In U.P. polls, local dalit histories vie with BSP's grand storyline

"All social communities have a history that is experienced, or perceived, or both. When political forces try to mobilise these communities, they usually do so by exploring their history and then giving it a political meaning that suits their agenda. "

When Kanshiram, founder BSP, realised that U.P. people are more influenced by cultural, mythical and identity issues, he started using the local histories of different castes to mobilise each dalit caste individually. These small histories were then put together to form a grand history of oppression and exploitation by the upper castes, which was then used in the image-making of Mayawati. The Hindu : Opinion / Op-Ed : In U.P. polls, local dalit histories vie with BSP's grand storyline. In the process, it marginalised the micro-histories of the small dalit castes.

In this U.P. Assembly elections, although development and hi-tech modernity appear to be the chief agenda of most political parties, a closer look at the political mobilisations by the various political parties shows that micro-histories of different dalit castes are once again being used for mobilising these castes individually.

The hidden histories of the various dalit castes are providing space for different political parties to mobilise them. While the BSP's effort to create a grand history and memory has served to suppress the micro identities of the small Dalit castes, other political parties are gleefully digging them out and celebrating these hidden histories for their political purposes.