Sena’s turn to court Dalits

‘‘An alliance with the Sena is a definite reality, we want it to happen. It will show the so-called leaders of the RPI that they cannot take us for a ride any more,’’ says Sarwan Gaikwad, a dalit leader .‘‘We dalits continue to be where we are. Only our leaders have prospered,’’ adds Gaikwad. Dalit leaders Ramdas Athavale, Prakash Ambedkar, R S Gavai and Jogendra Kawade, too are happy over the new affiliation with the Sena as they feel that the aggressive politics of Sena will get them electoral representation.

‘‘The present crop of dalit leaders are only getting richer at our cost while we starve. They walk out with the cream in all the alignments, while we are left holding the vessel,’’ says an angry activist, Kanoj Gholap.

Keen to firm up Sena ties with dalits, member of parliament in the Rajya Sabha Sanjay Nirupam refers to history : ‘‘Babasaheb Ambedkar and Prabhodankar Thackeray (Sena chief Bal Thackeray’s father) were very close friends. So Uddhavji is calling on that friendship to take a concrete shape now.’’

But Shiv Sena and dalits have never before seen eye to eye. The RPI leaders are taken by surprise at the shift in loyalties among their cadres. At a recent meeting of RPI office-bearers called by Ramdas Athavale, almost 60 per cent of the members favoured a tie-up with Sena. ‘‘The Sena is an ideological enemy so this reaction from the cadre was unexpected,’’ said Athavale. In a bid to unite the cadres, he has stepped down from party presidentship.

RPI workers are already joining the Sena at Aurangabad, Pune, Satara and few other districts of Maharashtra. The RPI though is unlikely to merge with the Sena. ‘‘It will be the movement of the smaller factions of the Party which will help in readying our mass dalit base,’’ said Nirupam.

According to Sena member of the Legislative Council and member of the National Task Force for Women, Dr Neelam Gorhe, ‘‘this regrouping of power dynamics has forced the Brahmin-dominated Hindutva politics to take a back seat.’’

For the common man caught in the whirlwind of dalit politics, Sena’s networking in the state and its aggressive posture is a symbol of development. Barely a decade ago when dalit writer and leader Namdeo Dhasal looked as if he was tilting towards the Sena, he faced isolation within the dalit community. The coming together of Shiv Shakti (Sainiks) and Bhim Shakti (dalits) is therefore ironical, much more than even the BSP-BJP alliance in UP. Like Kanshi Ram, Thackeray Jr has been impressing upon the dalit community to forge a unity in their ranks, vote en masse and not remain mere votebanks of the Congress.

‘The Sena will not deliver‘

Ramdas Athavale’s recent resignation as president of the faction headed by him has been dismissed by his own cadre as a political stunt. In an interview with Haima Deshpande, Athavale speaks on the necessity of dalit unity

Is unity among all factions of the Republican Party of India possible?
Unity amongst factions can only happen if the leaders throw away their egos and sit across the table for a discussion.

Why does the RPI need to align with other political parties?
Despite our strength, factionalism within the party is pulling us down. In the face of RPI factions, alliance with political parties has become necessary for our political survival.

What will the RPI gain from an alliance with the Sena?
It’s difficult to say anything now. The Sena accepts the name of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, but does not follow his ideology. How can we align with a party that faces ideological bankruptcy?

How do you see the RPI exodus to saffron side?
They are looking to the Sena with great expectations, but the Sena will not deliver. Only a fraction wants to align with the Sena, it is not the feeling of the entire party. The RPI cadre is unhappy as they feel only their leaders have benefited, which is true to a certain extent.

Why is the RPI so fragmented?
If we knew the answer we would be united. I am trying to talk to Mayawati, Kanshi Ram and Ramvilas Paswan to come together.

Did you resign for political sympathy?
I resigned to facilitate RPI unity. This should come first, everything else should take a back seat.