In the 1990s, the dalits of UP would walk barefoot for hundreds of kilometres, taking the occasional lift from truck drivers.
In the 1990s, the dalits of UP would walk barefoot for hundreds of kilometres, taking the occasional lift from truck drivers. Clad in dhoti-kurta, they would sleep under the open skies and eat from a bagful of puffed rice and grams that they would carry from home.
Every word that their leader Kanshi Ram uttered was gospel and his each instruction was dearer to them than their life.
Two-and-a-half decades later, the scene has changed radically. The young men now come only when transport and food is provided to them. They wear cheap sports shoes, low waist jeans and colourful T-shirts.
They may not have cash in their pockets, but they do have smartphones, connected to WhatsApp. They do not accept all that their leaders say. They are the new dalits — partially educated but fully aware of their problems and rights.
It is this changing face of dalits in UP that the BSP refuses to recognise. Party president Mayawati continues to take her voters for granted, not realising that times, and her voters, have changed.
If Kanshi Ram was God for dalits, Ms Mayawati is a mere leader who is prone to faults.
Surendra Kumar, a young undergraduate from Kaushambhi district, says that his father Puttan was a blind follower of Kanshi Ram and would walk miles to attend his meetings. “I come to BSP rallies only when the local leaders make arrangements for travel and food. Otherwise, I can watch these leaders on TV,” he says.
Surendra, who belongs to the Pasi community, says he is not dependent on local leaders to tackle problems that he and his family face at the local level. “I have this smartphone with all the numbers of local stringers of TV channels. If anyone harasses us, I immediately send a message on WhatsApp and they arrive within no time. Local officials and even goons are now afraid that if they harass us, the news will go on air,” he says.
Ravish Jayant, another unemployed youth from Kanpur, says that for him, dalit leaders are not God.
“I watch TV and videos on Facebook and YouTube and now I know that our leaders are as good or bad as us. Mayawati has never visited any dalit family where murder or rape has taken place. She is neither accessible to dalits who knock at her doorstep and nor does she give any financial aid to those in trouble,” he said.
She may be God for my father and grandfather but not for me. I want a leader who is accessible and sympathetic and she is neither”, he said. Dalit writer Avadesh admits that the mindset among Dalits has changed considerably over the years. “Economic independence, awareness of rights and accessibility to information has changed the scenario. Dalit leaders should read the mood of the people and adapt themselves to the changes. The myth of the BSP being able to transfer its votes has already been busted in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and the party should men its ways or be prepared for another jolt in the upcoming assembly polls.
