The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Political power, solution to problems of weaker sections: Mayawati

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Political power, solution to problems of weaker sections: Mayawati

Staff Reporter

"The battle is not for capturing power, but for self-respect"

SEEKING VOTES: National president of Bahujan Samaj Party, Mayawati, at an election meeting in Srivilliputtur on Monday. The Puthiya Tamizhagam founder president, K. Krishnasamy, is also seen.

SRIVILLIPUTTUR : "If the oppressed classes take up political power in their hands all their problems such as poverty and unemployment will be solved," Bahujan Samaj Party national president Mayawati said on Monday.

Addressing an election meeting here, Ms. Mayawati said, "Political power is a master key and this key is the solution to all problems of weaker sections." Holding the oppressed classes also responsible for their fate, she said successive governments formed by regional parties were following "Manu's law" which denied Dalits and other marginalised communities their due rights.

"This battle is not for capturing power, but for capturing the self-respect of weaker sections. Even after over 50 years of independence, the oppressed sections, who form more than 50 per cent of the population, have not seen any development but have been only suffering."

Stating that it was not those parties which should give them their rights, which were enshrined in the Constitution, she said following the principles of B.R. Ambedkar, by coming under a single platform,

"We can take the master key (political power)," she said.

Various benefits

She listed out various benefits the Dalits and other oppressed sections had enjoyed under her regime in Uttar Pradesh.

"We did not stop with just shouting slogans that Government land is our land but indeed distributed three acres of land each to lakhs of landless people to take up farming activities. Thus we alleviated poverty and unemployment among the poor." Besides constructing pucca houses for the shelterless, the Government extended educational scholarships to the economically weaker sections among Backward Classes.

Ms. Mayawati also took credit for clearing the backlog in implementation of reservation in government jobs for Dalits through a special drive. Puthiya Tamizhagam president K. Krishnasamy said the future of the party depended on its performance in the elections.

He wanted the cadres to gain inspiration from the BSP that took the reins of power in Uttar Pradesh without the support of any other political force.

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