The two day Shahu Mela organised by the Bahujan Samaj Party provided a massive display of Dalit power. The cadres mobilised supporters from 11 of the 14 commissionaries of the state and a few lakhs of them descended on the city.
The central message of the two-day Jamboree was that the Dalits, organised as a separate political force, can achieve power and if they do not organise themselves as a separate entity, they will meet the fate of the followers of Ambedkar in Maharashtra.
Kanshi Ram has said, while addressing a rally, that the followers of Ambedkar in Maharashtra left the Ambedkarwadi parties, since they could not become MLA, MP or minister by remaining with these parties. Therefore, they joined parties like the Congress to become powerful. But look at their state now. There are 288 MLA in the Vidhan Sabha of Maharashtra and not one of them is a Mahar, the caste to which Ambedkar belonged. This has happened because they went and joined other
parties. They lost their identity. But in UP the situation is reverse. In UP, there are 68 Dalits MLAs and MLCs, 11 Lok Sabha members and three members of Rajya Sabha.
This was also a veiled warning to likes of Mayawati, in case they harbour any thought of ditching the BSP and joining hands with the BJP to remain the Chief Minister of the state.
Kanshi Ram was severe both on the Congress and the Shiv Sena. He said that in Maharashtra, despite the Congress being in power for such a long time, they have not been able to establish a university in the name of Chhatrapati Shahuji, as has been done by naming the university at Kanpur after him.
He said Bal Thackeray had assured at the time of elections that there is no need for Kanshi Ram in Maharashtra, since a university will be established in Shahujis name in that state. But more then two-and-a-half years have elapsed and there is still no sign of that university.
There is Brahman Raj in Maharashtra and this has happened because the followers of Shahu, Ambedkar and Phule have left that stream of thought. Both Kanshi Ram and Mayawati condemned the Congress for opposing the mela and naming of the university after Shahuji in the Vidhan Sabha of the state.
Mayawati, however, took the first step towards what may become the first step towards compromise with other forces. She said that the long standing BSP slogan, Jo Zameen Sarkari Hain, Woh Zameen Hamari Hain (The government land is our land) is not applicable to those states where the BSP is in power.
She advised her followers to not to take law into their hands and the land will be distributed by the government according to rules. She also took the opportunity to clarify that those who are cultivating land after taking it on batai do not become the owners of that land but the former owners are the real owners. They are only cultivators.
Kanshi Ram said that in the last 100 days nearly 6 lakh acres of land has been distributed in UP and not one acre of land has been distributed in Maharashtra. The lesson is obvious. He said that those who have come here from Maharashtra should take lesson from this and reestablish the Ambedkar movement in Maharashtra.
