Ambedkar, Kanshi Ram symbology rules AAP’s Dalit rhetoric

Aparna Banerji

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Tribune News Service

Goraya (Phillaur), Nov 25

From the huge banner which covered the stage of the party rally today, to the cover of the Dalit manifesto, of the Aam Aadmi Party, the Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar symbology was writ large at the party’s event held here to release its manifesto.

While Kejriwal started off with Jai Bhim – Jai Bharat, Phillaur’s Dalit candidate Saroop Singh Kadiana equated Kejriwal with Kanshi Ram.

Addressing people at a shed of the Goraya Dana Mandi in the Dalit-rich Phillaur constituency — leaders evoked both Ambedkar and Kanshi Ram time and again.

While ahead of the 2017 elections, all parties have been baking on the symbolism and popularity of Ambedkar to woo the Dalit votes, at today’s rally, which inevitably was expected to tap into the pulse of the Dalit community, since it was addressed specifically to it, party state convener Gurpreet Singh Warraich, Phillaur candidate and Dalit Sikh preacher from the Ravidass community Saroop Kadiana and Kejriwal himself evoked both Ambedkar and Kanshi Ram repeatedly.

“Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar scripted the Indian Constitution. He tolerated injustices. We see his experiences in the Constitution. He calls for equal rights and it was his dreams and aspirations of equal right for all that we envision through our manifesto. After 65 years of Indian Independence, there are still no equal rights that he dreamed of. So Ambedkar’s India is yet to be achieved,” Kejriwal said.

State convener Gurpreet Warraich said, “Ambedkar fought for the rights of people. Babu Kanshi Ram when asked, ‘what is your manifesto’, said his manifesto was Shri Guru Granth Sahib. Which gives the message of ‘Chardi Kala’ and the uplift of the Dalit Samaj.”

Phillaur candidate Saroop Singh Kadiana who, even equated Kejriwal with Kanshiram, said, “After Babasaheb, Kanshiram was the first to fight for the uplift of Dalits working with them at the ground level. It’s for the first time that we see a similar hope, and that is in Kejriwal. ‘Kakke ton Kejriwal, Kakke ton Kanshiram’ (K for Kanshiram, K for Kejriwal).”

The humble candidate

Also bringing forth its Aam Aadmi-ness of the party, AAP’s Phillaur candidate Saroop Singh Kadiana, a Sikh preacher belonging to the Ravidass Dalit community and the son of a chowkidar, was the ‘highlight’ of sorts.

While state convener Gurpreet Singh Warraich hailed him, he said: “Only in the AAP can a chowkidar’s (watchman) son get a ticket. Tell me another party which fields the son of a chowkidar.”

Better known in the constituency for his preaching and efforts to propagate the teachings of Guru Granth Sahib, Kadiana, who received the rare honour to usher Kejriwal on to the stage, in turn, said: “When Sanjay Singh interviewed me, he asked what my father did. And I told him, he is a chowkidar. He then told me ‘the son of a chowkidar will now be a chowkidar of Phillaur.’ So I now, think of myself as a chowkidar of Phillaur.”