By Sharat Pradhan, IANS
Lucknow : His followers cast him as a Mahatma, slogans deify him and his death anniversary is being observed as reincarnation day with a holiday declared in the entire state… The Mayawati government in Uttar Pradesh is pulling out all the stops to ensure Kanshi Ram is venerated as a demigod a year after his death.
Chief Minister Mayawati is personally supervising every detail of the day Tuesday in her effort to cast the founder of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in a new mould – a larger than life Dalit icon next only to B.R. Ambedkar.
If Ambedkar was known to all as Babsaheb, the late Kanshi Ram is being sought to be called ‘manyavar’, or the honourable, by his protégé.
“Manyavar ka sapna adhura, karegi Behen Mayawati poora” (the honourable’s unfulfilled dream will be fulfilled by Sister Mayawati) and “Samuche desh ke sarvjan; karte hain aapka naman’ (people of all castes across the country pay homage to you)” are only some of the slogans inscribed all over the city as Mayawati sends out her message loud and clear.
It is not just the loud publicity – thousands of hoardings, banners, buntings, arches and party flags that have virtually painted the city in BSP’s blue – and the fact that Tuesday has been declared a public holiday; the day is being described as ‘punar-nirvarna’ (reincarnation) – apparently in the same league as Lord Buddha and the like.
Even preparations for the rally, titled ‘Savdhan raho; aage barho’ (Be alert and march ahead) far surpass that of any political rally in living memory. The expected crowd of about 1.5 million will arrive here in special trains, about 1,000 buses and trucks from each of the 70 districts of the state.
Right from creating an entirely new venue – a 55-acre ground named after Ambedkar’s wife Rama Bai about 10 km away from downtown Lucknow – to the minute-to minute personal monitoring of the arrangements, Mayawati has gone the whole hog to make the occasion one to remember.
Several schemes – all in the name of Kanshi Ram – are to be launched by Mayawati. These include an Rs.150 billion Integrated Urban Development Programme for all major cities of the state and a sprawling Rs.10 million memorial as a tribute to her political mentor.
A giant statue of Kanshi Ram will adorn the memorial whose construction is underway, informed sources said. Kanshi Ram’s statue was installed in what is called Prerna Bhavan (Inspiration House) here even before his death on Oct 9 last year. Later, an urn containing his ashes was placed in the same building that looks like a ‘stupa’.
Mayawati stressed at a press conference Sunday that “the government had nothing to do with the rally and that it was a purely party affair”. But the manner in which the entire official machinery has been on its toes, with each minister and top official assigned specific jobs, for the past four weeks belies her claim.
As many as 200 temporary toilets have been made in and around the sprawling venue, where 75 ambulances would be pressed into service. Ten makeshift hospitals have been created not only around the venue but also at all entry and exit points to the state capital.
To provide smooth passage to BSP supporters, the administration has pulled down some shops and commercial establishments along the route.