"The changing temperament of the Dalit community in our times is perhaps the most explosive and the most heartening development in contemporary society within the country .... As we move closer to the 21st century, there is increasing evidence to the effect that the Dalits were voting, with increasing frequency, as free agents for candidates of their choice," wrote Ravinder Kumar, till recently was Director of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, New Delhi, in a compilation on "Fifty Years of Independent India", brought out by the Indian Council of Cultural Relations.

This observation best sums up the dramatic transformation of the political map since Independence Across the country, the Dalits have begun to assert their identity and role in the polity. The Dalit parties and leaders no longer look to the mainstream parties for solace and succour and for doles and quotas. Instead, they have begun to demand their share of political power.

The 21 per cent reservation in elected bodies and educational institutions has only lessened the Dalit aspirations for political power. The expression 'Dalit' itself has come to mean, if not yet represent, the entire ..depressed classes encompassing the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes, the Most Backward Classes and the minorities particularly Muslims. The word Harijan, meaning children of god, coined by Mahatma Gandhi has gone out of fashion and these sections take pride in identifying themselves as Dalits.

Ego clashes continue to be the bane of Dalit movements, still national and regional parties are increasingly finding it difficult to coopt their leaders. The mainstream parties are coming to grips with the reality that the Dalits can no longer be used as a vote bank and are vying with one another to woo the parties which have come to represent the Dalit aspirations. It has become a political necessity for them to add the icon of Ambedkar -the tallest Dalit leader of the century - as one of their selling pcints.

In the current general election, the Dalits have emerged as a "Neciding factor" in several States. In Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Maharashtra and Punjab, among others, the mainstream parties are desperately seeking alliances with the Dalit parties.

In a positive sense, the spectacular success of the AIADMK combine in the last general election in Tamil Nadu was attributed to the contribution of parties with a following among those categorised as .the SC and the MBC.

In a negative sense, the BJP and its allies could notch up an impressive tally of 61 of the 85 seats in Uttar Pradesh only because the BSP stuck to its resolve to fight on its own. The efforts by the mainstream parties to rope in the BSP proved futile as it was not willing to settle for anything less than the status of a dominant partner. It secured 20.7 per cent of the total, yotes polled in the State.

Similar political dynamics are at work in the current election in Tamil Nadu ..

Maharashtra gave birth to and sustained several Dalit parties which swear by Ambedkar's philosophy and ideology. The Congress(I), which held sway over the State until it was swept off its feet by the Shiv Sena-BJP combine five years ago, never bothered about the Dalit parties. It is a different story today.

For the first time in the 1998 general election, the Congress(I) was forced to enter into a pact with the Republican Party of India and the Samajwadi Party. The Congress(I) and its allies recorded a resounding victory.

Then came the split in the Congress(I). Both the Congress(I) and the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) were desperate seeking an alliance with the RPI and the result was a split in the RPI. The Athawale faction has decided to align with the NCP and the Gavai group has tied up with the Congress(I). Yet another faction led by Prakash Ambedkar has also joined hands with the Congress(I). The ultimate beneficiary could be the Shiv Sena-BJP combine.

Bihar is yet another example. Ram Vilas Paswan is a name in every Dalit household though there are differing views on his political line and personal lifestyle. He has decided to join hands with the BJP-Samata Party only to settle scores with ... archrival Laloo Prasad Yadav ... It is indeed strange that Paswan should join hands with the BJP-Samata, whose survival is solely dependent on the support of the upper and intermediate castes – main oppressors of the Dalits!

The BSP supremo, Kanshi Ram, is a phenomenon. He has single-handedly built up the party as a major political force and in a short span of 12 years made it a national party. It is no mean achievement ...

Unlike the traditional Ambedkarite parties, the BSP believes in aggressive politics. The party proudly proclaims that it believes in giving reservation to upper castes rather than seeking reservation from them. Its philosophy in the last few elections has been to emerge as the 'balancing' or 'deciding' factor to make or break a Government. The party proved (its) point in Uttar Pradesh demonstrating on more than one occasion ... The BSP chief proudly proclaims that instability suits it best. An election every year is fine by the party. Its goal in the current election is to capture 10 per cent of the seats in the Lok Sabha so as to decide who will rule India, on what terms and for how long. (Source: The Hindu, 22 August, 1999)