Manyavar Kanshiram's Life & Ideals: A Journey Shared by Ganga Ram Ambedkar

Lucknow- In the central office of Mission Suraksha Parishad, The Mooknayak had the privilege of sitting down with Ganga Ram Ambedkar, a prominent figure who has journeyed through the corridors of Indian politics. With a career that saw him serve as the Officer on Special Duty to the Chief Minister and as the private secretary to the revered Manyavar Kanshiramji, Ganga Ram Ambedkar carries a wealth of experience and insights into the life and ideology of the iconic leader.

In this exclusive conversation, he paints a vivid picture of Manyavar Kanshiramji's charismatic presence, his unwavering commitment to social change, and the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in continuing his legacy.

Kanshi Ram (15 March 1934 – 9 October 2006), known as Bahujan Nayak, Manyavar, or Saheb, was an Indian politician and social reformer dedicated to empowering the Bahujans, marginalized and lower-caste communities in India, including untouchable groups. In pursuit of this mission, he established the Dalit Shoshit Samaj Sangharsh Samiti (DS-4) and the All India Backwards (SC/ST/OBC) and Minorities Communities Employees' Federation (BAMCEF) in 1971. In 1984, he founded the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). Kanshi Ram eventually passed the leadership of BSP to his protege Mayawati. His legacy remains influential in Indian politics and social reform.

Please tell us something about Manyavar Shri Kanshiram.

Ganga Ram Ambedkar: Welcome to the central office of Mission Suraksha Parishad. I am privileged to have worked with Kanshi Ramji. His witty remarks and ideology continue to influence political circles even today. He said that it doesn't matter if politics does not run, it does not matter if your government does not run, but the movement for social change should not stop.

Secondly, he said that the community whose social roots are weak cannot succeed politically. Thirdly, he said that the people who have votes are poor and weak, and I want to make the government of the people with votes (the majority community) with their votes.

He said, "Arakshan se lenge SP, DM, Vote se lenge PM, CM" (we will use reservation to get SP and DM, and votes to get PM, CM). When asked about this by journalists, Kanshiram said that the oppressed person is harassed by the people in his village. He approaches the authorities in his region but fails to get justice and is forced to move to cities in slums. Therefore, he wanted to empower the weakest person in the country. Manyavar Kanshiram Ji made MPs, MLAs out of sweepers, fishermen, cobblers, etc. His endeavors ensured that the weaker sections of society formed the government in UP four times.

How did you come in contact with Manyavar Kanshiram?

Ganga Ram Ambedkar: I got the opportunity to work at the state headquarters of BSP in 2000. Kanshiramji used to stay in Lucknow, and during that time, I got in touch with him and worked as his private secretary, helping him make calls.

How did Kanshiramji encourage the party workers?

He was a grounded person, and his lifestyle was quite down to earth. He supported his workers financially and emotionally. I remember that he used to assist workers without resources by arranging scooters, motorcycles, and cars for them. He believed that poor workers could be motivated by helping them financially.

On 25th August 2003, Kanshiramji decided to end the alliance with the BJP and said that we will form the government on our own.

Do you think that in the era of social media, we are getting distanced from the groundwork as done by Kanshiram? How can we take his mission forward?

Ganga Ram Ambedkar: The extremist ideology has overshadowed Kanshiram's ideology. People who follow Kanshiram now prioritize religious issues over the social and political framework. He brought different castes together. Manyavar Kanshiramji's ideology has been assimilated by the BJP, and leaders of every caste now exist. However, the reality is that the Ambedkarite ideology is now confined to a particular caste, and people of other castes have distanced themselves from it, weakening the movement in North India. We need to mobilize different castes. The self-respect and Mandal politics were introduced by Manyawar Kanshiram. The mission of Kanshiram and Ambedkar can be fulfilled by mobilizing all castes.

What are you doing to take the mission of Kanshiram forward?

Ganga Ram Ambedkar: In the absence of resources, we have tried to form our network. From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, our volunteers and workers have been working to carry forward the mission of Kanshiram. On 9th October 2023, we will offer tribute.