The state Congress has sought the intervention of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the allotment of 12 acres of NTPC Indu Mill land at Dadar for building Dr BR Ambedkar's memorial.
PM Singh has assured both Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) Chief Manikrao Thakre that he would pursue the matter to its logical end.
The Congress wants to expedite the project before Mumbai's civic elections in February 2012 to ensure its Dalit vote bank remains intact.
The decision of Republican Party of India (RPI) leader Ramdas Athawale to enter into an alliance with Shiv Sena-BJP has upset the Congress. The Congress fears that Athawale loyalists will switch allegiance to Sena-BJP. The voting population of Dalits in Mumbai is a considerable 10.5 per cent.
What makes matter worse for the Congress is the decision of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to contest the elections without an alliance.
The Dalits, along with other minorities, have always remained loyal to the Congress and the NCP. However, in the ensuing elections, the Congress and the NCP are talking of contesting alone, thus making it more challenging. Interestingly, the Congress and the NCP are competing with each other to take credit for the proposed Ambedkar memorial. Both the sides are making all attempts to outsmart the other by announcing new projects in Ambedkar's name.
The ruling Congress and NCP were recently caught in a war over renaming Dadar Central Station after Ambedkar. The NCP's attempt to woo back Athawale appears to have failed. Athawale said, "Dalits feel betrayed by the Congress and the NCP. The ruling parties have taken us for granted for last 15 years, which is unfortunate." He reiterated that his alliance with the Sena was here to stay and was not confined to electoral politics.
The state government which has given its commitment to finance the project, has been unable to move forward because of its inability to acquire the Indu Mill land.
Thakre maintained, “The decision to set up a grand Ambedkar memorial was first mooted by the Congress. Ambedkar is the amongst the most respected leader. It is not related to politics.”
The Congress started a year-long campaign, ‘Samajik Samata Varsh’ shortly after Athawale decided to forge the alliance this year.
