Kanshi-founded body to take up Rohith Vemula issue nationally

The backward and minority community employee federation (BAMCEF), an organisation founded by late Kanshi Ram, will now take up the issue of dalit scholar Rohith Vemula’s suicide.

BAMCEF will hold conventions across the country on February 29, which also marks the death anniversary of D.K. Karpade, an associate of late Kanshi Ram.

BAMCEF national president Dayaram said the main convention would be held in Pune, where the foundation of the organisation was laid.

In Uttar Pradesh, conventions are being planned in Lucknow, Varanasi, Allahabad, Agra, Kanpur, Bijnore and Jaunpur. In each convention, members and supporters will be called in form adjoining districts.

“The conventions will highlight the cases of atrocities on dalits, including the suicide of Rohith Vem-ula, and will focus on the dialogue between oppressed and the ruled sections of society, leading to an end of Brahmanism.”

BAMCEF is keen to highlight the fact that scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and OBCs are the original inhabitants of the country whereas Brahmins and other upper castes were Aryans who came in from other countries and started oppressing the former.

“The suicide of Rohith Vemula validates our stand and the theory of oppression in the Brahmanical system and the JNU controversy is merely a ploy to divert attention from the Vemula case,” Mr Dayaram said.

With BAMCEF increasing its activities in Uttar Pradesh on the eve of Assembly elections in the state, alarm bells are bound to ring for the Bahujan Samaj Party.

Kanshi Ram, during his lifetime, had ensured a close coordination between the BSP and the BAMCEF but after his death in 2006, fissures widened and BAMCEF now works independent of the BSP. In fact, a number of leaders who came into the BSP from the BAMCEF, have moved away from the party, even accusing he BSP president Mayawati of betraying late Kanshi Ram’s ideology.

The BAMCEF which has strong roots among dalit employees in the public and private sector is essentially a non-political organisation but its strength lies in its deep penetration and also credibility among dalits employees and it is the organization that sets the mood and political direction for dalits.