Any use in fighting elections?

For me, personally, it was not an easy decision to enter politics. But, in a sense, I had no other choice. The All India Confederation of SC...

For me, personally, it was not an easy decision to enter politics. But, in a sense, I had no other choice. The All India Confederation of SC/ST Organisations and the Lord Buddha Club, which I had founded, could at best criticise from the outside. It could achieve very little in terms of actually changing policy. That’s why I decided to form the Indian Justice Party (IJP) and enter the electoral fray. The point is if something has to be chiseled, why not chisel it with the brightest tool at hand? And in a democracy casting one’s ballot — or “showing one’s finger” — is the best way to seek the redressal of injuries and the fulfilling of aspirations.

Symbols matter and they matter even more in a chaotic democracy like ours where the electorate is considered as intelligent as an ass. That’s why our prime minister and deputy prime minister can change their statements as often as they do their clothes. A.B. Vajpayee may represent a party that has thrived on abusing Muslims, but this has not stopped him from trying to woo Muslims by donning a green turban and making promises to them.

By joining politics, we also want to make a statement. That if something good is to be done for Dalits, we have to take things into our own hands. The leaders of the so-called Dalit parties that already exist are only interested in empowering their pockets. The last thing they want is the empowerment of Dalits. Because the day that happens, they themselves will lose their livelihoods and careers!

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The IJP’s focus would be on education — on compulsory and equal education for all — to create a level-playing field everywhere, on giving technical tools to every citizen so that they make the most of their lives, and on reservations in the private sector. Incidentally, we will even collaborate with the devil to defeat communalism. At this point of time, it is not electoral victory that matters. What matters are the ways we can inject a sense of justice and common sense into politics.

As we are a very new party, things have not been been easy. At the moment, we are in a little crisis — and there are reasons for it which we must try and understand. First, the rank and file that comprise the All India Confederation of SC/ST Organisations and the Lord Buddha Club are not political. Whatever we have done for Dalits has been done through the social, and ideological support these organisations possess. Therefore, some people accuse me of forming a party for my personal growth. They say this because the other Dalit leaders have all appropriated the ideology of Dr B.R. Ambedkar and the organised strength of Dalits for their own purposes. If the blind support which Mayawati enjoys was used selflessly, it could have led the Dalits to a bright future. But this will never happen, given the present BSP leadership.

Certainly, we do not want the IJP to travel that same road. Therefore, it is a good thing to be made conscious of public criticism and to respond to it.

The writer is national president, Indian Justice Party