With the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh set for early next year, the Congress has staked a claim on Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) founder Kanshi Ram’s legacy. Two days before the party’s OBC and Scheduled Caste (SC) departments observe Kanshi Ram’s birth anniversary as “Samajik Parivartan Diwas”, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi addressed a programme in Lucknow on Friday.
In his address, Gandhi said that had the Congress done its job, Kanshi Ram “would not have been successful.” “If Jawaharlal Nehru were alive, then Kanshi Ram would have been a Chief Minister from the Congress,” he added.
The Congress SC Department’s chairperson Rajendra Pal Gautam speaks to The Indian Express about the Congress’s Dalit outreach, the importance of the Bahujan leader, and why he believes that Gandhi is the one leading the fight for the marginalised that Kanshi Ram had started. Excerpts:
Why is the Congress organising events marking the birth anniversary of Kanshi Ram, who was a staunch critic of the party?
During the Bharat Jodo Yatra and the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, when Rahul Gandhi ji met farmers, labourers, Dalits, the backwards, tribals, minorities, and people from different walks of life, he understood that these sections were lagging far behind in trade, natural resources, higher judiciary and top bureaucracy.
He studied how Kanshi Ram saheb prepared the Bahujan samaj (society), which lacked land, trade and jobs, and developed a confidence that they should be in the government, they should have participation and share. How did he bring them together? He drove a bicycle, walked on foot, developed confidence in the poor, and established a political party. Why did that party deviate? There is nobody to speak for that section. This is what he (Rahul Gandhi) realised. That there is no voice for the deprived sections.
Then he read more about B R Ambedkar, Kanshi Ram … and from there he understood the importance of samajik nyay (social justice) and decided to fight for it. He has made samajik nyay a mission and is pledged to fight for it. The Congress has always been inclusive … Rahul Gandhi has decided to fight the battle for social justice. As part of that, we resolved to celebrate the birth anniversary of Kanshi Ram ji. We will celebrate the birth anniversaries of many more great personalities, not for politics but to propagate their ideas.
How will these events translate to Dalit outreach and momentum on the ground?
We are rebuilding the entire organisation, including the SC Department. We will work aggressively in villages and organise similar programmes, discuss the Constitution, social justice, dasha and disha (condition and direction) of the Dalit samaj, the problems the deprived sections are facing, and their solutions.
Does the Congress have enough cadre to do this in UP?
It appears we lack a cadre base only because the party has been out of power here for several years. But we have old workers … Also, various deprived sections — SCs, STs, OBCs, and minorities — are today thinking of the Congress, which is emerging as an alternative and is fighting for them. He (Gandhi) has made changes ensuring that at least 50% of the organisational posts will be for these groups … We will reach every village in the next few months.
Your ally, Samajwadi Party (SP), is also celebrating Kanshi Ram’s birth anniversary. Is this a strategy of both parties to grab the space that the Mayawati-led BSP appears to have ceded?
Our effort is to bring the Congress back as the party of the common man. The deprived sections were earlier associated with the Congress, but they shifted later, and are again looking for an alternative. The Congress is analysing why our original voters moved away, what mistakes we made, and how we can rectify them.
Has the party identified those mistakes?
Rahul ji accepted the mistake from the open stage that while we did a lot for the deprived sections, there was a need to do more.
The SP’s core support base consists of Yadavs, a community Dalits in UP are not comfortable with. How can you then bring the two together?
First, we have to strengthen the Congress. Our target is to go back to our original roots and take all the sections along. The Congress worked with an inclusive thought. We have pledged to bring everyone together without restriction for any caste.
BSP president Mayawati has accused the Congress of insulting Kanshi Ram, labelling the programmes being held by it and the SP a political drama. What is your response to that?
Kanshi Ram saheb is a vichardhara (ideology). He is in a category of great men who are not restricted to one political party. He is a virasat (heritage) of the entire country. She (Mayawati) can say anything. We respect her. She is an iron lady. But had she been fighting the battle (for the Bahujan), no one could have taken that space. Since she has quit that battle, Rahul Gandhi is fighting that battle across the country. Today, Rahul Gandhi is taking forward Kanshi Ram’s Bahujan ideology, his works, and his fight for social change.
The Congress SC Department’s chairperson Rajendra Pal Gautam. (Source: Express Archives) 
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