I was indeed shocked to read Brother Gumam Singh Muktsar’s writeup (DV April 16, 2009, p.13) asking DV to support Waman Meshram’s BAMCEF and the Editor’s consent to support it to fight Brahminism. I know Waman Meshram from very close quarters He worked here during 1982-1985 in Kanshi Ram’s BAMCEF, learnt so many things from Kanshi Ram, pretended to be his ardent follower and later turned so snobbish that. he used to have a claim of grooming Kanshi Ram and his movement.
SPLITTING KANSHI RAM BAMCEF
Later in 1986, with a group of supporters in Maharashtra and at the behest of the Congress, he split Kanshi Ram’s BAMCEF and got his faction registered. We who worked with Kanshi Ram felt that it was a heinous betrayal of not only Kanshi Ram but of Ambedkarite movement which Maharashtrians are famous for. After reading Brother Gurnam’s write-up, a very pertinent question cropped up how the BAMCEF, factionalised by the Brahminical Congress, would strengthen Ambedkarism and fight Brahminism? This BAMCEF faction still appears to be on the payroll of Brahminical people.
A PAN-INDIAN NON-POLITICAL MOVEMENT
As Waman Meshram claims to have started a non-political Ambedkarite movement, let us remember that he has done so by breaking BAMCEF into several factions after kicking out people who initially supported him and all these kicked out people run their own BAMCEF factions in
Maharashtra. And let us remember that all these worthies have not added anything new other than what Kanshi Ram taught.
They have, very cunningly, hijacked the name BAMCEF along with Kanshi Ram’s ideology and now masquerade as all-India leaders or even international leaders.
Educated and semi-educated Maharashtrians suffer from. leadership mania, though they know they do not possess leadership qualities. That is why they break popular organisations, hijack the name and ideology and sit at the center of their faction like a proud spider sits at the center of its web to victimize smaller insects.
R.P.I. FATE
That is what they have done with RPI and that is what Waman Meshram and his ilk have done to BAMCEF, If these worthies feel that they really possess leadership qualities, they should start new and fresh organisations instead of stealing names of organisations founded by somebody.
INVITATION TO POLITICIANS
If we scan the functions organized by Waman Meshram’s BAMCEF, we cannot but find that in majority of his functions some or other political leader is invited.
The question is why politicians of different hues adorn the dias of BAMCEF which claims to have devoted itself to non-political activities?
And, moreover, what non-political institutions have been established and run by Waman Meshram’s BAMCEF other than holding conferences and seminars since
1986? He often speaks of strengthening non-political roots of Bahujan Samaj. Fine. But which non-political roots of BAMCEF he kas strengthened?
RAT MADE INTO TIGER
The very concept of non-political roots has been borrowed by him from Kanshi Ram. But this very concept has been used by him to spread misunderstanding about Kanshi Ram’s movement. When BSP was founded by Kanshi Ram in 1984 and was spreading its base with the help of BAMCEF and DS4, these very people published hand-outs in 1986 saying: “Kanshi Ram was a rat but we made him a tiger” They also wrote: “Kanshi Ram was incapable of providing leadership because he had lost his mental balance”.
BREAKING THE EGG
We were so shocked by this handout that we actually sent some people to confirm Kanshi Ram’s mental health to Nagpur where he was going to address a rally. But these very people go on inviting political leaders in their functions and nobody asks them the reason. Are these political leaders their mentors?
In fact, after Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar the political, non-political question has been drawn out of proportion and converted into a controversy unending such as “the egg first or the hen first”. The controversy has taken a dangerous dimension such as “whether to break the egg, from the little end or the big end.” Whichever end you break the egg the effect will be the same. Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar ran political, social and cultural movements simultaneously to co- ordinate them with each other without making them water-tight compartments.
Ever since I became a DV family member, I have known that DV always supports and admires the honest, intelligent and those who believe in social dynamics. But not those who have betrayed Ambedkarite movement in any form. And I sincerely feel that DV itself is a non-political movement devoted to theorizing.
conceptualizing and awakening thousands of simple Ambedkarites in India and abroad. I also feel that Waman Meshram intends to have coverage for his self-styled leadership in DV through brother Gurnam Singh Muktsar.
I am well aware of the intellectual level of Meshram as he has worked with us for quite some years at Nanded. After breaking away from Kanshi Ram’s BAMCEF, he has tried his best to wean us away from
Kanshi Ram’s movement. But we at Nanded still support wholeheartedly Mayawati and BSP movement which has been making strides throughout India.
As a DV family member I don’t want either VTR or Brother Gurnam Singh to be misled by those who have intentionally betrayed Ambedkarite movement. If propped up, Meshram might even claim that he had groomed even VTR and Gurnam Singh Muktsar.
