feeling.Akhilesh Yadav has age with his side and is far superior to Mulayam Singh Yadav's group led by Shiv Pal Singh Yadav.
All these parties will have to first train their cadres, a majority of who suffer from anti Muslim mindset and therefore when BJP played Muslim card, they used it. RSS and Modi have used all the methods including contradictions between various communities and hence in 2019, it would not be possible for them to make further jumlas. It is time, that leadership of these parties join hands from today, come on the street, educate the cadre and start working on the ground.
Come on an understanding. All the parties need to give space to progressive, anti caste, anti communal forces and merely identity politics will not work. Sangh has used this to best of its usage hence we must raise issues of violence on Dalits, issues of reservation, farmers death, communalisation and brahmanisation of campuses. The youths are desperate. Our young students are being killed by the Dronacharyas and we cant speak just before the elections on these issues.
The battle must continue. Muslims are getting threatening letters. Can we tell the people that India is great as a united India? Let us isolate all kind of and all forms of religious fundamentalists. Let us take on all kind of fundamentalists head on. Let us prepare for 2019. Don't get disappointed by the sick brahmanical corporatised media which is already given its verdict. UP, Bihar are important battle ground along with Maharastra. A fair understanding will help build a strong rainbow coalition which should have progressive approach. I bet, 2019 is widely open now and it will not be an easy walk for Sangh Parivar now as Modi and his team will have not more to hype unless they work.
Will BSP-SP-Congress-Left-RJD come on an understanding? Time for all to see. Also important is to strengthen secular-anti-caste-ambedkarite cultural movement all over the country to counter the vicious communal propaganda. Will our leaders show some maturity and statesmanship?
---
*https://www.facebook.com/vbrawat/posts/10154695940202885

Comments

TRENDING

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Jayanthi Natarajan "never stood by tribals' rights" in MNC Vedanta's move to mine Niyamigiri Hills in Odisha

By A Representative The Odisha Chapter of the Campaign for Survival and Dignity (CSD), which played a vital role in the struggle for the enactment of historic Forest Rights Act, 2006 has blamed former Union environment minister Jaynaynthi Natarjan for failing to play any vital role to defend the tribals' rights in the forest areas during her tenure under the former UPA government. Countering her recent statement that she rejected environmental clearance to Vendanta, the top UK-based NMC, despite tremendous pressure from her colleagues in Cabinet and huge criticism from industry, and the claim that her decision was “upheld by the Supreme Court”, the CSD said this is simply not true, and actually she "disrespected" FRA.

Stands 'exposed': Cavalier attitude towards rushed construction of Char Dham project

By Bharat Dogra*  The nation heaved a big sigh of relief when the 41 workers trapped in the under-construction Silkyara-Barkot tunnel (Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand) were finally rescued on November 28 after a 17-day rescue effort. All those involved in the rescue effort deserve a big thanks of the entire country. The government deserves appreciation for providing all-round support.

Urgent need to study cause of large number of natural deaths in Gulf countries

By Venkatesh Nayak* According to data tabled in Parliament in April 2018, there are 87.76 lakh (8.77 million) Indians in six Gulf countries, namely Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). While replying to an Unstarred Question (#6091) raised in the Lok Sabha, the Union Minister of State for External Affairs said, during the first half of this financial year alone (between April-September 2018), blue-collared Indian workers in these countries had remitted USD 33.47 Billion back home. Not much is known about the human cost of such earnings which swell up the country’s forex reserves quietly. My recent RTI intervention and research of proceedings in Parliament has revealed that between 2012 and mid-2018 more than 24,570 Indian Workers died in these Gulf countries. This works out to an average of more than 10 deaths per day. For every US$ 1 Billion they remitted to India during the same period there were at least 117 deaths of Indian Workers in Gulf ...

Uttarakhand tunnel disaster: 'Question mark' on rescue plan, appraisal, construction

By Bhim Singh Rawat*  As many as 40 workers were trapped inside Barkot-Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi after a portion of the 4.5 km long, supposedly completed portion of the tunnel, collapsed early morning on Sunday, Nov 12, 2023. The incident has once again raised several questions over negligence in planning, appraisal and construction, absence of emergency rescue plan, violations of labour laws and environmental norms resulting in this avoidable accident.

Pairing not with law but with perpetrators: Pavlovian response to lynchings in India

By Vikash Narain Rai* Lynch-law owes its name to James Lynch, the legendary Warden of Galway, Ireland, who tried, condemned and executed his own son in 1493 for defrauding and killing strangers. But, today, what kind of a person will justify the lynching for any reason whatsoever? Will perhaps resemble the proverbial ‘wrong man to meet at wrong road at night!’

Celebrating 125 yr old legacy of healthcare work of missionaries

Vilas Shende, director, Mure Memorial Hospital By Moin Qazi* Central India has been one of the most fertile belts for several unique experiments undertaken by missionaries in the field of education and healthcare. The result is a network of several well-known schools, colleges and hospitals that have woven themselves into the social landscape of the region. They have also become a byword for quality and affordable services delivered to all sections of the society. These institutions are characterised by committed and compassionate staff driven by the selfless pursuit of improving the well-being of society. This is the reason why the region has nursed and nurtured so many eminent people who occupy high positions in varied fields across the country as well as beyond. One of the fruits of this legacy is a more than century old iconic hospital that nestles in the heart of Nagpur city. Named as Mure Memorial Hospital after a British warrior who lost his life in a war while defending his cou...

New RTI draft rules inspired by citizen-unfriendly, overtly bureaucratic approach

By Venkatesh Nayak* The Department of Personnel and Training , Government of India has invited comments on a new set of Draft Rules (available in English only) to implement The Right to Information Act, 2005 . The RTI Rules were last amended in 2012 after a long period of consultation with various stakeholders. The Government’s move to put the draft RTI Rules out for people’s comments and suggestions for change is a welcome continuation of the tradition of public consultation. Positive aspects of the Draft RTI Rules While 60-65% of the Draft RTI Rules repeat the content of the 2012 RTI Rules, some new aspects deserve appreciation as they clarify the manner of implementation of key provisions of the RTI Act. These are: Provisions for dealing with non-compliance of the orders and directives of the Central Information Commission (CIC) by public authorities- this was missing in the 2012 RTI Rules. Non-compliance is increasingly becoming a major problem- two of my non-compliance cases are...

Budget for 2018-19: Ahmedabad authorities "regularly" under-spend allocation

By Mahender Jethmalani* The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation’s (AMC's) General Body (Municipal Board) recently passed the AMC’s annual budget estimates of Rs 6,990 crore for 2018-19. AMC’s revenue expenditure for the next financial year is Rs 3,500 crore and development budget (capital budget) is Rs 3,490 crore.