On Kanshi Ram birth anniv, Mayawati calls for caste census
BSP president refers to herself as ‘iron lady’, says people of Uttar Pradesh have seen how her party believes more in action than in words
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) national president Mayawati on Saturday called for a caste census and urged the government to take the required steps in this regard.
She made the remarks in a statement issued on the 91st birth anniversary of the party’s founder Kanshi Ram.
Referring to herself as ‘iron lady’, the BSP leader also said, “The vast population of Uttar Pradesh has seen how the BSP under the leadership of ‘iron lady’ believes more in action than in words. It ensured the all-around development of the Bahujans when in power, while most claims made by the other parties proved baseless and deceptive.”
“The population of the Bahujan community is more than 80 per cent in the state and the country. To guarantee their welfare legally and constitutionally, a provision of census was made in the Constitution by Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar, and its pendency is not good governance,” she said.
“Census work is directly linked to nation- building and the government should remain alert towards this responsibility, just as it is (alert) in conducting elections on time,” the four-time former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said.
The BSP chief added that in order to give a new direction to the development of the country and the society, the importance of a caste census cannot be ruled out.
The government should take the necessary steps soon to show its seriousness in the matter, she said. Expressing serious concern over the disputes of religion, region, caste, community and language in the country, the BSP chief said, “The root cause of these disputes is narrow, casteist, communal and hateful politics. National problems such as high inflation, poverty, unemployment, illiteracy and backwardness have been completely forgotten.”
The empty hands and empty minds of people are adversely affecting the interest of the country, she stated while commenting on the shortage of employment.
“Hence, Kanshi Ram Ji supported the policy of ‘Har Haath Ko Kaam’ (work for every hand). My government worked on this and also helped people from all sections of the society in a significant way. The governments of other parties only talk in the air, putting the lives of the people of the state and the country in bad shape. People are fed up now,” she said.
Paying tributes to Kanshi Ram, Mayawati said, “Today, on the birth anniversary of BSP founder Kanshi Ram Ji, the party across the country paid homage to him and resolved to strengthen his movement for social change and economic liberation.”
“To liberate the ‘Bahujan Samaj’ from the troubled life of immense poverty, unemployment, exploitation, oppression, backwardness, casteism, communal violence and tension, it is necessary to understand the power of your precious vote and obtain the master key to power. This is the message of today,” she said.
With inputs from agencies
