Latest news with #Ambedkarite
NDTV
16-07-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Wary Of Thackeray Cousins' Tie-Up, Eknath Shinde Allies With Republican Sena
Political activity in Mumbai has picked up pace before civic body elections likely this year or next. In a key development, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena and Anandraj Ambedkar-led Republican Sena allied to consolidate Marathi and Dalit votes in the city. The alliance was announced in the presence of the two leaders. They traced the roots of their political coming together to Prabodhankar Thackeray, the father of Sena patriarch and founder Bal Thackeray, and Dr BR Ambedkar, the father of the Indian Constitution and Anandraj Ambedkar's grandfather. Mr Ambedkar said the current Sena-Republican Sena alliance was simply a continuation of the ideological legacy shared by the two parties. He declared that Mr Shinde had always acted as a 'karyakarta' and never a Chief Minister, and said that the intention behind this alliance was to ensure that Ambedkarite workers also get a share in power, especially at the local level. The Shiv Sena chief, meanwhile, used the stage to reaffirm his government's commitment to Babasaheb's Constitution, saying it was because of that document that people from people from the most marginalised communities had reached high-level positions in the country. "Narendra Modi became Prime Minister because of Babasaheb's Constitution," Mr Shinde said. Meanwhile, responding to a question about the Constitution playing a key role in determining the Lok Sabha elections results in 2024, Mr Shinde held that the opposition relied heavily on fake narratives. He stated that the true face of that campaign was exposed in the same year, when in the state Assembly election the opposition faced a humiliating defeat. "The Constitution was never in danger... and it never will be. It is the opposition that is trying to create fear for political gains," he said, underlining his government's focus on development with inclusivity, mentioning measures like better facilities for senior citizens and increased health cover. In his characteristic way, Mr Shinde didn't fail to attack the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena faction, from which he rebelled in 2022 and brought down the then-ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi of the undivided Sena, the undivided NCP, and the Congress. "I may not be a doctor... but I know how to perform surgeries, big or small, when needed," he said, slyly referring to that split. The Sena-Republican Sena alliance is being seen as a calculated move by the ruling coalition to expand its base and counter the Thackeray Sena and MNS alliance which, if it translates into votes, could dent its hold on the Marathi votebank in the city. In recent weeks, the Shinde-led Sena has inducted close to 100 former Thackeray Sena corporators and has been holding regular mobilisation meetings in Mumbai. Meanwhile, all major parties in the city - the BJP, Congress, MNS, and the Thackeray and Shinde Senas are moving swiftly into campaign mode. The BJP, led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, is holding regular meetings with its state-wide cadre. The Congress formed an Election Management and Coordination Committee, led by Mumbai unit chief Varsha Gaikwad. The initial omission of some senior leaders from the list led to internal discontent, which was addressed after meetings with the high command in Delhi and subsequent changes. As for the Thackeray cousins - Uddhav and Raj, the MNS chief - they have been holding region-wise cadre meetings. Their joint presence during the protest against 'Hindi imposition' and the July 5 victory rally have added fuel to speculation of an MNS-UBT alliance, although only UBT has appeared proactive so far. For now, with the announcement of the Shiv Sena-Republican Sena alliance, Mr Shinde has signalled that he intends to protect his turf in Mumbai by bringing together Marathi pride and Dalit assertion under one umbrella.
Time of India
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Saffron agenda won't work in TN: CM
Cuddalore: As long as dravidian, Marxist, Gandhian, and Ambedkar ideologies stay united in Tamil Nadu, no saffron agenda from Delhi will succeed in the state, said chief minister M K Stalin . Speaking after inaugurating the centenary auditorium with a life-size statue of the late social justice warrior L Ilayaperumal, at Lalpuram in Chidambaram, Cuddalore district, Stalin said that leaders of the dravidian, Marxist, Gandhian, and Ambedkarite movements were on the stage united. "This unity symbolises Tamil Nadu. VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan emphasized this, and I reaffirm it. When Tamil Nadu is united like this, no saffron agenda from Delhi will succeed here," he said. Listing out the steps taken by DMK over years for the welfare of scheduled caste and scheduled tribes by the late DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi as well as by him, Stalin said, "In the history of Tamil Nadu, it is the dravidian model govt that implemented the highest number of welfare schemes for scheduled caste and scheduled tribe communities,'' he said. You Can Also Check: Chennai AQI | Weather in Chennai | Bank Holidays in Chennai | Public Holidays in Chennai Stalin said he would continue those efforts. "But are the steps taken so far enough? No. To build a society of self-respect, we must continue our long journey. We are doing that. That's why we've decided to remove the word 'colony' from govt documents," he said. "We've requested the Prime Minister that the disrespectful suffix 'in' used to denote official names of SC/ST communities be changed to the respectful 'ir' suffix. We've renamed school and college hostels to 'social justice hostels', removing caste identifiers," Stalin said. Stalin said that everything will not change overnight. "The journey toward social liberation is long, and it takes time. But change will come. And I will bring that change," he said. Later in the day, a govt statement said that Stalin has announced multiple projects for Cuddalore based on requests from the public during his visit including creation of Srimushnam taluk.
