By Mohd. Ismail Khan, Twocircles.net,
Hyderabad: Exactly a week back Narendra Modi paid a virtual PM size visit to Hyderabad to address a Yuva congregation, the hysteria created by media around his Hyderabad visit was simply perplexing.
In the end, Modi’s just 8 hour visit to the city got all the ingredients which news hungry journo will look after for, as one local English news daily puts it ‘Modi came, speak and conquered Hyderabad’, one cant speak about Hyderabad but he did conquer first three main pages of largely every local newspaper.
Narendra Modi adressing at his felicitation jointly organized by 12 backward communities under the aegis of Bechar Swami Ati Pacchhat Samaj Vikas Board.
From Telugu film personalities to local industrialists, former bureaucrats everyone was lined up to meet the PM in the waiting, but the most shocking of them was the meeting of Dalit and BC leaders with the Modi.
Influential Dalit leader and founder of Madiga Reservation Front Manda Krishna Madiga met Modi and reportedly discussed possible Dalit alliance with BJP in upcoming elections also AP Backward Castes Welfare Association leader R. Krishnaiah met him separately. Call it media frenzy or his PR agency spin but every media house carried exactly similar news items on Modi meeting industrialists to Dalits presenting him as a rainbow politician.
For Muslim community in the state more than celebrities and brother in laws of Congress and TDP politicians it was the meeting of Dalit and BC leaders which shocked them the most, as they for long has heard slogans of Dalit, BC, Muslim unity.
More than Muslims it was Dalit community who find themselves in embarrassing situation and felt agitated. But no other media who covered meeting of Dalit leaders with Modi with much fervor didn’t even try to follow up on what Dalit community felt about that meeting.
Dalit community reacts:
As Ms. Rupakar Subadra deputy secretary of Panchayat Raj Government of AP while speaking with TCN puts it aptly, “It was very shameful thing to witness; the meeting of so-called Dalit leaders has put our entire community in embarrassment. We were worried on the repercussion of that symbolic meeting on Dalit-Muslim relations.”
She goes on to say, “When they claim leader of oppressed section how can they meet a man who has been credited for organized killing of fellow oppressed sections in Gujarat.”
Krupakar Madiga was one of the founding members of Madiga Reservation Front, but later departed from the organization after some internal differences. Commenting on the meeting of his former colleague with Modi, Mr. Krupakar said, “Some Dalit and BC community members are getting trapped in the sham of Narendra Modi belonging to BC community. But it should be made clear that Modi is no oppressed section sympathizer he is just working for the interest of upper caste elite. Not only Muslims, he has plagued local Adivasis and Dalits in Gujarat to crush their identity and self-respect.”
He believes that RSS and BJP, by trying to portray Narendra Modi as BC leader, is making sure BC communities and Dalit’s gets attracted towards it, but he cautioned Dalit and BC leaders from getting played in the hands of RSS.
Dalit leader in the eye of the storm responds
Manda Krishna Madiga man in the eye of the storm within Dalit community for meeting Narendra Modi clarifies his stand. Speaking with TCN, Mr. Manda Krishna said his meeting with Modi has nothing to do with associating with Sangh politics but for pleading support for his cause that is categorization in Schedule Caste reservation.
Narendra Modi after putting garland at the statue of Dr. BR Ambedkar.
“Categorization of SC reservation can done only by central Govt. it require bill to be pass in the parliament with support of 2/3rd majority, that is the reason I met Modi to press for our community demand,” Manda Krishna said.
He said his meeting with Modi should not effect in any way Dalit-Muslim relations, “Whenever there is oppression on Muslims not only in AP but anywhere in the country I have raised my voice.”
Interestingly Mr. Manda Krishna was the man who organized a huge protest meeting of Dalits in 2002 against Modi declaring him a mass murderer. So what have changed in these 10 years? Has interest become more important than principles, according to Mr. Manda Krishna that seems to be the case.
Manda Krishna said, “For past three decades I and my community is fighting for our rights, I went to the office of every political party to support our cause, from Congress to TDP, from MIM to BJP, I represented reservation issue in every political front. Dalit-Muslim relation is a different aspect, our cause, our own interest is also important. Even I had raised my opposition to Modi in 2002, if he hurt Muslims again I will continue to raise my voice against him, but it is also important for us to pass SC categorization bill in the parliament.”
