RPI stuck in identity crisis

It was ludicruous enough for Ambedkar to retort asking his one-time colleague for details of these 8220;supposed8221; meetings. Says he, 8220;I was not not even in Mumbai or Delhi during the change in chief ministers. Where8217;s the question of a meeting.8221;He has challenged Athawale to produce details such as dates and time of these meetings since police records at both places would reflect his visits.

While his effort to differently align the two groups was a political move, Athawale over-reached himself with his remarks on the meetings. But his supporters say he had enough reason to lash out. Ambedkar, speaking from Latur earlier this week, had advised Athawale 8220;to apply Congress sindoor instead of being Sharad Pawar8217;s keep8221;. Even by their standards of hitting out at one another, it was a particularly cheap remark. It set in motion a needless war of words between the two groups. 8220;It will achieve nothing but we can8217;t let everything just pass by. The Sena-BJP are the real enemies of dalits and backward castes and we have to join hands with the Congress to fight them. There8217;s nothing wrong in that,8221; explains Athawale. He was gifted with a Cabinet post in the Pawar ministry for making possible the Congress-RPI alliance. Simultaneously, the governmentdecided to rename the Marathwada University after Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, the RPI8217;s long-standing demand which had become the benchmark in the Dalit politics.

However, Ambedkar believes that the alliance has benefited the Congress more while bringing only token benefits for the RPI and Dalits/neo-Buddhists. Tensions between the two appeared to have cooled off last year when the RPI entered into an alliance with the Congress for the Lok Sabha election and won four seats. The alliance suited both Ambedkar and Athawale; Ambedkar was at the end of his Rajya Sabha term and Athawale was in political wilderness of sorts since the coalition came to power in 1995. But relations worsened soon after when a power struggle began within the RPI. They both wanted to be presidents since this year would be marked by political negotiations as the state Assembly election drew near. Both were elected presidents 8211; by their own groups. The RPI became vertically divided since October last year when the two held separate8220;official8221; conclaves, each claiming that his group was the 8220;real8221; RPI. Each group went through the rigmarole of electing and appointing office-bearers and subsequently Athawale and Ambedkar have been extensively touring the state to elicit support.