Hans India
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
BSP to widen base in Karnataka
Lucknow: Bahujan Samaj Party president Mayawati on Sunday appealed to the party workers of seven states to remain engaged with the Ambedkarite mission of the party with honesty and dedication. As per a press statement, BSP chief Mayawati held an in-depth review meeting at the central camp office here on Sunday on issues like organisational preparation and increasing the party's base in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh said, 'In every time of trouble, help the needy with full devotion according to your capacity, because only the oppressed can be the true helper of the oppressed, otherwise there is no dearth of people shedding crocodile tears for political gain.' Mayawati expressed concern on the violence over language and caste. 'Such a tendency is fatal and all this happens when narrow politics of religion, region, caste and language etc tries to dominate the patriotism and love for the country,' Mayawati said. She demanded the central and state governments pay special attention to important issues of public interest like inflation, poverty, unemployment, education and health along with law and order.
Hans India
13-07-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Mayawati reviews BSP's expansion in seven states
Lucknow: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) National President and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on Sunday discussed measures to strengthen party organisation in seven states -- Maharashtra, Gujarat, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. She also expressed concern over the growing religious frenzy and violence over language and caste issues, demanding protection for residents of other states working in the financial capital, Mumbai. Referring to the recent violence against non-Marathi speakers in Mumbai, Mayawati called upon the state and Central governments to provide security to all. 'Mumbai is the financial capital of the country, and people from all states have a link with it,' she said. Referring to the language row, Mayawati said that such dangerous tendencies are rooted in the narrow politics of religion, region, caste and language that try to overshadow patriotism and love for the country. The BSP chief also urged state governments to pay special attention to important issues of public interest like inflation, poverty, unemployment, illiteracy and health, along with law and order. Earlier, Mayawati took progress reports from different state units and reviewed the progress on the formation of organisation committees as instructed during the party's special meeting in Lucknow on March 2. The meeting on Sunday was also attended by the Central Coordinator and In-charge for all these states, former MP Rajaram and Atar Singh Rao, former MLC, along with senior office-bearers of state units. Mayawati issued instructions to pay attention to the shortcomings in strengthening the state units and carry forward the message of self-respect and self-esteem of Baba Saheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar. The BSP chief also directed party workers to maintain the Ambedkarite and humanitarian character of the party and improve the lives of crores of Dalits, tribals, other backward classes and minorities. The former UP Chief Minister also encouraged party workers to serve the disadvantaged so that they are empowered socially, politically and economically as suggested by the Constitution.