Dalits didn’t accept that argument
But famous Dalit activist and scholar Kancha Ilaiah is not ready to buy the argument of Manda Krishna Madiga. He said, “It was disappointing to see him meeting Modi to make his demands to a Hindutva poster boy. He didn’t realize that Modi has never been a pro-reservation man, his party till today is against Mandal commsion.”
Mr. Kancha Ilaiah said, by giving importance to Modi he made an illogical move and got played in the hands of BJP. “Who is Narendra right now, is he already became a PM, it was understandable if Modi held any crucial Government post and Manda Krishan or any other Dalit leader met him to press some demands, but right now that meeting was completely unnecessary.”
According to Mr. Kancha Ilaiah damage has already been done and BJP has just cashed in by presenting it as a symbolic meeting.
Dr. Jilkara Srinivas, a Dalit post doctorate research scholar from Hyderabad Central University also refused to accept Manda Krishna Madiga argument of SC categorization representation. Mr. Jilkara said, “For past 18 years that demand has been there, BJP has already declared it support obviously eyeing on sub section of Dalit votes, but what was the need to represent again and again that too a Hindutva icon like Modi.”
RSS creating sham for BC and Dalit’s by projecting Modi
RSS according to Mr. Kancha Ilaiah has started a camping asking for BC community support by presenting a BC as prime ministerial candidate. By this process RSS is communizing BC vote bank.
Mr. Kancha Ilaiah who himself belong to BC community said, no national party has given proper space nor promoted any BC candidates. BJP has just seized the opportunity to get BC in their folds. He said presently in BC community, “there is huge hunger for power, even if it is going to be a symbolic power like PM it is enough for them.”
But he cautioned his fellow community members that although Modi belongs to BC community but he never did anything for their welfare, “Narendra has done nothing for BC welfare in Gujarat, there was an anti-BC riot in 1985 in Gujarat still there is no justice for those victims, there is no proper BC reservation in Gujarat, moreover there is no BC middle class in the state ruled by Modi.”
He also gave the reference to Modi’s last week speech in Hyderabad, “In his whole speech he sold dreams, didn’t even mention Dalit, BC development or reservation issue, his whole speech was purely based on Hinduized elite development plank.” Kancha Ilaiah said BC should not fall into what he calls a Sangh trap.
Mr. Jilkara Srinivas commenting on the Modi-Dalit-BC relations said Sangh Parivar is using Dalals (agents) from the oppressed communities to showcase in larger portrait the support to Sangh ideology.
He said that Sangh has used the same trick in Karnataka where eventually Dalit support went in their basket; this is what Mr. Jilakara calls ‘fashioning social psychology’ of Dalits and other oppressed sections that Sangh is their savior.
But according to Mr. Srinivas Sangh tactics till now has proved to be futile as Dalits and large sections of BC which has traditionally been against its ideology never got mobilized under Parivar’s banner. He also stated that one should not give overzealous importance to Modi and his exaggerated propagated potential to attract BC and Dalit votes, “Before coming to Hyderabad, he campaigned in the neighboring districts of Karimnagar and Nizamabad in the by elections which has huge Dalit BC Muslim population, what was his effect, apart from creating communal tensions, he couldn’t increase BJP’s vote share.”
Manne Leo Augustine is a civil rights activist, former leader of Janta Party and a close ally of George Fernandes. According to Mr. Augustine, he wasn’t surprised by witnessing Dalit leaders meeting Hindutva icon Narendra Modi. He said “It is going on for last 25 years now. Sangh Parivar is trying to get BC in their fold and even got partial success now they are eyeing on Dalit vote bank.”
The reason of BC and Dalits getting attracted towards BJP, Mr. Augustine who is now in his late 70s, puts it philosophically, “When good is silent, evil comes to force. They have been neglected by other national political parties now they are trying other side. Sangh Parivar is using Modi as tool to get the politically depressed section of BC in their fold.”
But Mr. Augustine also has his own alternate theory, perhaps he think it is Modi antics to scare away Muslims from BC base sub regional parties. He said ultimate test of loyalty comes on the day of voting, till them Muslims should not get dissuade from Sangh pranks.