Mayawati is a Living Goddess
The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) head Swami Prasad Maurya said today that the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Mayawati Naina Kumari is a living goddess. He said “Why should the party give an account of the money being giving to its living goddess when unaccounted money is being donated in temples”. Touché!! It is a well known fact that millions of dollars are donated to temples all across India every year. Most of this money is “black” and does not show up in tax returns as charitable contributions.
I am surprised at the criticisms leveled against Mayawati and the media focus on her. She is the youngest politician to become the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and the first women from the Dalit community to become the Chief Minister of any state in India. She has become extremely wealthy in a short period of time (she is only 39) and there are serious embezzlement charges that have been leveled against her in the past. But to be fair can we name a handful of politicians in India who are “clean”?
Felicitating politicians, celebrities, spiritual leaders or godman or godwoman with currency garlands, flowers, fruits or expensive silk clothing is nothing new in India. It has been going on for a long time and existed even before we became an independent nation. In addition a politician using public funds to further their own careers or their party’s agenda or create a larger than life image is also nothing new. Politicians like MGR, NTR and Indira Gandhi were experts in this arena.
So why are we and the media obsessed with Mayawati and her follower’s antics? I think that part of the reason is that the educated middle class India is now more aware of what politicians are up to because of the 24/7 news media coverage. We also in a strange way want to disassociate ourselves from certain things that remind us of our past. Unfortunately we can reach that level only if the whole of India develops and not just the middle class. There is a small minority within us who are also critical of Mayawati because of who she is. They are not used to Dalit men and women controlling their destiny.
Why is India not up in arms over the fact that the Chief Minister of Gujarat Narendra Modi is refusing to testify before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up by the Supreme Court of India? This team is investigating the infamous 2002 Gujarat riots in which over 1100 Gujarati’s lost their lives. Instead of encouraging Modi to appear before the committee and help them bring justice to the victims, the President of his party (BJP) Nitin Gadkari said yesterday that “the riot case summons to Modi makes no difference; he still remains a role model for the country”. A Supreme Court summons in a criminal case involving the death of over 1100 people makes no difference?
So we are left with a “living goddess” who is drawing attention to herself and not on her people and a “role model” who is trying to stonewall the justice system. The focus strangely is on the living goddess and not on the role model. Why?
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- Narendra Modi a Role Model for India?
- Mallika Sarabhai Right About Gujarat
- Senior Living for Gays in India
- Indian Culture and Values Eroding
Category: News & Government
An oppressed section shows off money power…there are always 2 sides to a coin!
Her supporters are clearly showing their financial clout.
If really she is goddess than why she ignored the poor victims of Temple tragedy in her own state. She can accept garland made of crores of currency notes disregarding the poor!
Maybe she is a goddess who does not handle day to day affairs :)
She is corrupt like the rest of them.
well i too agree with that……she is the queen atleast till the time she has majority…….
I’m from UP and have seen her way working…..if you are bad with her….she can really take you for a ride……i mean..there was a Noida Authority scam when Mulayam singh was CM….when Mayawati came into power…..she changed the whole system there….almost everyone was fired or transferred to some remote areas of UP…..
she has also done good work for the Dalits around UP…..like coming up with Expressway which is coming very handy for the development of the areas around it……but she didn’t like Rahul Gandhi going and living with Dalits in there home.
though being a lady she isn’t easy to understand everytime…….though she is a potential Prime Minister of India, i believe
She is what we call a “populist”. But we cannot deny that she is a major force to contend with in Indian politics.
Be it Modi or Mayawati, just because few influential people did something, wrong does not become right.
Welcome Krishna.
I agree that both the individuals have serious issues they have to deal with. They are an example of what is wrong with India. Our inability to hold powerful people accountable.