Why should caste be an issue in Presidential election: Kumar

NEW DELHI: Opposition candidate Meira Kumar on Tuesday said there should not be “one upmanship of caste” for the post of President and stressed that the July 17 election will be fought on the basis of ideology and not caste.

Kumar lamented that for the first time caste was being made an issue in the election to the country’s highest office. “Why should caste be an issue in the Presidential election?” Kumar wondered, a day before she files her nomination papers.

“This election is being fought on the basis of ideology, and not caste. Would you want the election for highest post in the country to be fought on the basis of caste? Would the citizens of the country want this to happen? The prestige of the post would end the day we think in this manner. We will fight on the basis of ideology,” said Kumar addressing mediapersons.

The former Lok Sabha Speaker reiterated that she espouses the values of social justice, freedom of speech, inclusiveness and abolition of caste system and would fight to uphold these values.

“Many times in history, two high caste leaders have competed for the post of the President but there havn’t been any discussions on their caste. This time, when two Dalits are competing against each other, there is a lot of noise about it everywhere.

“I feel that caste should be buried in the deepest part of the earth and completely forgotten. Our society should progress,” she said. “This reflects the true picture and truth of the society. I can make out clearly how the society thinks in 2017. The achievements and qualities of the candidates were not discussed, but their caste was.

“When two Dalits contest there are discussions that two Dalits are contesting and the rest is not taken into consideration,” she added.

“Whatever is happening is very painful. This reflects the mindset of the society,” she added.

Asked about caste bias within opposition parties with Mayawati saying she would support only if a popular Dalit candidate was chosen, Kumar said: “This is the election to the highest position in the land. Although its process of election is political, the post itself is apolitical.”