Bahujan Bahujan Samaj Party Samaj Party

(BSP)(BSP)

“I was first exposed to the miseries of the Mahars and Mangs [an even lower Untouchable caste] and then I read Annihilation of Caste and What Gandhi and the Congress have done to the Untouchables. These are the two books, which have influenced me most. Later I came to know about Mahatma Jyotirao Phule.”

Kanshi Ram

The Origins of the BSPThe Origins of the BSP

• Backward and Minority Central Government Employees Federation (BAMCEF) started in 1971.

• Founder: Kanshi Ram• Initially a loosely structured

body putting Dalit government employees in touch with each other for organisation

• BAMCEF expands in late 1970s, starts activities and campaigns focusing on promoting self-activity by Dalits and allied minority groups

“Until the recent emergence of the Bahujana Samaj Party, the only post-Independence example of a party centred on Untouchables was the Republican Party of India (RPI). ”

The Rise of the The Rise of the BSPBSP

• Kanshi Ram advocated electoral participation amongst the members of BAMCEF• Formed an allied

organisation, DS-4 (Dalit Shoshit Samaj Sangharsh Samiti) in 1981.• The DS-4 contested Haryana

elections in 1982.• The Bahujan Samaj Party or

BSP was formed in 1984

BSP as Social MovementBSP as Social Movement“The efforts of the BSP in government were complemented by the mobilising work of a dedicated cadre of activists at the grass roots. The local level activities of the BSP need to be located within the broader context of the general social movements of which the political and electoral campaigning of the BSP were just one part. In particular, if we see social movements to be 'sustained interactions between aggrieved social actors and allies, and opponents and public authorities‘ then.

BSP as Social Movement (contd.)BSP as Social Movement (contd.)

• BSP workers at the local level mainly Scheduled Caste and other lower caste activists .

• They are those 'in whom anger against the upper castes and the idealism of social transformation is deeply rooted'.

• Grassroots level workers from BSP ‘act as the intellectuals of their caste group, questioning all aspects of the social order…taking a decisive role in mobilising their castes especially in political matters’

Novel and Effective Novel and Effective MethodsMethods

• Village theatre groups aimed at dramatising the position of the Dalits and exposing the oppressive role of the upper castes.

• BSP cadre (in late 1980s) continued the tradition of encouraging the party’s supporters to use rhythmic couplets and chants duringpublic processions and demonstrations.

Pillars and Pillars and Statues…Statues…

‘‘Note’worthy BSP activity in Note’worthy BSP activity in recent timesrecent times

• Perhaps hope in Mayawati’s simpler origin…

• Consider both: pros and cons of BSP rule

• What’s important: support the positive change in caste-class dynamic while remaining critical of the negative implications of this emergent group allying itself with and thereby eventually becoming the dominant group in India (keeping in mind the maxim of ‘all men equal but some more equal than others’)

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