Skip to main content

Uttar Pradesh deserved what it wanted: People should be prepared to see how Yogi fulfills Modi's #mankibat

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*
Yogi Adityanath has been appointed chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. That shows the power of 'mobocracy' when we call it 'democracy' and paid thugs define it in their different ways wasting time of the nation and confusing people further. I am not surprised at the choice of the Sangh Parivar as they believe in building leaders for future. 
Other parties suffer from one individual leader or family and the result is once the individual is defeated or dies or goes to jail the entire party collapses. The RSS is intelligent in this regard so it continue to experiment. It need a leader other than Modi who could be used to vitiate atmosphere further and who can attract votes, a kind of rabble rouser. Yogi is 1972 born yet his ácceptability' is all over the country. As the reports of his being elected as leader of the state BJP party came out there were news of celebrations in many parts of the state. Yogi has equal number of devotees if not more than his foes.
The way the BJP campaigned in Uttar Pradesh particularly at the last phase converting the entire campaign to Hindu Muslim binary resulted it in the massive mandate. If the Delhi journos who have been 'fascinated' by the big 'money' of Hindutva party to talk about its 'developmental' agenda believe that the election was a stamp on Modi's #notebandi or #demonetisation or #surgicalstrike have got the answer today that vikas for the Hindutva means war between Shamshan and Kabristan. Those who know Yogi's past well do understand his uncontrolled fulminations against Muslims. Many of the speeches are already viral on youtube.
In Lucknow even the most committed BJP supporter felt deceived. As I was travelling to the Raj Bhavan area, the auto driver told me that Mr Manoj Sinha was going to be the chief minister. 'Sir, he is a very éducated' person. Uttar Pradesh need educated chief minister who can take it forward he said. His excitement showed that he was a BJP supporter from eastern Uttar Pradesh who perhaps belong to either a Bhumihar community though I doubt very much as i rarely found a Bhumihar plying an auto). After my meeting was over, I called up the same autowallah on his phone. It was 7 pm and we started coming back to Indiranagar where I was putting up. 'Do you know Yogi Adityanath will be the new chief minister of Uttar Pradesh', I asked. He was furious. Sir these people will destroy UP. What does Yogi know of governance, he said. The way he reacted showed the resentment but then those who dont want jobs, security or development and only satisfied with ranting of 'ram lala hum aayenge, mandir wahi banayenge', are enthused.
Yogi Adityanath already face serious charges of rioting, creating animosity among communities, hurting religious sentiments but now the police will work under him. A Hindtuva sympathiser anchor tweeted a short while ago that why are we judging Adityanath in advance. 'Give him time'', he said. The problem with these journos is that they have to rant and want to preempt any criticism. Why should we bother who BJP elect. It is its choice and matter of the legislative party. It is not doing things for the first time. It has a track record of using contradictions among people as well as legislatures. I dont want to repeat his despicable speeches in the public which are available.
It is for sure that BJP has no faith in 'developmental' agenda or economic growth. Uttar Pradesh is very important for its 2019 programme. The polls might be prempted too. Modi can strike when opposition is the weakest and it is therefore important for BJP to persist with leaders who are hardliners so that they keep the state in the election mode. BJP realised it well that it is easier to mobilise OBCs and Dalits on creating anti Muslim sentiments even though the entire upper castes have already joined their bandwagon. So the state headed for further polarisation between Muslims and non Muslims. What the Bahujan polity failed to polarise the polity between the Sawarnas verses Bahujans as it never tried to resolve the local contradictions between various communities and except for ideological issues it never ever bothered about people's issues.
BJP has unashamedly used its hidden agenda. It went to the people with different caste identities but at the end of the day it ended up in handing over Uttar Pradesh again to Savarna Hindus after 15 years. Yogi's agenda will be to aggressively pursue his binary till 2019. The party wooed OBCs who voted for it in large number but it could not make an OBC leader of the party. Dalits are still not given serious posts while Muslims will find it difficult to work with Jogi whose communal rantings are well known to the world.
While BJP may celebrate that it has a person who has an all India appeal, I am again sure, it has given opportunity to all the non brahmanical parties to join hand. Both BSP and Samajwadi party will have to redefine the Bahujan agenda to their cadres. There is a need to develop cultural movement of the Bahujans. To counter Yogi's politics we need to aggressively assert with Ambedkar, Phule, Periyar, Birsa and Bhagat Singh. The political parties will have to raise the issue of the common people and continue to monitor the policies of the government. Political leadership at all level will have to develop secular principles and give tickets to those who are committed to the party principles. A Mahagathbandhan between Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and Congress along with other smaller parties can give strong message to people all over the country. These parties have to come out of their mavericks and should not field candidates in those areas where it does not have their presence.
With Yogi, BJP has made it clear that it wish to go with aggrassive Hindutva politics. It is time for political leadership of the parties adherehing to social justice that they come out with a clear programme and strengthen their social movement wings, leave aside their egoes and start working from today. We will have to bring the Bahujan agenda of Baba Saheb Ambedkar, Phule and Periyar to counter brahmanical hate politics. If the Bahujan leaders and parties are unable to understand that India need them to come together then none can save them. It is no time for developing parties as it is very very difficult to counter HIndutva with new outfits but completely democratising the existing parties and make the inclusive to diversity of Bahujan communities. The writing is on the wall. Uttar Pradesh deserve better and therefore the onus is now on Akhilesh Yadav, Ms Mayawati to join hand and defeat Hindutva forces Uttar Pradesh. Once you control their march in Uttar Pradesh, I am sure similar likeminded alliances will happen elsewhere too.
At the moment, Uttar Pradesh got what it deserve. Be prepared to see how Yogi fulfill Modi's #mankibat. Uttar Pradesh elections were never fought on developmental plank as Akhilesh thought but purely on Brahmanical narratives and perceptions. Thakur Adityanath is the choice to keep the powerful upper caste lobby happy. To assist him one OBC and one brahmin have been offered Deputy CM. This is what 'minimum government'' means. The farce that was played in Lucknow showed how BJP find it difficult to make every one happy. The OBC and Dalits voted for it yet the party showed its preferences for upper castes everywhere. Today Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattishgarh, Maharastra, Goa, Uttarakhand, Manipur and now Uttar Pradesh have upper caste leaders as chief ministers. This might result in people protesting against the party. All the local leaders sit silently for time being and wait for opportune moment.
Yogi's ascendency to Uttar Pradesh chief minister's position has shocked many who thought BJP is truly a 'liberal'' modern electoral party. Today, the party stand exposed and in 2019 it will find too difficult provide new set of jumlas as they will ask further questions. All the secular Bahujan forces have historic opportunity now to leave their prejudices and work for the benefit of the people. Will both Ms Mayawati and Mr Akhilesh Yadav will rise up to the occasion. They must leave aside their personal egos as Bahujan masses want them to unite. Ms Maywati has a larger national appeal so can be pushed by all the like minded parties including Congress as face of the Prime Minister in 2019 while Akhilesh Yadav should be projected as chief minister of Uttar Pradesh by the alliance. Both the leaders must join hand and also get their cadres speak to each other. Akhilesh has age on his side and he will only excel now onwards. Any attempt to finish these parties will be only helpful to BJP. So, it is time we understand the hidden agenda of Sangh to eliminate various political parties from the maps of India. Let the parties decide about their leadership but all the mature politicians must develop the counter narrative to expose the lies and deceit of such forces. Hinduta is not merely a political issue but socio-cultural too and its narratives have already reached huge number of the Bahujan communities. We have failed in building up our reach to them.It is time we do it. As I said earlier too, India's Bahujan secular forces wants a grand alliance of all the like minded secular social justice Ambedkarite Bahujan left forces to join hand in the greater interest of the country. Please dont join hand just for election purposes but make a common minimum programme and work accordingly. The time is too short for next general elections and Modi may surprise political parties from his announcement. People with the idea of inclusive India need to stand up united now as their time has begun.
---
*https://www.facebook.com/vbrawat/posts/10154703235272885

