BSP chief Mayawati on Saturday came down heavily on Union Minister Ramdas Athawale for challenging her to convert to Buddhism if she claimed to be a true Ambedkarite, saying that venal, selfish and “slave-minded” leaders like him had harmed Babasaheb’s social movement.
Ms. Mayawati said Mr. Athawale was “playing into the hands” of a BJP “conspiracy” to divide Dalit votes in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh by raking up religion. She was, however, provoked to justify why she had not converted to Buddhism yet.
She said the Republican Party of India (A) chief’s remarks reflected his “ignorance” about B.R. Ambedkar’s movement and suggested he do some research on why the Dalit icon took to Buddhism towards the end of his life in spite of declaring it much earlier. In an interview to an English daily, Mr. Athawale, while calling upon Dalits to embrace Buddhism, wondered why Ms. Mayawati had not done so even as she strongly spoke against Manuvad and endorsed conversions.
He argued she was not willing to convert to Buddhism simply for Hindu votes. In a statement to a news agency later, Mr. Athawale suggested that Ms. Mayawati change the name of her party from Bahujan Samaj Party to Sarvjan Samaj Party.”
Ms. Mayawati said that through its outreach programmes and speeches, the BJP led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was trying to divide Dalit votes, which would result in making them slaves of other parties. “It was under this strategy that some slave-minded leaders were incorporated into the Ministry,” she said referring to Mr. Athawale, who was recently appointed Minister of State for Union Social Justice and Empowerment.
In a bid to explain why she had not yet converted to Buddhism, Ms. Mayawati said she was merely following the strategy of her icons, Ambedkar and Kanshi Ram, who had adopted Buddhism only towards the end of their life in spite of having announced it many years before the actual event.
“Babasaheb had stated that though he was born a Hindu he would not die a Hindu. But it was only on 14 October, 1956, a few days before his death that he took deeksha of Baudh Dharm. He showed no hurry in renouncing Hinduism and kept preparing people along the way. So when he adopted Buddhism, he had lakhs of followers,” Ms. Mayawati said. She said Kanshi Ram had also adopted a similar strategy, to record the conversion as a “historic moment.”
The former UP chief minister also said Dr. Ambedkar’s movement had died in Maharashtra as after his death it fell into the hands of “selfish and venal” parties like the RPI. In contrast, her guru Kanshi Ram led the BSP to power in U.P.
