Mayawati- The Real Hard Task Master: Ushering In New Era Of Public Private partnership

 

By- Praful Sakya

Date: 22 February 2008.

 

WHAT one expects from the government? Excellent administration and proper, to the hilt implementation of the welfare schemes aimed at elevating the states of socially and economically backward groups in the country like India where the disadvantage groups are solely dependent on the government’s active and stern actions. Is it too much asking? Well no, if you are the one who seek the votes of the Underclass in the name of their developments and project yourself as their true messiah then this is the task that should be the number one in the priority list of your scheme of things.

 

ONCE Rajiv Gandhi said in a public rally organized for the poll campaign that it was sad state of administration only 15 per cent amount reached to the target group of the amount sanctioned for the development, public welfare and humanitarian schemes.  I do not exactly recall the reaction of the audience at that time but when Rahul Gandhi, son of Rajiv Gandhi in an inauguration public function of ‘Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology’ at Rai Bareile, said my father is used to say only 15 per cent is reached to the targeted group of the amount sanctioned by the government but now it is reduced to 5 per cent. The statement was shocking but what was more shocking the audience’s response to the statement- they all clapped. This is no doubt the effect of the congress way of nurturing dumb and inactive minds. They made us so dumb that we dare not to ask them: what is their stand in either improvising the current system or nurturing the current sorry state of affairs. What congress made out of us- they turned us into goofballs those only respond ridiculously to the ridiculous statements.  

 

WELL, why such statement made by Rahul and that too in the Uttar Pradesh? The answer lies in the fact that the precarious sate of congress in UP and he is clueless about how to improve the party’s position immediately. He is also worried about the fact that the way Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) strengthening its position fueled by administrative and political acumen. The BSP is doing well on all fronts resulted into frustration which reflected in the statement made by him. Rajiv Gandhi accepted that the greedy and self-centered politicians and bureaucrats functioning in the party and government when he was in the power but in reality the statement was meant to take the political mileage- otherwise he could have taken harsh action against those who misused the power- where the congress is good at. Rahul Gandhi very well knows that what he states becomes the national news being the Prime Minister-in-waiting, the scion of Gandhi family how could he miss golden opportunity to attack Mayawati government. What he tried to do was to self-underline, in one stroke, the performance of the Mayawati government in bad colour. His primary aim was to project the UP government in bad light: non-performing, corrupt and inapt to implement development and public welfare schemes, but in reality it’s just pigments of his imagination.

 

WHEN congress accuses the party like BSP the media does the rest it directly put the government in negative frame resulted into bad publicity because of the biased media, whereas no effect on the party likes BJP because they too have sizable presence in the media. So our point of view is real necessary to dislodge the self-styled accusation of Rahul Gandhi. 

 

THRICE the BSP came in power with one or the other political party (in 1993 with SP; in 1997 and 2002 with the BJP). It is the only party in India which has successfully used ‘alliance politics’. It cannot be a coincidence that within a decade of formation a party, with the support base of Underclass comes to power three times through the politics of alliance and now on its own, and each time ends up growing its support base. The BSP has exposed the deficiency and myths of ideologues of different shades, especially the so called secularists who predicted a definite co-option of the BSP whenever it entered in coalition to form a Government with the BJP. But the BSP never allowed this to happen, it never diluted its all inclusive growth formula thereby spreading its support-base, leaving the BJP leaders and its supporters high and dry. The congress’s popular myth that the BSP is just a state force shattered when the BSP brought all the sections of the UP state under its wing and won simple majority to form the government. And there begins the fight for survival for congress as the BSP been testing formula of inclusive growth in other states as its giving jolt to the Congress by waning away its traditional vote base. As a result, instead acting as a responsible opposition it’s indulging in maligning the image of a few months old UP government. How can Mayawati government clean the whole system, which is still in the hangover of the old Congress mindset? It takes time to reflect the change and change will appear in the administration when the top boss insists for it and strategies accordingly. Yes Mr. Rahul Gandhi she will show you soon how this amount which is reduced to 5 per cent to bring back to 100 per cent because she is a real hard task master of old school. 

 

            DURING BSP’s first and second tenure of three and half and six months, what Mayawati did and how she accomplished six years work in six months is well known. During last one year rule of coalition Mayawati tried to secure the security of the Underclass and mind well that it was not the absolute rule. To her the top area of concern in this caste ridden milieu Indian was the question of safety of life and property of Underclass. Mayawati had sternly dealt with this aspect and the ‘Crimes against Underclass’ had come down in whopping 72 per cent. The number of fire arms seized by police from anti social elements runs in thousands. Underclass is now living a comparatively fearless life, unlike other states of India as she gave them the confidence of safe living and earned the confidence of other community for peaceful living for mutual growth. Whereas the prominent congress leaders like Digvijay Singh, in-charge of UP state congress only complained that during their time they had not had enough police staff. But he must have forgotten that ‘There is Will, there is Way’. Yes the congress has never had will to protect the Underclass forget about their development. In the backwardness of the Underclass congress always tries to secure it crown. But with the emergence of the BSP as the real protector of the rights of the Underclass the Congress started foreseeing it debacle, and so it indulging in maligning the UP government.