Hindustan Times
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Review: The Notbook of Kabir by Anand
The Notbook of Kabir cannot be read. It needs to be heard – as music, poetry and protest that, far from raising its fist in the air, playfully sings and laughs its dissent. There's a song playlist at the end of the book that aurally transfers the poetry printed in two languages. The volume, among other things, becomes a tribute to folk musicians and singers of Kabir bhajans like Prahlad Singh Tipaniya, Mahesha Ram, Kaluram Bamaniya, Mukhtiyar Ali, Fariduddin Ayaz and Abu Mohammed, in whose voices these poems have been nurtured, within public consciousness and memory. Painting of Kabir weaving, c. 1825 (Central Museum, Jaipur/Wikimedia Commons) The Notbook of Kabir becomes a side dish in a feast featuring – not just music as main course, but also questions about caste, God, words, ragas, life, death, place, no-place, poetry, losing voice, finding voice, music, silence and everything between. Anand doesn't just translate Kabir, the medieval mystic and saint. He interprets him through a triangular lens in which Ambedkar and Buddha are the other two vertices. It is not Kabir the person you meet through Anand's explorations but Kabir the consciousness, Kabir 'the antigod', Kabir 'the theme, the concept.' Kabir, then, in this book, becomes a gateway to the work of other poets, philosophers, reformers and warriors for equality. Anand uses him as a diving board to plunge deep and takes his readers along, inviting them to make their meaning. 332pp, ₹499; Penguin You are invited to find your own Kabir/s outside the Notbook, because, as the author establishes early on, no book can contain him. How could it when the 'most alive of all dead poets' has at least three tombs that hold his mortal remains? Besides, he is accorded two years of birth. 'One book says he was born in 1398, another says 1594,' Anand writes in the preface. Through The Notbook, the author invites readers who are 'adepts' to 'find Kabir anew,' while drawing the attention of those who have never heard Kabir before to his way of threading together the 'pleasures of language' with the 'abstract thought of music.' From his own background of being an outsider to many places and languages, Anand related to Kabir, who made him 'feel at home everywhere and nowhere, in language and in music.' Rather than attempting the impossible task of 'snaring the breeze in a box,' the author chooses to weave himself into a living, breathing body of Kabiri music and poetry. In The Notbook, he presents these song-poems (some have been written by other poets working in the same vein) that pulsate in the voices of long-time practitioners. These songs might also leap out of the page at seasoned listeners. And yet, the meaning might dance just out of reach. This is where the author offers his creative interpretations, which emerge, not just from his understanding of the songs, but also of his lived experiences as an Ambedkarite and keen follower of Buddhist scripture and philosophy. While responding to the poetry, Anand gives himself plenty of poetic license, knowing that the irreverent, iconoclastic Kabir wouldn't mind at all. So, Ram often becomes Bhim; intensely religious iconography or references are expressed in more secular terms; lots is written, not just about why the guru is called garu, garu ji and even rugu ('a word to come,' the author promises) but also about how problematic the institution of the guru is. In the chapter entitled All I ask of you is you, Anand offers 'a belated word about bhakti' and his 'unease with it' but nevertheless writes quite a few words that might speak to innumerable readers jaded with institutionalised religion and distressed by the bigotry it has induced. In the chapter, Things that do not know their name, renowned qawwal practitioners Fariduddin Ayaz and Abu Mohammed string together 'a garland of songs of and for Kabir.' Another chapter that stands out is Songness stillness in which Anand, quite breathlessly (as evidenced by the absence of even a single full-stop in the four-page chapter) describes Kumar Gandharva's rendition of Nirbhay Nirgun, alongside telling the story of the classical vocalist's healing through the floating voices of 'mendicants and wandering minstrels who sang for no one yet everyone,' while lying in his sickbed in Dewas. Author Anand in performance at artist's Vikrant Bhise's exhibition in Mumbai (Vikrant Bhise) Sprinkled with photographs, drawings and pictures of handwritten notes, The Notbook tells of multi-faith meetings being held during Kabir's time. It reports rich conversations between working class poets who comprised the Sharana movement in Karnataka. It joins the dots between Tamil, Marathi, Kannada and Hindi literary movements. It weaves in questions thrown up by the research of scholars like Jayant Lele and Gail Omvedt. Yet, it nudges the reader to believe that Kabir, Mira and Gorakhnath, who were not contemporaries, might have interacted. 'You don't have to be a devotee or a believer to get this. You just need the love of the Word,' writes Anand. Word play is a consistent feature of Anand's poetic responses to Kabiri song-poems. If you are a reader who is partial to 'earnest, meaning-fixated' translations, this is not the book for you. Anchored in 'a desire to capture the active secularisation of a spiritual experience,' the author draws readers into a journey of discovering Kabir beyond Kabir, beyond scholars and school books, even while writing from a place of sharp awareness of his own entitlements and privileges. Fariduddin Ayaz is quoted in the book: 'You can't get Kabir's knowledge from universities, scholars or professors… You'll have to break free of your shackles and go' while folk practitioner Mahesha Ram says, 'Kabir ne bhagwan se mazaak kar li.' Anand sees Kabir 'more as a sceptic' and 'has fun' with him. Charumathi Supraja is a writer, poet and journalist based in Bengaluru.
