At a Glance

A no confidence in current form of Parliamentary democracy

Vidya Bhushan Rawat

There
have always been debates on which is the right form of governance for
India: a presidential form of government or Parliamentary system
adopted from the British. It is not that only two forms of governance
are found world over and whatever be the constitutional provisions, in
the end, it is the people, who are responsible make or unmake a system.
Unfortunately, a society like India and when I say India, I include all
in the South Asian region, is feudal and undemocratic in nature. Hence,
how is it possible, that undemocratic people could make democracy
successful? This question needs to be investigated and ponder over.

Dr
Ambedkar when pressed for separate electorate for the depressed
classes, feared that in the Parliamentary form of government, the
voices of dissent would always be decried. It is a majority vote but
majority can not always be right. Secondly, he feared that those who
will represent the oppressed community might not be the ‘well-wishers’
of the community as they will be more bothered about getting votes of
other communities, particularly if they are fighting from so called
reserve constituencies, their worry would be more on focusing on other
communities rather than their own. This will only create a leadership
which would be corrupt and could easily be co-opted. Hence there was
upper caste leadership of a majority of parties giving the 
Original Inhabitants of Jambudvipa,that is the Great Prabuddha Bharath‘symbolic’ presence in their parties. Babu Jagjivan Ram and Dev Raj Urs
were exception and immensely talented and committed politicians who
rose to those heights despite all odds. However, they did not challenge
the brahmanical supremacy and were part of parliamentary set up.
Tamilnadu was the perhaps the only state where this ideological
challenge to brahmanical system was open and in a more crude fashion.

It
happened till 1990 before the wave of the Mandalisation process changed
the political set up in the country and our parliament saw a virtual
change in its demography as it was the dominance of Dalit Bahujan in
the apex body of decision making. A new set of chief ministers and
regional kshatraps took over the leadership who were more autonomous
and blunt in their attitude and never really depended on the mercy of a
power centre. We had likes of Ram Vilas Paswan and Sharad Yadav who
were rising high while Mulayam Singh Yadav, Lalu Yadav and others were
ruling the state. Even in the Hindutva party of BJP, Kalyan Singh and
others were enjoying their new found prominence. But one man was not in
this entire scheme of things. Far away from the power brokers, he was
silently making a revoluation in the villages and towns of India,
waking the Original Inhabitants of Jambudvipa,that is the Great Prabuddha Bharath and spreading Ambedkarite perception. His name was
Kanshi Ram. The Bahujan Samaj Party, that he formed actually could not
succeed during his life time and remained confined to Uttar-Pradesh at
large despite brave efforts to spread in states like Punjab and Madhya
Pradesh. And he gave representation to those people who could never
have even imagined to become even village Pradhan. It was a complete
change from vote hamara raj tumhara to vote hamara raj bhee hamara
philosophy. It changed the politics of Uttar-Pradesh so strongly that
the brahmanical manipulators worked overnight to deconstruct the
phenomena and break the multi caste alliance in Uttar-Pradesh.
Ambition, egos created hurdles to further the cause of Original Inhabitants of Jambudvipa,that is the Great Prabuddha Bharath bahujans
and the result is the reversal of strategies of two main political
outfits from UP, mainly the SP and BSP. Both today target the upper
castes who are enjoying this immense display of ‘affection’ from the Original Inhabitants of Jambudvipa,that is the Great Prabuddha Bharath Bahujans, as if they were dying for it from centuries.

The
slogan of Original Inhabitants of Jambudvipa,that is the Great Prabuddha Bharath Bahujan grew up and we felt that leaders would do
justice to their people. Instead they became Supremos and the distance
from the party men and common man grew larger. We have more vehicles,
armed commandos and power brokers surrounding them. These power brokers
switch their loyalties according to those in power and their character
was reflected very much during the no confidence vote in Parliament on
July 22nd. But before that whatever happened not only shames us as
Indian but will force us to think of whether we should really be proud
of this democracy which is license to legtimise the illegitimate.

Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh smiled and the devotees of the high command
danced in the street that their party has won the vote of confidence so
that they can go further their grand international agenda, which once
upon a time was the desire of saffron party.
The Hindutva party was
talking of corruption that allegedly ‘purchased’ some of their MPs. The
discussion was on nuclear deal which was an important issue as it will
have long term impact on our foreign policy issue as well as internal
maters. Unfortunately, it became a war between Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav,
his loud mouth deputy Amar Singh and Behenjee who came from Lucknow to
‘take over’ Delhi. And in this entire exercise whatever happened would
make us ponder things whether this form of representative government
and parties really help us or we are just happy that some one from us
is ruling the country. The question remains whether the some one from
us will remain some one from us or some one from them. That is the
question.

The question I am raising is a bigger one. And it is
not that we became worried by seeing a few member of parliament showing
the displaying one crore rupees in parliament. That too is an issue but
from the point of view of the Original Inhabitants of Jambudvipa,that is the Great Prabuddha Bharath Bahujan perspective, and what
Ambedkar had perceived when he questioned the governance and sought
protection and participation of the Dalits in the social set up.

Let
us first come to what Ambedkar said about Indian democracy in an
interview to Voice of America on May 20th, 1956. He asks this question
whether there is a democracy in India and he says: ‘Democracy is quite
different from a Republic as well as from parliamentary Government. The
roots of democracy lie not in the form of Government, Parliamentary or
otherwise. A democracy is more than a form of government. It is
primarily a mode of associated living. The roots of democracy are to be
searched in the social relationship, in the terms of associated life
between people who form a society.’

What Ambedkar envisage and
terms ideal are completely contrast to our political parties who are
out and out there to hail their caste. As a Thakur MP of the BJP, Brij
Bhushan Sharan Singh switched his loyalty to Samajwadi Party, another
one, Amar Singh said that he is a Kshatriya and never afraid of any
one, he speak the truth, as if it is only his trait and all other
communities are liars. But what Amar Singh was speaking was a
deliberate attempt to create confusion and chaos in Uttar-Pradesh. With
Dalits solidly behind Mayawati, Mulyam has to give a call for other
communities to rally behind him. The problem in Uttar-Pradesh is not
just caste identities but now sub stratification which is refusing to
bring different Original Inhabitants of Jambudvipa,that is the Great Prabuddha Bharath communities together. Also there are many
marginalized MBCs who need to be there are simply out. Hence the
political mobilization in Uttar-Pradesh based on sub caste is becoming
a self defeating exercise and will have wider consequences. Problem
with identity and assertion is that they end up in creating a male
dominance and a culture of hatred. Here Mayawati is definitely an
exception. When the time was to sit together and discuss the issues, so
much disbelief is bound to threaten the very cause of an egalitarian
society which could be termed as democratic as Ambedkar perceived.


And
to further his cause he points out: “The Indian society does not
consist of individuals. It consists of innumerable collection of
castes, which are exclusive in their life and have no common experience
to share and have no bond of sympathy. The existence of caste system is
a standing denial of the existence of those ideals of society and
therefore of democracy. An Indian cannot eat or marry with an Indian
simply because he or she does not belong to his or her caste. An Indian
simply can not touch an Indian because he or she does belong to his or
her caste.” Ambedkar questions the political system and how Congress
party field its candidate and how they are selected carefully on the
basis of their caste. Ambedkar says : “How does an Indian vote in an
election? He votes for a candidate who belongs to his own caste and no
other Further he considers caste system as a bane to democracy. ‘
Castes are not equal in their status. They are standing one above
another. They are jealous of one another. It is an ascending scale of
hatred and descending scale of contempt. The feature of caste system
has most pernicious consequences. It destroys willing and helpful
cooperation.”

