— Bodhi DSR ( via Anoop Kumar)
There are three types of ‘political Indians at this juncture in history –
– the politically sophisticated,
– the politically unsophisticated
– and the politically apolitical.
Each of these ‘tribes’ have their own take on the statues built by Mayawati.
They are divided into: those who love Mayawati, those who hate her and (a miniscule number) of those who do not know she exists.
Among those who adore Mayawati, there are those who see a clear rationale in her symbolic politics and wish to celebrate it; those whose sense of humanity attains fullness by her very courageous presence; those who simply want to witness a revolution in one’s lifetime and last but not the least, those who benefit culturally, economically and socially from her politics.
Within the constituents of her supporters, I do not think there is anyone who supports Mayawati without a reason (directly or indirectly).
Among those who detest Mayawati you find two types of people.
– Those whose politics are being subverted by her radically overt strategies,
– and those who do not know why they hate her; barring the fact, that they hate her.
(It’s like a feeling of being overwhelmed by hate yet not being able to pinpoint the etiology and genesis of the emotion).
And as for those who do not know that Mayawati exist, well!! they are missing out on an event so crucial to emancipatory and progressive politics in the world, that history will demand extra efforts from each one of them to recall every single event that filled the life of this one single ‘Dalit Lady’ who has changed the course of Indian and world history forever.
In my guess, I would not be far from right to claim that it will take at least another two to three hundred years before we get another ‘Lady’ and a ‘Dalit’ combined into one, who will reach such heights in the political life of any country.
Date: June/30/11
