Author – Dr Jas Simran Kehal

Revisiting the Poona pact through literature, I was wondering what frame of mind Dr Ambedkar would have been prior to signing the pact. One needs to have nerves of steel to single-handedly manage that sort of tough bargain while safeguarding the interests of the depressed classes. That somber mood was disrupted by the crowning of a Dalit chief minister and the subsequent reaction from my online community, which was initially euphoric and later inquisitive.

When queries continued to pound, I switched over my reading material from Poona Pact and ended up at Kanshi Ram’s “The Chamcha Age”. As rightly stated by Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes that “The pen is the tongue of the mind”, I decided to wield mine on the eve of historic Poona Pact day.

To put an end to this entire hullabaloo over the issue of a Dalit CM and restore insight among our masses, I have coined three phrases that appear similar but are poles apart:-

• A leader who is a Dalit.
• A Dalit-Leader
• An Ambedkarite-Leader

Although most of us will be able to grammatically appreciate the difference between the three we also have to see that which phrase our leader fits in.

My sincere apologies to all those who are elated with respect to this Dalit CM, he fits into phrase 1 in my opinion. Does becoming an MLA from a reserved constituency entitle one to automatically become representatives of the Dalit community? Definitely no. Had it been so, Sadhu singh Dharamsot, another minister elected from an SC constituency, would not have been embroiled in a multi-crore Post matric scholarship scam. This scam made universities withhold the degrees of thousands of Dalit students. Remaining silent on this issue at that time and allowing loot of funds meant for Dalit students, makes the current Dalit CM companion in crime. Ironically, prior to the previous election, during the ‘SC Leaders’ conclave, he was presented as the Dalit face of the party where he announced that our children will study along with children of the rich. 

Parenthetically, how can an MLA of a reserved constituency whose ticket is decided by upper caste high command and whose election is decided by upper-caste voters as well, can act as a Dalit-leader. This reminds us of Babasaheb’s concerns prior to signing the Poona Pact. Right from the young age of 27 years in 1919 while giving testimony before Southborough Committee, Dr Ambedkar had a crystal clear idea that true representation of Dalits could only be possible by a separate electorate. Almost one century down the line, his worst fears have come true leading to an era of stooges-as described by Kanshi Ram. 

Punjab has about 37% of the population as Dalits who own only about 3.5% of land in the state. Two land reform laws were introduced in Punjab in 1952 and 1972. A large part of the land went to upper castes who are still purchasing land from small farmers. Being landless makes Dalits vulnerable to discrimination and poverty. Has any Dalit MLA, including the current Dalit-CM ever talked about land redistribution? By enforcement of the land ceiling act, these leaders who call themselves as Dalits could have justified their election from reserved constituencies.

Coming to the second phrase- A Dalit-leader– is a leader who is a true representative of the Dalit community. In my opinion, as of now’s political scenario, it is difficult to balance political equations to become a Dalit leader. Had the communal award granted by British Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald survived Mr. Gandhi’s fast unto death blackmail, genuine Dalit political representation would have wiped off caste barriers by now. Nevertheless, even if the masses are made aware of the difference between ‘a leader who is a Dalit’ and ‘a a dalit-leader’, a day will come when wolves hiding in sheep’s clothing will get exposed. 

An Ambedkarite leader is need of the hour. I personally have high hopes that the days of Ambedkarite leadership are going to come. It is this type of leadership that will stage the counter-revolution and turn the tables. Dr Ambedkar vied for genuine Dalit leadership and the current generation is striving for an Ambedkarite-leadership. The social activism of Ambedkarites is bound to transform into political strength sooner or later. This will undo the injustice done to Babasaheb during the Poona Pact. 

It is an indirect effect of this type of leadership that the state with the highest percentage of the Dalit population has been coerced to choose a Dalit-CM. Although it seems to be a symbolic gesture by congress as it appears to have appointed a night watchman to tide over their own political crisis ahead of elections, it still gives a ray of hope for the evolution of Dalit politics. 

The Dalit-CM of Punjab is ‘a leader who is a Dalit. Similar are the 77 reserved parliamentarians of BJP-party with maximum SC/ST MP’s currently. They all invoke Ambedkar to further their personal interests. Punjab CM did the same in his first press conference as chief minister and stated to be once living in a roofless house and further claimed to be representing the downtrodden. Incidentally, he owns multi-crore assets as per official records. This is indeed false representation and this is what Gandhi dreamt of while allotting 148 seats in the common electorate in lieu of 71 seats in a separate one. These stooges produced by Gandhi and well described by Kanshi Ram are definite dangers to democracy and are partners to social and economic disparity prevalent to date.

As far as a successful democratic setup is concerned, even a Dalit leader does not fit properly. This is because once bestowed with power, he is expected to focus on the interests of a particular section of society only.

An Ambedkarite political leadership only can ensure political, social, and economic democracy. Only a true proponent of Ambedkar’s ideology and philosophy can simultaneously cater to the interests of each and all. Implementation of Babsaheb’s ideology as envisaged in his book ‘States and minorities’ aiming at state socialism and economic democracy can only be achieved by this type of leader.

As I fall back to my somber mood thinking about Dr Ambedkar’s untiring efforts to give us real political power, we all need to introspect. The place we are placed politically as of now encompasses a political vacuum for Dalit politics. We seem thrilled if this space is occupied even by a pseudo-representative of us. On the eve of Poona Pact day, let’s undo the 90 years old blackmail and elect true Ambedkarite leaders to rule us.

About Author – MBBS, MS (Ortho), MA (Journalism and mass communication), MA- Ambedkar Thoughts (Pursuing). Kehal Trauma Centre, Nangal Dam, Punjab.

Image credit – TOI