An Election in Sarvajan Samaj
February 5, 2012
This photograph was taken by Salman Usmani in Ganguali village in Unnao near Lucknow, in early January. On the left is Prabhat Pandey and on the right, Ram Khilawan. Pandey is a Brahmin and Khilawan a Dalit. They’re the BSP’s men in this village, responsible for urging Brahmins and Dalits to vote for the BSP candidate, also a Brahmin. The photo was taken when I asked them to pose together. This is all the ‘brotherhood’ they could show before the camera.
Here’s my story on UP elections, seen through the prism of Brahmins and Dalits.
See also:
- Lucknow-based Dalit rights activist Ram Kumar reviews five years of Mayawati’s rule
- The untold stories of a political process
- March 2007: The Elephant Paradox
- April 2007: Behenji’s Brahmin Gamble
From Kafila archives:
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Sir, what you have here is truly a picture that is worth a thousand words. Very good article by you and excellent analysis by Ram Kumar as well. With respect to your article, I agree that this is an article about the decline of the caste alliance but I feel that the picture it gives is at odds with an earlier article by you in another magazine (can’t find the link now) where you said that caste is not the only consideration. Here though you have mentioned several instances various caste leaders not having the support of their caste, the feel one gets from the article is that there is no issue beyond caste in this election. Also I think the title of the post should begin “An election”
I don’t know if this Gangauli is the same one described in Rahi Masoom Reza’s hindi novel Aadha Gaon. It has a wonderful portrait of caste system. Obviously very little has changed in the last 50 years…
not the same Gangauli
With annhilation of caste, these two would be embracing and kissing each other. Is that would you want to expct.
Great story. Thanks.