While India reels from a new spate of bombings over the weekend, terrorist attacks like these have become more prevalent in recent years, unsettling the country. Officials say the attacks are attempts to incite violence between Hindus and Muslims, which so far have failed. Who could be the perfect person to unite and lead a country in unsettled times? Perhaps an icon of uniting within division itself — Dalit leader Mayawati Kumari.
Usually answering just to Mayawati, this icon of the Dalit or "untouchable" caste has emerged as a political force. Leading the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), which represents the most people (160 million) with the fewest seats in parliament (17), Mayawati is broadening her political appeal to include upper-caste Hindus and Muslims, creating a masterful and uniting coalition within India's fractious society.
To see where she came from, read more.
Born into the lowest caste, Mayawati studied law and was a teacher before entering politics and becoming the youngest person to become chief minister in India's most populous state. The Dalits see her as a symbol of dignity within oppression, with an inclusive stance — her newest slogan invites everyone, upper and lower castes, together to "come ride the elephant."
I'm on board — and I'm adding her to my list of people I'm watching: T. Boone Pickens meet Mayawati.
Milano
Dunhill
LK Bennett
From the BBC article, she's an interesting person to watch: she sounds as if she could be a great leader, if her dark side doesn't get in the way.
1Will she be lead by Elliot Ness too?
2I do think it's a little simplistic to say that giving the BSP a larger number of seats would bring together Muslims and Hindus. In fact, India already had a Muslim president (Abdul Kalam 2002-2007) and it is also worth noting that the current prime minister (Manmohan Singh) is not Hindu but rather Sikh. Having these officials did not diminish the violence.
If I remember correctly, India is a democracy where the winning party chooses the prime minister. The people do not elect a person but rather, vote for a party. Although, her party might be popular, that wouldn't make her a shoo in for prime minister. In the most recent election, Congress Party once again took the majority and there was a huge controversy as to whether Sonia Gandhi would take power since she was not born in India but rather married into the Gandhi dynasty. Based on that, I think it would take much longer for India to shake off cultural prejudice and have a Dalit prime minister.
3I'm not sure a Dalit prime minister for the sake of a Dalit prime minister is progress, when if you consider the person's past, while inspiring in some regards, is so questionable in other ways. Corruption charges have been rampant in her administration, just as with other Indian politicians, but it doesn't make her a better candidate to lead and inspire the Indian population to come together. While she brings together many of the poor in India, through inspiring speeches and gestures, her tenure has not done much to improve the conditions the poor actually live with in that state. It still is one of the most corrupt states with some of the highest crime rates. Rather, she erects statues of herself, encourages her followers to do the same, funds ridiculous parties, and lives a seemingly lavish lifestyle. If she really wants to earn the respect of the rest of the Indian population, she needs to show that she is above the antics of other politicians and act like she really does believe in what she preaches. Then we can call her potential nomination by the BSP "progress".
4When I read the article - which is the sum total of what I know about this - I did think the negatives to her seemed like important warning signs.
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