The Hindu : New Delhi News : BSP not against upper castes, says Mayawati

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BSP not against upper castes, says Mayawati

Kunal Diwan

Important to integrate all castes into party: BSP chief

“Centre’s decision to waive farm loans a gimmick”
BSP chief woos non-Jat voters in Haryana

KARNAL (HARYANA): Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati on Sunday promised, among other things, a thorough implementation of the Mandal Commission report in Haryana and reservation for the economically backward upper castes if her party came to power at the Centre. She was addressing a rally here.

Though she announced several placatory plans for the Dalits and other marginalised communities, Ms. Mayawati strove to underline the fact that her party was not “anti-upper caste” and gave enough indications that her eyes were firmly set on Parliament.

“Social structure”

“It is important to integrate all castes into the Bahujan Samaj Party if the social structure is to be stabilised. The only parties that have been in power in 60 years of Independence are the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party and their allies. And they have done little to check inflation or to bridge the widening gulf between the rich and the poor.”

The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister alleged that the economic policies of governments in power were influenced by the major business houses that financed their election campaigns. “But we want to occupy the Centre with the backing of the blood and sweat of our party workers and supporters.”

Criticises budget

Terming the Centre’s decision to waive farmer loans as a pre-election and vote-garnering gimmick, Ms. Mayawati said all such policies were put on the back-burner once a party was elected to power. “The budget has no special provisions for Dalits and Other Backward Classes and the farmers’ loan waiver has not been properly elucidated. Even the much-touted NREGA provides employment for only 100 days a year. What is the poor man supposed to do for the remaining 265 days?”

Party’s agenda

The BSP leader said the cause of the marginalised communities would always form the crux of her party’s agenda and that she had implemented several schemes to achieve that end in her State. “Small-scale industries seeking to establish themselves in Uttar Pradesh first have to guarantee jobs to the backward communities before they are allowed to set up shop.”

“Free government coaching, boarding and lodging being given to students from backward communities who are keen to take the Civil Services exam. We have even redistributed government agricultural land among the poor and over 1 lakh jobs have been provided to members of the Valmiki Samaj,” she said.

Wooing the non-Jat voters in Haryana, Ms. Mayawati said if her party was elected to power, she would end the Jat hegemony in Haryana politics and choose a chief minister from the non-Jat community.

“This does not imply that I am against Jats. In fact, there are several members of that community in our party in Uttar Pradesh.”

BSP national president Satish Chandra Mishra was present.

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