Behan Ji – A contemporary icon of dalit politics

A trained school teacher of a lower middle class with complete dedicated personality became a leader of a party – Bahujan Samaj Party which formed to protect and promote the rights of not only Dalit-Bahujans but also economically vulnerable other castes. Behan ji’s existence in Indian politics is itself a great victory irrespective of the electoral game plan. It doesn’t matter whether electoral game wins or loses. Competing with the contemporary neo-liberal feudal forces in a democratic framework is essential to all politically and socially marginal social groups and economically vulnerable social classes.

Behanji’s efforts during her ruling period are extremely remarkable. Her political strategies even sound. This is what Dr. B.R. Ambedkar essentially wished to see through the emancipation of the untouchability in all forms of social interactions. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, a staunch protagonist of Democracy in true spirit, believes in the constitutional way of life through democracy. He wants the democratic government to be responsible for bringing revolutionary changes in the economic and social life of the people through constitutionalism. This is where Behan ji stands and she has been struggling to emancipate Dalit-Bahujans from all forms of untouchability. Though the concept – ‘Untouchability’ has been removed from state institutions and society through constitutional provisions, it is true that still it prevalent in the larger social domain. The practice of untouchability through mind or action is largely evident across the Indian states and in all corners of social life.

But, recently a statement made by the vice-president of BJP - Daya Shankar Singh in Uttar Pradesh on Mayawati is extremely a shameful act. Though the party (BJP) expelled him from the party for six years immediately after triggered political outrage across the nation for his comments, it must be understood that the minds of Indian so called upper castes in general how it persists the way the discriminatory tradition exist in pre-independent or pre-constitutional period. This is not a sudden outcome of his attitudinal comment; it is completely a preconceived notion which developed throughout his (Daya Shankar Singh) life. Though Indian society has been changing from tradition to modernity in terms of occupations, lifestyles, material and so on, the nature of mind of Indian on their social structure has not been changed.

India predominantly is a feudal society in which dominant character always dominates personality of a person. Hindutva, a dominant social class’s ideology, has been forcefully attempting to seize the changing nature of feudal mind. As Plato, a Greek Political Philosopher mentions, ‘the soul is immortal, and the soul is similar to the ideas entails the immortality of the soul. The ideas are eternal and unchanging, and since the soul is similar in nature to the ideas, the soul also has these characteristics’. This is the reason, the recent immature political statement by a ‘Hindutva’ feudal kin - Daya Shankar Singh. Thus, India needs emancipation of feudal mindset this itself lead to the emancipation of ‘untouchability’ in India.

Unfortunately, there is a lack of considerable political support in this issue. The more unfortunate thing in this incident is that inadequate political voice in the parliament by Dalit-Bahujan parliamentarians in both houses – Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. At there must be a parliamentary method of anger over the incident, unfortunately again it was lacked. Then how can we expect the emancipation among feudal classes? Political strategies need each every political party and it has to adopt its methods on the line of party’s approach. But is the problem with the Hindutva party (BJP) in maintaining a political discipline with its cadre is not clear. There are several occasions and incidences which disrupt the matured political system. I feel strongly, BJP must adopt a kind of political moral training to accommodate its cadre with the existing democratic system.

Though Behan ji is a political leader, but by discipline, she is a teacher. She has moral values, commitments, and social and political responsibilities being a responsible person. She has achieved the prestigious position neither through hereditary feudal norms nor family back up, but she came up with her own efforts with soul’s command. It must be remembered that immature words, comments and persons neither reach her mind not touch her feet but they themselves perish. This was the history, is the history and will be the HISTORY.

By Dr Sunkari Satyam

The author is assistant professor, council for social development