Then formation of politics based on caste
identities is relegating the basic issues and killing the individual
concerns. Hence to come to power and attract more people, you just
refuse to listen to your own people. While there is no doubt that
Mayawati and BSP has got full support from her community in particular,
the fact is that it is suffering in silence also. The prime ministerial
posts, corporations etc are under the control of the bhudevtas. The
same thing happened with Mulayam Singh Yadav who in technical terms
should have been a friend of  Original Inhabitants of Jambudvipa,that is the Great Prabuddha Bharath but unfortunately can not be given
his track record, still being a farmer, his all efforts were to ignore
Yadavas and attract the other communities. So, to remain at the top,
the leaders are killing their second generation leaders. They do not
get importance. Even when RSS made BJP, were the corporate honchos who
were sitting with the party bosses in power. What I mean is that
biggest fault of Indian democracy is its hypocrisy. Of course, like
many, I too say that a bad democracy is better than any military
dictatorship or a theocratic state yet if after fifty years of
democracy, we have not been able to give justice to our communities.

Today,
BSP is in power in Uttar-Pradesh. We all are happy and should rightly
be so but what is the cost. You have got more than 65 Brahmins elected
as MLAs and another 64 upper castes who had become redundant after the
Mandalisation process particularly in politics. But today, they are the
most sought after leaders. How can a villager, who has been exploited
by these gangs, vote to same people, and simply because he has power to
capture vote and the party has fielded him. Why are we denying
individual his or her right to select people according her choice? Why
can not we question their basic qualities? Why our leadership wants
people to remain ignorant and worship them which Baba Saheb said would
be damaging to the society as a whole. It is not that the Brahmins do
not worship. They worship but then why should we follow their damn
culture which has destroyed our culture and value system which was
still much better and open in nature where individual had freedom to
enjoy and life live of his own. Kanshiram’s slogan was virtually made
redundant with the old philosophy of ‘vote huamara, top hamara baki
tumahara. and this baki tumhara has created a lot of disquiet at the
lower level as mafias, petrol pump owners, liquor mafias are the leader
of the party but people still do not complain because those who have
suffered for years, are waiting to see their leader in the position of
the prime minister but whether it can change their fate or not does not
matter.

Many of you saw the vote on the confidence Motion in
Parliament. We heard speeches and found how politicians were organizing
the press meets and happily claiming victory. A new alliance has been
formed with BSP, left parties and other groups. One hope that the
alliance will remain a long term friendship and will not disappear
because change of commercial interest and political ambition of our
leaders. In this age when politicians dine with you, sleep with enemy
in the evening, come back to you for breakfast and vote on the motion
once he is confirmed the deal as event showed, then we have to
seriously think what exactly is empowerment of the community.
Communities empowered through political process but unfortunately that
has become highly apolitical. When left parties withdrew the support
and Samajwadi Party decided to support the government, it was Amar
Singh all the way on our television channel. Rajdeep Sardesai wrote an
article how ideologies have become redundant and that the left has now
become new ‘Original Inhabitants of Jambudvipa,that is the Great Prabuddha Bharath’. While, I have no love for CPM and its allies
particularly not just because of Nandigram and Singur but because of
the prevailing violence and discrimination against  Original Inhabitants of Jambudvipa,that is the Great Prabuddha Bharath in West
Bengal particularly against the immigrants scavengers in Howarah and
Kolkata, one need to compliment them on the issue of nuclear deal, at
least they were not party to government’s whims and fancies. They did
not withdraw the support but were forced to do so. But question is
different now. We have a UNPA and now Ajit Singh, Deve Gowda and
Chandra Babu Naidu have expressed opinion that Mayawati is their
‘leader’. Actually, it does not mean that the upper caste supporters of
these political parties will stop violence against Original Inhabitants of Jambudvipa,that is the Great Prabuddha Bharath. An alliance
based on conviction is natural and long term but if it is on the basis
of compulsion for survival then it would be damaging and defeat the
purpose. All of them know the importance of Dalit votes in their states
and want to have it at any cost. Despite their own parties virtually
decimated in the states for their anti poor performances, they still
feel to grab the chair in Delhi one day.

