THE GIST of Editorial for UPSC Exams : 17 March 2020 (Kanshiram’s legacy of Dalit empowerment left adrift (The Hindu))

Kanshiram’s legacy of Dalit empowerment left adrift (The Hindu)

Mains Paper 4:Ethics
Prelims level:Kanshiram
Mains level:Human Values - lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers andadministrators

Context:

In republican India’s history, there is no politician who can match Kanshiram’s life story. No one else could have carved a niche for the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes and the Minorities as much as he did.
He came on the Indian political scene without a resumé popping with credentials of legacy, inheritance, wealth, title, surname or party.
Irrespective of all these barriers, he sculpted a solid, unremitting, electrifying Bahujan movement in India.

Early life:

He hailed from an agriculturist Chamar family, but being a Sikh had no impact on caste exclusions of Dalits in the region.
Kanshiram, born on March 15, 1934, was aware of this, yet not to the extent of grasping the nuances of such discrimination.
He had naively thought of Brahmins as being a poor and backward community due to their low status in Jaat-dominant Punjab.

Later life:

In his later life, there was one incident in his diverse working stints that had an impact on him.
In 1957, he settled for a job as a ............................

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Political disrupter:

It must be noted that Kanshiram did not leave extensive written records or archives barring the classic, The Chamcha Age (An Era of the Stooge).
Dedicated to Mahatma Jyotirao .............................................

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BAMCEF:

There are several Bahujan organisations that work towards Dr. Ambedkar’s dream of a non-caste India.
But the origins of this can be traced back to the BAMCEF, or the All India Backward (SC, ST, and OBC) and Minority Communities Employees Federation.
Along with his colleagues, Kanshiram began one of the largest unions of government employees.
Through BAMCEF, he connected SC, ST, OBCs, and other minorities to fight back against atrocities and discrimination.
With a structure in place, he was able to help create a strong sense of accountability towards the community.
Thus, the widely popular initiative ‘Pay Back to Society’ was inaugurated in 1973. As a part of BAMCEF there were simultaneous initiatives such as the BAMCEF Datta Grahan, -Bhaichara, -Sahkarita.
In 1981, the Dalit ShoshitSamaj Sangharsh Samiti (DS-4) with 10 wings (students, women, etc.) was established to experiment with socio-political possibilities. Eventually the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) was formally established in 1984.
Kanshiram declared that he wanted the community to become givers rather than receivers. For that to happen it required training and preparation. Cadre camps and various events filled the gap.

Strengthening oppressed caste associations:

Instead of downplaying the importance of caste, Kanshiram opted to strengthen oppressed caste associations which was one way to weaken the structures that sustain caste.
Every ‘upper’ caste had an investment in caste, which is why it transferred this into structures that catered to its needs. Kanshiram invested in the cultures of caste and cultural methods of anti-casteism.
He understood well that artists and ....................................

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Growing void:

In hindsight, we are yet to find similar investments by his protégés. There are certainly no intellectual research wings, as was the case earlier, which can provide guidance to the movement.
There is no media that can converse with the public on a daily basis on Dalit issues; neither is there any trust-building mechanism.

Conclusion:

Moving to the present state of the BSP, it appears that the party leadership lacks a committed young cadre that can be trained to take over the reins of the leadership.
Kanshiram’s legacy remains alive and kicking in the words of the BSP’s chief Mayawati.
But in the absence of any credible sourcing of talent, organisations such as the Bhim Army and many BAMCEF-BSP inspired regional parties could step in and fill the vacuum.
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General Studies Pre. Cum Mains Study Materials

Prelims Questions:

Q.1)With reference to the Modified NPS-III, consider the following statements:
1. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has recently approved the proposal of Department of Fertilizers to remove ambiguities in the Modified New Pricing Scheme -III (NPS-III) for determination of fixed costs for the urea units.
2. The approval will also grant the special compensation of Rs. 150/MT to urea units which are more than 30 years old and converted to gas which will incentivize these units to remain viable for sustained production.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2