 

THE congress always accuses through the puppets nurtured by Congress amongst Underclass that what Mayawati has done for the betterment of the Underclass except giving the name of Dr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar, Buddha, Sahu Maharaj, Jyotiba Phule, Sawatribai Phule, Periyar Ramaswami, etc. to University or districts. Well the answer of it lies in the fact that since independent you have been ruling barring few years why have you not given those names to the universities or districts because congress never wanted to instill the self-confidence and sense of pride in the minds of the Underclass. It never wanted the underclass to learn that amongst them born the great men of will and class. It never wishes that the underclass too follow their great leaders instead it created a great illusionary web where it nurturing the puppets of their own interest promising them power and wealth against slavery of the underclass. It never allowed the independent and organic thinker, social worker or leaders from underclass to flourish, because in their debacle lies the congress’s prosperity.  What BSP did when it came to power was to instill the self-respect among Underclass by re-introducing the heroes of Underclass, and made them part of their daily lives by constructing ‘Parivartan Chowk’ and ‘Bahujan Temple’ so as to know the underclass that they are their emancipator and promoted them to follow their ideals. Has the congress done any such thing except destroying generations by nurturing puppets amongst underclass? 

Never in the Congress Rule in U.P., for years together, there were more than two underclass collectors. When BSP came in power, there were 42 Collectors. And there were 42 S.S.Ps. The D.G.P., the senior most officer in Police Department with 4 I.G.Ps, and 4 Additional I.G.Ps., 8 DIGs and 62 SSPs under him, is also a underclass. What is the situation in Madhya Pradesh, can some body enlighten us? These postings are within the purview of the Chief Ministers. One raise the issue of talent in appointing these posting but then why not make them accountable when terrorist strikes because of intelligence failures and the chief minister or home mister comes to their rescue with the statement There are foreign hands in the attack.’ No matter what happen in the country the talented officers and articulate leaders protect themselves by saying, there are foreign hands in it. This is just a farce so as not to appoint the underclass to the topmost positions and an excuse to keep all the power in one’s hand. There can not be a better practical method than to give chance to Underclass on these posts, as a strong way of empowering Underclass. Has any other State, including Maharashtra with an Underclass Chief Minister, has any such record? One would really like to know, if such situation exists in any other state. If it does, that Chief Minister deserves the kudos. It certainly could not be Digvijay Singh, who only keeps on lamenting and does nothing because of absence of political will and happy to secure his position in the party cadre by liking the boots of party supremo. New lands were allotted and the number of "pattas" were issued and physical possession of the land was given to 89 thousand landless Underclass, and 28,084 people were given actual possession who had already been allotted land before. The good work is going on but it takes time to implement the task in hand. Its giving jitter down the spinal cord of the congressmen that if she carries the good work going successful what is their future- by now they must have realized that its absolute dark as they know she is a real task master.

 

UP Chief Minister Mayawati when announced that private sector firms executing projects for the state government would have job quotas but for the media it has always been playing the reservation card but they never come out with alternatives by which the plight of underprivileged could be improved. By announcing and implementing the scheme the BSP supremo ensured that she is there for all inclusive growth, what she promised at the time of election campaigns. ''In Uttar Pradesh, all public-private partnerships will have reservations for people from SCs, STs and OBCs and economically backward upper-caste. The state government's decision ensures reservation in all the outsourcing firms and individual companies which carry out jobs for government and semi-government departments and agencies. The Chief Minister took this decision in a view to ensure all round development of all sections of the society.

 

MAYAWATI said her government had on December 24 last decided to implement reservation norms for private sector firms carrying out projects in association with the government under public-private partnership formula. After directing all private organizations and industries in Uttar Pradesh subsidized by the state government to voluntarily implement 10% job reservation in August last year, chief minister Mayawati widened the scope of her reservation policy by announcing the same measure for private firms under the principle of public-private partnership. Job quota in such firms, too, would now be extended to Scheduled Castes, Other Backward Castes and the economically weaker sections among the upper castes. The State’s equity would be a maximum of 49 per cent and a minimum of 11 per cent in the schemes and projects to be developed in the private sector, she said, while allaying the fears of the employees working in the projects to be developed on the basis of PPP model. Not only she stopped her she been writing to Union government and following it up with equal vigor that the there should be reservation in the private sectors for the underprivileged section of the society in line with the government sectors. The Union government is not reciprocating. When Rahul Gandhi has publicly demanded that the UP would be tri-furcated she responded favorably and publicly appealed to the union government ‘Just do it’ because for her the states welfare is more important than anything else. It would be matter of interest to see how union government responds to development work of Mayawati in time to come.

 

MOST leading businesses have shunned the idea of quotas, worried it will worsen their competitiveness in a global market. For them one question is when they will come out of Joint Venture Culture think over it and then talk about competitiveness and market forces. 

 

MAYWATI is not just a politician but she is running a movement which has socio-economic dimensions to it. Had she been acting only as a politician then her job would have been much easier. She lifts each of her steps cautiously because it’s the demand of time. She knows the business of politics well; she springs surprises, strategies moves, acts creatively, counters the opposition, builds the network, nurtures the talent, builds the institutions, instills the confidences, raises the funds and important of them all is that she is a real hard task master that help realizes her dreams. 

 

Mr. Rahul Gandhi you may be the Prime Minister-in waiting mainly because of you are scion of Gandhi family but here is the lady a truly people’s prime-ministerial material wielded the power of utilizing 100 per cent fund of welfare and development schemes fully for the same purpose. And then only true and sensitive Indian will emerged who will who show the exit door of the public life to those who are responsible for misusing the public money and for those too who despite knowing everything but does nothing except use it for taking political mileage. So beware.

 

 

Jai Buddha ! Jai Bhim ! Jai Bharat !

Praful Sakya

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