We might call it a
strategy to reach the large segment or give it whatever name, it does
not make any sense as long as the people who are victim remain the same
as well those victimizing remain the same. If upper cast leadership
used the Dalits for their purposes, the upper castes today are using  Original Inhabitants of Jambudvipa,that is the Great Prabuddha Bharath Bahujan leadership for their own purposes. And that too when they
are big mafias, who exploit our people, kill innocent lives and enjoy
their freedom.

Yes, the most astonishing factor of the vote on
the confidence motion was the MPs in the jail came voting. Facing with
different charges, they were smiling and giving great sound bytes to
television cameras. They never considered them criminal as ‘charges’
have to be proved in the court and nobody has power to do so. Not even
state. During her previous tenure Mayawati taught Raja Bhaiya a lesson
but her fight against corruption and mafias remain a matter of
convenience as she targeted them according to their loyalty. Today, one
man who joined BSP on the motion, was Atiq Ahmed, a member who won on
Samajwadi Party ticket from Phoolpur constituency in Allahabad. Known
for his ‘power’ in Allahabad region, Ahmed had allegedly been
responsible for killing of a dynamic young Dalit leader Raju Pal from
his own constituency. Raju Pal was an MLA. He was killed by the goons
during the broad day light. Lot happened afterwards. As soon as
Mayawati came to power, the police filed charges against Atik Ahmed and
an Allahabad court issued non bailable warrant against him terming him
as proclaimed offender. His property was attached and both he and chief
minister Mayawati claimed that they face threat from each other.
Interestingly Atiq Ahmed was arrested by Delhi police in August last
year and then handed over to UP police. Though, Raju Pal’s widow Pooja
Pal has won the Allahabad (West) seat, the question is how long will we
compromise with those who are responsible to hit at our people at the
ground, in the villages and small towns.

Hence, when somebody
says that politics today has become non political, it reflect the grave
reality. It has become a tool to legitimize everything that is anti
people. Whether the criminals or other corporate interest, the common
man, the committed activists remain frustrated. Where are the leaders
with a vision and with pain and anguish of the community? We all feel
proud of any one who is from one among us, if he or she reaches the
height. It enlightens us, it gives us hope but when such situation
comes, one wonder how is democracy functioning. In this democracy the
biggest faith comes from the Original Inhabitants of Jambudvipa,that is the Great Prabuddha Bharath. It is they who votes in the
largest number and elect our representative, but it is they who are
betrayed. They elect leaders who later sale themselves and openly admit
of bargaining and not for their community but for themselves and for
children. They feel ‘our happiness is communities happiness and not the
vice versa’.

Ambedkar had never envisaged this society. He
talked of a Prabudha Bharat, an enlightened India. When we embrace his
ideals we leave behind all those destructive and divisive brahmanical
values which degrade us. Ambedkar, a man of dignity and modernity is
again reminding us to create rebels who could question the injustice
being done to them but also question. It is time to revisit the Poona
Pact, and ponder over the warning what Baba Saheb had given to us, the
ideals that he stood for and where do we stand. The perils of
Parliamentary democracy were well-known to Baba Saheb and that is why
he talked of separate electorate so that a responsible leadership is
elected from the Dalit communities which do not succumb to upper caste
lies and mischief. He was blackmailed to sign the Poona Pact and the
rest is history. Baba Saheb himself became the first victim of the
joint electorate system and could come to Lok Sabha from Bengal only.
Though, some may feel this debate as outdated but given wide discontent
in different communities which are still unrepresented in our system,
is not it a time to ask for a responsible and accountable
representation which could be proportionate to their numbers. Democracy
can not go on become the mistress of corporate and mafias and doing all
anti people things. It will have to rediscover it so that people do not
have no confidence in the system itself. Prime Minister may feel happy
but every right thinking person feel betrayed on the way things are
moving. Before it reach cynical condition, its time to think over it
and initiate a process.