Political parties across the ideological spectrum in Uttar Pradesh on October 9 organised events to pay tribute to Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) founder and Dalit leader Kanshi Ram on his death anniversary. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath described the late leader as a popular politician who struggled all his life for the welfare of the neglected, deprived and exploited.
“Humble tribute to the popular leader Kanshi Ram ji, who struggled all his life for welfare of the neglected, deprived and exploited,” wrote Mr. Adityanath on X (formerly Twitter).
Mayawati, the BSP chief and heir apparent of the late Dalit leader, said that the BSP founder sacrificed everything to bring ‘Bahujan Samaj’ out of slavery. “Due to his struggle, the BSP formed the government in Uttar Pradesh four times and a strong foundation of social change and economic liberation was laid,” said the former four-time Chief Minister.
The BSP held multiple programmes across districts to commemorate the role played by Kanshi Ram in uplifting the Dalits and sensitising them about their rights and political power. The Opposition Samajwadi Party (SP) also held events, including a grand one in Saifai where party president Akhilesh Yadav termed Kanshi Ram’s work of awakening the Dalit community as “revolutionary”. “Kanshi Ram Ji did revolutionary work of awakening the Dalit community,” he said.
The Uttar Pradesh unit of the Congress launched a 45-day ‘Dalit Gaurav Samvad’ in an outreach effort towards Dalits. The party has planned various programmes aimed at connecting with one lakh influential Dalits (250 in each Vidhan Sabha), along with Lok Sabha-wise and administrative division-wise events bringing Dalit issues to the fore. “We all know, Dalits are being continuously marginalised in the present government. We are reaching out to them, providing an alternative,” said Anil Yadav, U.P. Congress organisational secretary.
Kanshi Ram, in his more than four-decade-long social and political career, worked for the upliftment and political mobilisation of Dalits and backward caste people, founding social organisations like Dalit Shoshit Samaj Sangharsh Samiti (DS-4), the All India Backwards and Minorities Communities Employees’ Federation (BAMCEF) and later the political party BSP in 1984. The BSP reached the pinnacle of power in U.P., India’s most populous State, by forming its own government in 2007 and leading the State on three other occasions.
