Atrocities against Dalits in UP have brought Mayawati’s supporters onto the streets, cow vigilantes unite Muslims & Dalits in UP

August 23, 2016 | Published by : Renu Ratheesh

Uttar Pradesh, August 23: Unlike the Ram temple issue that united Hindus across caste lines in UP, growing cases of cow vigilantism is a cause for concern for BJP with actions of gaurakshaks uniting Dalit and Muslim voters and making the BSP a formidable opponent for the saffron BSE party that has been trying to wean away sections of the Scheduled Caste voters from Mayawati, reports economictimes.com.

Till a few months ago, BJP claimed Samajwadi Party was its main political foe in the UP elections scheduled for early 2017. But the abusive remarks by BJP UP unit vice-president Dayashankar Singh, the flogging of Dalits in Gujarat’s Una by cow vigilantes and growing cases of atrocities against Dalits in UP have brought Mayawati’s supporters onto the streets, giving her party new vigour.

Mayawati’s strategy was amply clear at her rally in Agra, a belt that has sizable population of Muslims and Dalits. Her main target was the BJP. She accused BJP of attacking Muslims in the name of cow protection, terrorism and love jihad. Combined with the fact that last week four prominent Muslims leaders joined BSP seems to make it clear which party is the Muslim voter’s first preference.

Cow protection is something that fetched the BJP’s predecessor handsome returns long ago. The Bhartiya Jan Sangh won 98/425 seats in UP in 1967, less than a year after a cow protection rally in 1966 saw 10 people shot dead in police firing during a Parliament march. Even as recent as the 2007, the UP chief electoral officer filed an FIR against Rajnath Singh and Lalji Tandon for allegedly distributing CDs on cow slaughter and the Godhra massacre. Singh later said that his party would try to ban cow slaughter nationwide.

But 40 years later, the results were counterproductive as BSP romped home. Recent events, however, show that the Hindu rightwing will make ‘cow protection’ an issue even in for the 2017 UP polls. VHP leader Pravin Togadia’s criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for speaking against cow vigilantes seems to signal that.

Jatavs who constitute a chunk of the Dalit voters in UP are unflinching in their support for Mayawati. If she manages to get most Dalit votes and a large chunk of the 18 per cent Muslim votes, she will be able to form a government in the state, given the fact that the last two polls saw SP and BSP securing a majority winning just 29 per cent votes. If Congress manages to make it a fourcornered contest, the percentage BSP would need for securing a majority will be even lower.

Cow slaughter, smuggling of cattle and beef consumption are sensitive issues in western UP districts of Muzaffarnagar, Shahjahanpur, Aligarh, Bareilly, Meerut and Moradabad, where there is a sizeable Muslim population. That the lynching of Muhammad Akhlaq in Dadri’s Bisada last September for allegedly consuming beef was not condemned by BJP leaders has not helped matters, according to economictimes.com.

The cow vigilantes then followed up this by undoing the efforts of the BJP to win over Dalits. This after the party worked hard to appropriate Dalit icon BR Ambedkar, with the Union government celebrating his 125th birth anniversary in a grand fashion.

The atrocities against Dalits that followed could see BJP’s efforts since the 2014 Lok Sabha elections to win over Dalits nullified. Some indication on this was available from the Dhamma Chetna Yatra.

The yatra of Buddhist monks led by 87-year-old monk Dhamma Viriyo had been doing rounds in Buddh Vihars, where Dalits are being asked to support BJP. The monks have attacked Mayawati and have alleged that she has not done enough for her community. However, the yatra, reportedly monitored by the PMO, has lost steam after Dalits boycotted BJP workers. BJP chief Amit Shah had to even cancel his rally scheduled for July 31 in Agra that was to coincide with the arrival of the yatra in the city. Nevertheless, Modi is scheduled to address the culmination of the yatra in Lucknow on October 14.

Tags: #atrocities, #cowvigilantes, #Dalits, #Mayawati, #Muslims, #UP