http://www.deccanchronicle.com/op-ed/maya%E2%80%99s-cultural-jaal-707
Maya’s cultural jaal July 7th, 2010 By Kancha Ilaiah When the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Ms Mayawati, changed her ideological position from Bahujan Samaj formulated by her mentor Kanshi Ram to Sarvajan Samaj there was elation among the upper caste intellectuals and sadness among the dalit-bahujan intellectuals. Delhi-based intellectuals, who usually hate Ms Mayawati, started praising her for her accommodative approach and for leaving behind the confrontational approach of Kanshi Ram. In fact, many were surprised how a militant anti-manuwadi woman leader could compromise with the Uttar Pradesh brahmins against whom she had been fighting so virulently. When she worked out a formula for roping the Uttar Pradesh brahmins into the fold of her votebank by repositioning her party’s slogan itself, from Bahujan Samaj to Sarvajan Samaj, several dalit-bahujan scholars thought that this would be the end of Ambedkarism in Uttar Pradesh, even north India. Kanshi Ram’s death had led to depression in the dalit-bahujan political circles of the nation. Kanshi Ram was an inspiring and uncompromising political and intellectual leader and Ms Mayawati was not seen as a leader in her own right then. I too was very sceptical of her abilities to lead the Bahujan Samaj Party in a manner that could help it survive — leave alone coming to power as it did later. Once she came to power there was also speculation that she would serve the brahminical interests — leaving Kanshi Ram’s legacy behind. However, it has now become evident that in the cultural realm she is simply dalitising the whole state. This was something unexpected. Not only are districts being renamed after dalit-bahujan icons, but the very ethos of Uttar Pradesh is undergoing a revolutionary change now. Ms Mayawati has built many monuments on the Navayana Buddhist theme (navayana is Pali for new vehicle). Navayana Buddhist refers to the idea that a Buddhist movement may represent a new yana. Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar: “I will accept and follow the teachings of Buddha. I will keep my people away from the different opinions of Hinyan and Mahayan, two religious orders. Our Bouddha Dhamma is a new Bouddha Dhamma, Navayan”. The Buddhist and Ambedkar parks that Ms Mayawati is building will inevitably reduce the spiritual significance of Ayodhya, Kashi-Benares, Mathura and so on. By renaming districts after Ambedkar, Phule, Sahuji Maharaj, Rama Bai (the illiterate first wife of Ambedkar), the dalit-bahujan icons of Maharashtra and the birthplace of Navayana Buddhism, she has changed Uttar Pradesh’s cultural atmosphere itself. Of course, Kanshi Ram and Ms Mayawati herself have been elevated as icons in the process. In Uttar Pradesh, they are not only names of districts but their statues are being worshipped in Ambedkar parks. Ms Mayawati’s decision to transform the cultural realm of Uttar Pradesh would certainly have all-India implications. I do not think that the brahmins of Uttar Pradesh are in a position to resist this transformation. She has put it on an irreversible course. The Congress cannot stall this course either. Wherever the Congress is in power, they have named institutions after Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. But they do not have any culturally transformative implications. Buddha, Ambedkar, Phule, Sahuji Maharaj, Periyar, Kanshi Ram and so on are not like that. They have serious anti-Hindu cultural implications. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) knows this but is not in a position to do anything because it burnt its hands in Ayodhya and Gujarat. Further, the BJP cannot say that these are anti-national icons. Likewise, the Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Mulayam Singh Yadav cannot reverse or stop the trend because he has no alternative of his own to offer. His party is now competing for power for the sake of power, without constructing any socio-cultural agenda of its own. Its icons, Ram Manohar Lohia and Charan Singh, do not have much impact in the cultural realm, unlike Ambedkar. The fact is that unless icons are associated with alternative spiritual culture they do not create a following that lasts long. In the modern period only Ambedkar did that and Kanshi Ram brought that icon into unbelievable achievability. And Ms Mayawati’s dalit common sense captured that imagination very well. Even if the Congress, the SP or the BJP come to power they will not be able to dismantle the Ambedkar parks or rename the districts. Earlier, Ms Mayawati was in power only for six months each time — that too with the BJP’s support. But now she will be there for full five years and the chances of her getting re-elected are very high. If she is in power for 10 years, Uttar Pradesh’s cultural history will change beyond recognition. Not many know that Kanshi Ram had a vision of constructing the biggest Ambedkarite Buddha Vihara in Uttar Pradesh along with a massive international airport in Lucknow. His plan was that Uttar Pradesh should become a big Ambedkarite Buddhist international tourist centre so that it could generate a competitive tourist capital. Ms Mayawati seems to think that she has to fulfil her mentor’s dream. She seems to understand that cultural capital will be more long-lasting than political and economic capital. ------------------------------------ ---- INFORMATION OVERLOAD? Get all ZESTCaste mails sent out in a span of 24 hours in a single mail. Subscribe to the daily digest version by sending a blank mail to zestmedia-dig...@yahoogroups.com, OR, if you have a Yahoo! Id, change your settings at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/join/ PARTICIPATE:- On this list you can share caste news, discuss caste issues and network with like-minded anti-caste people from across India and the world. 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