Comments

TRENDING

Beyond India-China borders: Economic links expand, political gaps persist

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak*  Despite growing trade between India and China, a persistent trust deficit continues to shape their bilateral relationship. Expanding economic engagement has not fully resolved political differences, many of which stem from historical legacies as well as contemporary geopolitical concerns. Border disputes—often traced to colonial-era arrangements—remain a significant obstacle to deeper cooperation, while differing strategic alignments in global affairs add further complexity.

GreenTech Summit claims NCR as key green building hub, without pan-India comparison

By A Representative   The Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), under the Confederation of Indian Industry, held its GreenTech Summit 2026 in New Delhi, where industry representatives, policymakers and sustainability professionals discussed the adoption of climate technologies in India’s built environment.

Gujarat cadre to HDFC: When bureaucratic style hits corporate walls

By Rajiv Shah   I was a little amused by the abrupt March 17, 2026 resignation of Atanu Chakraborty —a Gujarat cadre IAS officer of the 1985 batch who retired from the government in 2020—as chairman of HDFC Bank . Much of what may have led to his decision to quit this ostensibly high post—actually a non-executive, part-time role—is by now well known. I followed most of it online with considerable interest, partly because I had interacted with him umpteen times during my stint as The Times of India correspondent in Gandhinagar from 1997 to 2012.

Operation Epic Fury: Making America great at the world’s expense?

By N.S. Venkataraman*  ​The decades-long enmity between Iran and Israel is well-documented, but historically, their direct confrontations have been brief, constrained by the logistical and economic limitations of sustained warfare. The current conflict in the Middle East, however, marks a radical and dangerous departure from this pattern. 

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.

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Rajiv Shah  Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

India has been getting its economic growth wrong for two decades, say top economists

By Jag Jivan*   India's official GDP figures have misrepresented the trajectory of the world's fifth-largest economy for the better part of two decades, according to a major new working paper published by the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE). It finds that India overstated annual growth by up to two percentage points after 2011 — and understated it during the boom years of the 2000s.

'Tax the top': Nationwide protests demand action as 1% control 40% of India’s wealth

By A Representative   Civil rights groups across the country observed the martyrdom day of Bhagat Singh on March 23, as people from diverse backgrounds united to raise their voices against growing economic inequality. The mobilisations marked the launch of a nationwide campaign against inequality, running from March 23 to April 14 (Ambedkar Jayanti), under the banner of the “Tax The Top” campaign.

Beyond the election manifesto: Why climate is now a kitchen table issue

By Vikas Meshram*  March has long been a month of gentle transition, the period when winter softly retreats and a mild warmth signals nature’s renewal. Yet, in recent years, this dependable rhythm has been disrupted. This year, since the beginning of March, temperatures across vast swathes of the country have shattered previous records, soaring to between 35 and 40 degrees Celsius in some regions. This is not a mere fluctuation in the weather; it is a serious and alarming indicator of climate change .