S.R. Darapuri, National President, All India People’s Front
(Asian independent) Mayawati became the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh four times. Generally, it is expected that during this period she would have done a lot for the welfare of Dalits, but the ground reality is completely opposite to this, as is evident from the following examples: –
- Mayawati had banned the screening of the film “Teesri Azadi” made by Kanshiram through BAMCEF in Uttar Pradesh in 2007 because some people from the higher caste had objected to it. This ban continues even today.
- Mayawati had banned the sale of Periyar’s book “Sacchi Ramayan” (A True Ramayana) in Uttar Pradesh in 2007 because some people from the public had objected to it.
- Mayawati had banned the installation of Dr. Ambedkar’s statue in Uttar Pradesh even at a public place or private land without the permission of the District Magistrate, which is still in force.
- Mayawati had stopped reservation for SCs/STs in admission to sports college given by a Dalit officer (Harish Chandra IAS) with Mayawati’s approval because the people of Sarvajan had objected to it saying that it will lead to decline in the level of sports. It is noteworthy that this reservation was not for admission in any team but only for admission in sports college. Mayawati had also blamed that the said officer had fraudulently taken my signature.
- Mayawati had issued an order issued by the same Dalit officer with Mayawati’s approval that if any Dalit is living on any land (including village land) in a hut or house, then he should not be evicted but the said land should be transferred in his name. Some people of Sarvajan objected to this saying that this will give Dalits the right to occupy anyone’s land, so Mayawati cancelled the said order saying that the said officer had got issued a wrong order with her approval and removed Harish Chandra from the post of Revenue Secretary.
- In 1996, Kanshi Ram had announced to hold a “Periyar Mela” in Lucknow and install a statue of Periyar at Parivartan Chowk, but when BJP opposed it, neither Periyar Mela was held nor till date, not only Periyar’s statue, but not even a poster could be installed in Lucknow.
- Mayawati’s biggest blow to the Dalits of Uttar Pradesh was to stop the implementation of SC/ST Act in the case of atrocities on Dalits in 2001, saying that it was being misused. At that time, there were 21 crimes of atrocities in the said Act. In the order issued by Mayawati, it was to be applied only in two cases instead of 19: one murder and the other rape. In the case of rape too, there was a condition that it should first be certified by a medical examination. It is well known how much manipulation is done in the medical report in the case of rape of Dalit women. The police deliberately delays registration of the case so that the evidence is destroyed. Due to this, Dalits had to suffer a double blow. Firstly, those who tortured Dalits were exempted from strict punishment and they continued to torture Dalits fearlessly. Secondly, the compensation given to Dalits under this Act in case of atrocities was also stopped. This anti-Dalit act which no non-Dalit Chief Minister had the courage to do, was done by Mayawati with full impunity. It is also worth mentioning that the SC/ST Act is a Central act and no state government has the power to make any change in it, but still Mayawati banned it with full arrogance. It is also worth mentioning that there is already a provision to act under Section 182 against the person who files a false case against someone.
Some Dalit organizations had challenged the above anti-Dalit illegal act of Mayawati in the Allahabad High Court and got it cancelled. But in the government order issued by Mayawati after this, while cancelling her previous government order, she again wrote that this Act should not be misused under any circumstances, the meaning of which the police understand very well.
- During Mayawati’s rule, cases of atrocities on Dalits were not registered on the pretext that this would bring disrepute to the Mayawati government. Dalits had to bear the brunt of this. The best example of this is the burning of 18 houses of Dalits by Thakur people in Amethi. I was told about this by a BSP MLA himself. He told that when he met Mayawati regarding the police not registering a case of burning Dalit houses, Mayawati scolded him saying that this would bring disrepute to the government.
- In 2007, Faizabad (Bikapur) BSP MLA Anand Sen was accused of kidnapping and murdering Shashi, a Dalit law graduate student of Faizabad, but he was completely acquitted due to Mayawati’s protection.
- In 2011, BSP MLA Purushottam Dwivedi was accused of kidnapping and rape of a minor backward caste girl, but no action was taken. On the contrary, the rape victim was accused of mobile theft and sent to jail. When there was a huge uproar against this bias of the Mayawati government, the case was handed over to the CBI and the MLA was arrested and sent to jail. Ultimately, he was sentenced by the court.
- It is well known that under the Right to Food Act, mid-day meals are being provided in all government primary and middle level schools as per the Supreme Court order. Dalit cooks are to be appointed on priority basis for cooking the mid-day meals. Under this order, some Dalit cooks were appointed in Uttar Pradesh. In 2007, when Mayawati became the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh with a huge majority, the food cooked by a Dalit cook was boycotted in a village school in Sarojini Nagar block of Lucknow, the news of which was also published in the newspapers. Instead of taking punitive action against the students/parents who boycotted the food, the Mayawati government fired the Dalit cook. We, on behalf of the Ambedkar Mahasabha, tried a lot to get the Dalit cook reinstated but failed. Not only this, the Mayawati government even cancelled the government order to recruit Dalit cooks.
It is clear from the above examples how pro-Dalit Mayawati has been.
