There was a scuffle in the Parliament. Protest, dharnas, demonstration, allegations and counter allegations continued over a remark on Dr B R Ambedkar by the Home Minister, Amit Shah. Complaint in the police station was lodged against Rahul Gandhi for pushing two BJP MPs - Pratap Chandra Sarangi and Mukesh Rajput; they got injured at Makar Dwar.
The Parliament scuffle began with the reported statement of Amit Shah in the Parliament. “Abhi ek fashion ho gaya hai - Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar. Itna naam agar bhagwan ka lete to saat janmon tak swarg mil jata (It has become a fashion to say Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar. If they had taken God's name so many times, they would have got a place in heaven)."
This statement of Amit Shah is not stained with derogatory material against Dr Ambedkar who was a renowned scholar, reformer and leader, the only leader from the Indian political class who excelled and astonished the western scholars with his brilliance. He gifted the Constitution to India. His contribution as an academician and social reformer was immense and unmatched even today. What the political class needs to do now is to follow Dr Ambedkar’s footsteps by enhancing their knowledge on the grass root level socio-economic problems for eradicating poverty and backwardness from a potentially rich country like India.
Thousands of villagers from the backward caste of Dharmabad block of Nanded district of Maharashtra migrate to Hyderabad to work as housemaids, drivers, plumbers and security guards etc. The majority of the women used to work as farm laborers and earned Rs 170 per day; they faced harassment from the contractors, landlords and other unsocial elements. Today they earn a decent income in Hyderabad city; they educate their children, build their houses and buy agricultural land. There are many villages on the border districts of Maharashtra where people from backward communities migrate to other cities for livelihood despite economic potential in their own districts; despite the state government’s huge social sector spending, a large number of people migrate to other states.
Nanded has immense economic potential in pilgrim tourism, agriculture, animal husbandry, cottage industry and manufacturing sectors. Leaders who love and respect Dr B R Ambedkar, should establish good governance in the district, stop harassment of the backward communities by rogue elements; they should tap the economic potential of the districts and ensure that the government benefits are not siphoned away by the corrupt people. Leaders who want to follow the footsteps of Dr Ambedkar should liberate the backward communities from poverty and underdevelopment through systematic effort. The community leaders should ensure that each pie meant for the backward community is not diverted nor looted midway. The backward communities who have flourished due to government benefits should surrender their reservation which will benefit other members of the backward community.
In order to fulfill Dr Ambedkar’s dream, the followers of Dr Ambedkar should stalk the villages to understand the economic activities undertaken by the backward communities across the country; they add high value to ordinary products which are biodegradable. It is the responsibility of the followers to protect and preserve the value addition skills among the backward communities; they should help them market their products across the country through supermarket chains. There are many products which are made from bamboo, cane and grass etc are being exported; the artisans of the backward community should get the profit margin from the sale of their craft items.
Today it has become a fashion to say lack of industry is the reason for low employment; this statement is deeply biased and false. People of Israel cultivate fruits on the walls, roofs, verandah, courtyards and in every available space around them without much soil; they export horticulture products and earn good profit. It gives them regular income and surplus to live well. India has enough water, fertile land and crop diversity to make each backward family prosperous. The backward community leaders should have ground level data on village ponds, lakes, rivers, wells and canals; they should put their effort to preserve those community capital for the benefit of their own people. Besides, those leaders should ensure transparent marketing facilities, quality education and health facilities in their constituencies.
If the followers of Dr Ambedkar liberate the Mundis from the greedy traders and middlemen; it will significantly improve the living conditions of millions of people from the backward communities across the country. Those leaders should go from door to door to understand what their people want to sustain their livelihood and make progress in life.
Slogans, meetings, debates, speeches and road shows will not improve the living condition of the poor and backward communities. They need healthy rivers, lakes, ponds and crop diversity to run multiple economic activities without depending on government support. They do not want the voice of sympathy nor crocodile tears. What they desperately need is the profit they always deserve from a transparent marketing network.
They need quality human beings in the governance mechanism, honest police persons and judges who can let them live with self respect. They deserve quality education and health care facilities at an affordable cost which will improve their living conditions. The government instead of spending huge money on the social sector should spend it on education, health, sports, library, transportation system and skill development etc. The backward communities are the potential rich people; Branding them as backward communities is an insult to them; it erodes self confidence. The community leaders should put sincere effort to make them one among equals.
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