Many Ambedkarites bat for Shiv Shakti-bhim Shakti
MUMBAI: The revival of Shiv Shakti-bhim Shakti was the talking point when thousands gathered at Chaityabhoomi on Tuesday to pay tribute to Dr BR Ambedkar on his death anniversary.
This comes in the wake of a discussion held between Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray and Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi (VBA) chief Prakash Ambedkar on Monday.
With t he Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election round the corner, this change in political landscape and Uddhav’s proposed alliance with the VBA is being perceived as a step in the right direction by many Ambedkarites.
Ramesh Tadke, 59, a government employee, said the entire Bhim Sena is not one, just like how the Shiv Sena was disbanded recently. There is a faction of Dalits led by Ramdas Athawale, now a union minister in the National Democratic Alliance government, he said.
Prashant Kamble, 48, a government employee from Bhiwandi, said, “Uddhavsaheb’s Sena believes in Prabodhankar Thackeray’s philosophy, who fought against untouchability.” The Thackeray-ambedkar alliance will yield fruit, Rajendra Gaikwad, 48, of Bhiwandi, added.
Pradeep Kamble, 64, a retired employee of Mumbai Port Trust, said that if Bhim Shakti and Shiv Shakti join hands it will be a tour de force. “The Shiv Sena of today is acknowledging Babasaheb’s contributions unlike in the past,” he added.
Suchitra Hire, 38, who had come all the way from Nashik and organised a blood donation camp said, “We feel the UddhavAmbedkar alliance will give a new direction and make Dalit politics mainstream.”
On the other hand, considering the troubled past the Shiv Sena has had with the Dalit rights’ group, a few are not hopeful about the alliance.
Rajesh Sonawane, national spokesperson of Dalit Panther and Maharashtra president of Bhartiya Kamgar Sanghatana recalled the history of Dalit Panthers, which was formed in 1972 by Namdeo Dhasal, a renowned writer and poet. The slogan of Bhim Shakti- Shiv Shakti took birth in Jalgaon in October 17, 1997, where Sonawane was the organiser.
“We organised several programmes with Shiv Sena pramukh Balasaheb Thackeray, where Dhasal launched a social movement to bridge the gap between Dalits and savarnas. But in 1995-99, when Shiv Sena and BJP were in alliance, there was no representation to a ministerial or MLC post from Dalit Panther. Sena had cheated us in the name of Shiv Shakti-bhim Shakti.”
“Ambedkar wants Uddhav’s Sena to break alliance with the Congress and NCP and this will never happen. It is just a political strategy. This alliance will never see the light of day,” he added.