It appears Congress has suddenly woken up to champion the cause of the Dalits, who were ignored by most mainstream political parties including the Congress, for the last three decades. Perhaps the last time the Congress showed genuine concern for the plight of the Dalits was when Indira Gandhi, as opposition leader crossed a flooded river riding an elephant to visit a Bihar village, Belchi, where dozens of Dalits were butchered by upper caste persons. Almost every day Dalits at some or other places are subjected to brutal atrocities but seldom political leaders visit them and fight for justice to them.

Before Rahul Gandhi's departure for Mhow, Congress party president Sonia Gandhi wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to table the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities (Amendment) Bill in Parliament in the monsoon session. Ms. Gandhi pointed out that the previous UPA government had promulgated an Ordinance shortly before demitting office last year in order to strengthen the implementation of the original Act.

The context of her letter was recent spate of atrocities against Dalits, the most chilling being the one that took place on May 14 in Rajasthan’s Nagaur district where a long-standing land dispute led to killing of 17 Dalits.

The letter came on the heels of Sonia Gandhi directing all Congress units to organise commemorative functions through the year to honour the Dalit icon. For the Congress, Mhow’s significance lies not just in it being Ambedkar’s birthplace but also because it is one of the three places associated with the Dalit icon that the government is planning to develop as part of the slew of activities under consideration for the anniversary.

On May 30, Sonia Gandhi convened a meeting of the Dr. Ambedkar 125th Birth Anniversary Celebrations Committee which was attended by the party’s senior-most leaders including former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. On the same day, the Cabinet was apprised about the constitution of a committee under the chairpersonship of the Prime Minister to suggest different programmes and activities to be undertaken to celebrate Ambedkar’s birth anniversary.

Rahul Gandhi, while addressing a massive rally at Mhow on June 2, launched the Congress’s year-long 125th birth anniversary celebrations of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar from his birthplace. He said Ambedkar’s dream of “caste annihilation” was yet to be fulfilled.

Citing recent incidents like the alleged murder of a man for using an Ambedkar song as ringtone, the banning of an IIT-Madras study circle for allegedly raising caste issues and a company allegedly refusing to hire an MBA graduate because he was Muslim, indicate only that some people are still denied social equality.

Rahul held “certain forces and ideologies” responsible for the lack of social cohesion in the country but refrained from taking names.

“We should not think that India has no danger from those ideologies which look down on one section of people. These powers are all the time trying to strengthen those walls against whom Babasaheb fought his whole life. These ideologies weaken us by pitting one individual against the other,” he said.

“Someone is murdered for using Ambedkar ringtone, Zeeshan is denied job despite being qualified,’’ he said in a brief speech. Referring to the IIT-Madras row, Rahul said that the voices of some people are being muzzled as they are associated with the ideologies of reformers like Ambedkar and Periyar.

He said that despite 65 years of the Constitution, caste is still a factor in politics and is deeply rooted in mindsets and it must be rooted out. “The country won’t achieve its full potential as long as caste and casteism exist,’’ he said.

He also spoke of the UPA governments’ programmes like distribution of land and the MGNREGA and said his party does not discriminate between people on the basis of caste. “When we introduced the Right to Food (Act), we did not start it for one caste or one religion,” he said, adding, “Whenever there are atrocities and injustice, Congress will stand up for those at the receiving end.’’ Praising Ambedkar and his work, Rahul described him as a “symbol of virodh (opposition) and an icon of international repute'.

Reminding that BJP had always honoured Ambedkar, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, “I want to ask Rahul Gandhi… if he respects him (Ambedkar) so much, why didn’t his party give Ambedkar Bharat Ratna when they were in government?”

Union Minister Piyush Goyal, who addressed a press meet with BJP leader Dushyant Gautam to “expose” Rahul, said: “Rahul Gandhi’s speech has exposed his party’s failure in honouring Ambedkar. How Congress humiliated him by not giving him a Bharat Ratna. The Congress never thought of honouring the community also.”

Ambedkar was posthumously conferred with the Bharat Ratna when a non-Congress government was in power at the Centre.

Gautam, who heads BJP’s Scheduled Castes Morcha, said: “Rahul Gandhi has gone to Mhow today. I want to ask why didn’t he do it for so many years? Today, they (Congress) are doing drama as the land beneath their feet has slipped.

Congress decision to pay special attention to Dalits seems to have unnerved Bharatiya Janata Party. Most of the newspapers covering the Rahul visit has pointed out that massive attack launched by BJP leaders on Rahul Gandhi helped the party in mobilising people for June 2 Mhow rally. Many people attending the rally wondered why the BJP is targeting Rahul, who is yet to emerge as a powerful leader.

The wondered why BJP top leader like Ravi Shankar Prasad issued a long statement targeting Rahul Gandhi and questioned the motive behind Mhow visit. Issuing his statement from Delhi Prashad described Rahul Mhow visit as drama and farce.

Beside all India leaders of the BJP several leaders of Madhya Pradesh also mounted attack on Rahul Gandhi. Nand Kumar Chauhan, president, alleged that Jawaharlal Nehru insulted and humiliated Ambedkar. He however did not elaborate when and on what issue Nehru insulted Ambekdar.

Kailash Vijayvargiya, a powerful member of Shivraj Singh Chauhan issued a hard-hitting statement questioned the politically motivated visit of Rahul Gandhi. Mhow happens to be his constituency. (IPA Service)