Dalits representation in Government is a good indication of how they are perceived and empowered by a government.
A lot is said about BJP and Dalit empowerment, mostly by Congress. Over the years, what was Dalit representation in the cabinets since 1952? Check it out! Click To Tweet
A lot is written against the BJP and RSS and they are portrayed as some ‘higher caste Hindu’ party with no representation or base amongst Dalits. The reality cannot be farther from that.
Let us use the figures and see how all the cabinets since the first formed by Jawaharlal Nehru have fared.
One thing is clear – Narendra Modi’s government has had the highest representation of Dalits – the SC and STs – in government, EVER!
Congress under Nehru, Indira and Rajiv had the worst record!
In fact, Modi’s 2014 cabinet had MORE percent representation of Dalits than FIVE cabinets of Jawaharlal Nehru put together!
And, 10 cabinets of Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi put together had less percent Dalit percentage representatives than just 3 cabinets of BJP governments (one of Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 1999 and two of Modi in 2014 and 2019). Incredible isn’t it?
That is how much Congress has been behind in terms of empowering the Dalits to make decisions for the country.
Since the Dalits come from the weakest and poorest of sections of Indian society, this marked difference also shows something even more important – the vibrant democracy within the parties. That so few Dalits could make the cut in Congress governments for the cabinet berths also means that money and power rules those choices and not merit. In BJP, since merit and hard work is the ticket to the top – as Modi’s ascension showed, Dalits get a far higher representation in the cabinet versus in the ministries of Congress Governments.
Even within the Congress, the worst record is of Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi. The increase in total percent for Congress only happened during PV Narasimha Rao’s time. Which should shut the Gandhi family and their sycophants up when it comes to the Dalit empowerment discussion.
Conclusion
What India needs is a fact-based set of conversations. Unfortunately, most of the discussions and narratives are just not based on facts or reality. Access to certain media and promotion of that media seems to be the way that Congress has controlled the psyche of the nation all these years.
The less they did for every group in the society, the louder their voice in their favor. All to hide the lack of any work and to get the votes. And, no one cared as to how can Congress ever be a champion of the very people they had marginalized for decades in every administration!
Dalit representation in government is an important indicator of how serious the administration is to further equality – and BJP administrations in general and Modi administration, in particular, stand tall in that area!
