Thus Spoke Kanshi Ram: Follow Mission, Not Person

Our great forefathers warned us against following people blindly, instead, they suggested us to follow mission, principles, ideologies, and community’s interests. While it is fine to follow ideals and I must have ideal persons to stir our chaotic lives in clearer directions, the principles and mission based on principles are more important.

Following certain people means led by them and sometimes those who lead may deviate from the principles. This is why principles, and codified principles as laws, have become the basis of the emergence of more civil society. Left to an individual’s whims, the followers can be misleading.

That is why the Buddha’s insistence on Dhamma, Babasaheb’s insistence on Principles, Phule’s insistence on a public quest of seeking truth, and Kanshiram’s insistence on a mission over leaders must be our guide.

For Babasaheb, politics was the mission and Kanshiram enlivened this mission of politics by creating a political structure that shook India. Deviation from mission to electoral politics can be useful for a time being, but it can destroy the purpose of politics as a mission to liberate people.

In the present Indian context, the liberation mission of SC, ST, and OBC is challenged from all directions. The electoral politics and the machinations of Brahminical forces subjugated the Bahujan politics which has been veering towards personalities.

Once Kanshiram Saheb told in a public meeting that even recent history can be a guide to present, we do not need to have knowledge of deep history.

This is perhaps time to exhume the history of the BAMCEF and BSP itself to see how the mission can be revived that will sustain politics.

The Manyavar Mudra revealing his ideology with pen and fingers in the picture.

Author – Mangesh Dahiwale, Human Rights Activist