Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) Supremo and CM K Chandrasekhar Rao has taken a very calculated risk both politically and as the chief minister by announcing the Dalit Bandhu scheme and embarking on its implementation on a pilot basis in the Huzurabad assembly constituency.
The constituency has already grabbed much political attention, as it will be scheduled for bypoll shortly. One of KCR’s trusted lieutenants, Etela Rajender, who served as Telangana’s finance minister, tendered his resignation to the party, as well as stepped down as legislator, forcing an election. Etela will now be in the fray as a BJP nominee while TRS has announced Gellu Srinivas Yadav, relatively a novice as the party nominee for the constituency. Indeed, a battle royale is on the cards as the TRS is going all out to ensure the defeat of Etela.
Dalit Bandhu scheme
In this backdrop, the launch of the Dalit Bandhu scheme ahead of the bypoll, targeting a major chunk of the electorate in the constituency is being looked on as a shrewd move. The opposition parties have been crying hoarse as it was intended to outwit the challenge of Etela by using public funds. But an adamant KCR gave a retort to them by saying what is wrong if he takes advantage of a government policy in the polls.
Let us for some time forget about the political or electoral gains that may accrue, or not, to KCR. Look at the policy. He has repeatedly claimed there is no other welfare scheme in the entire country, which has the same salient features of Dalit Bandhu. Under the scheme, initially, in the Huzurabad constituency in Telangana, all the families in the constituency will get Rs 10 lakh cash deposited in their bank accounts exclusively opened for the purpose. With Rs 10 lakh each, every Dalit family can start a business, trade and any other financial activity on their own. Even a government employee from the community would be entitled to the benefit. They need not return this amount nor will they be obliged to the bank or any other financial institution.
All the Dalit families who receive this grant will also get the benefits of a plethora of welfare and development schemes being implemented by both the Central and state governments. KCR also reiterated that he would replicate the scheme all over the state once it proved successful in Huzurabad. Along with the scheme, KCR has also announced the implementation of a Dalit Security Fund and an insurance scheme for the Dalits. In the case of any eventuality of any of the beneficiaries under the Dalit Bandhu Scheme, the security fund will give Rs 5 lakh to the members of the family, as was done in the Rythu Bima policy.
'People’s movement’
As per estimates, there are about 20,929 Dalit families, with a population of around 70,000 in the Huzurabad assembly constituency and the scheme will be implemented on saturation mode. Imagine the amount of money to be given as a grant to such a huge population in Huzurabad alone. If it is implemented all over the state, the Dalit population is estimated to be around 54 lakh. Can the state, which is already in a financial squeeze, afford such a scheme?
But CM KCR has his own logic to offer. He said the Telangana Dalit Bandhu scheme would help Dalits to define their own development and become partners in development. According to him, Dalit Bandhu is not a mere government welfare programme but also a massive people’s movement, aimed at empowering each Dalit family financially. It can be compared to the Telangana statehood agitation started and led by KCR with the aim of obtaining a separate Telangana state, which was achieved.
The opposition parties are in a fix, as they can never openly oppose the scheme, as it would rub the Dalits the wrong way. Their demand for its implementation all over the state was nipped in the bud when KCR himself announced that he would implement it all over the state if the pilot project in Huzurabad proved a success. With no alternative, the opposition leaders are now demanding implementation of such a scheme for the BCs, STs, minorities.
Many opposition parties claim that after the Huzurabad assembly bypoll, KCR will dump this scheme, like he did with other schemes like three acres of land for Dalits, making a Dalit the CM etc. If KCR dumps this scheme in the event of his party candidate losing the election in the bypoll, it will boomerang on him and his party in the next general polls.
Any attempts to dump or dilute the scheme will have a far-reaching effect on KCR’s image, his credibility and his party’s overall poll prospects. An intelligent and street-smart KCR will never do anything that may remotely harm his or his party’s interests. The only possibility is that he may announce the implementation of the scheme all over the state and try to convince the Dalits to forgo certain existing schemes.
Catch-on effect
KCR’s intention of announcing the scheme is that it should catch like wildfire all over the country, with Dalits demanding a replication of the scheme. In such an event, he would become a Dalit icon in the country. But intentions and desires are not always fulfilled. KCR, before the last general polls, also thought of playing the role of sheet anchor for the non-BJP parties in the country and met Mamata, Stalin, Kumara Swamy etc., but the idea and effort were non-starters. But one never knows what happens in politics.
While launching the Dalit Bandhu Scheme, KCR spoke about purity of the spoken word (‘Vaak Suddhi’), purity of aim (‘Lakshya Suddhi’) and purity of action (‘Acharana Suddhi’). But some party leaders and MLAs seem to have neither Vaak nor Lakshya Suddhi. In the recent past, his party MLAs have crossed all limits, using the filthiest of language at media conferences, public meetings against their political opponents. KCR seems to be wilfully ignoring them.
As far Andhra Pradesh is concerned, both the ruling and opposition parties are busy in their war of words and showing absolutely no interest in the welfare of people. Take any important issue, be it the sharing of river waters with the neighbouring states and how AP is losing its rights, the privatisation of the Vizag Steel Plant, the dire straits of the state economy where the financial institutions are refusing to give any loans, the degeneration of the law and order situation, take any burning issue, the ruling and the opposition parties and their leaders are indulging in blame games and have not been able to offer any solutions.
The writer is a senior journalist based in Hyderabad
