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Why Congress is unable to emotionally connect with Dalits

In his speech, Rahul Gandhi didn’t care to quote Ambedkar even once to underline the dangers facing our society. He could have used the occasion to link Ambedkar’s thinking with Nehru’s ideology. Such a synthesis of ideas would transform India into a modern nation, which is what both of them wanted to do, says Vidya Bhushan Rawat

Rahul Gandhi’s speech at a function to release a book The Dalit Truth: The Battles for Realising Ambedkar’s Vision on 9 April 2022 has gone viral and the media has once again trained its guns on him. The Jawahar Bhawan Conference Hall, where the function was held, was filled to capacity. The invitation for the event, issued by the Congress, said that the release would be preceded by a panel discussion. Some of my friends were attending the function and I decided to go there to meet them. I also hoped to renew my acquaintance with a few others. I thought that the occasion would help me understand how the Congress viewed Ambedkar and what future plans the party had with regard to Dalits.

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About The Author

Vidya Bhushan Rawat

Vidya Bhushan Rawat is a social activist, author and documentary filmmaker. He has authored 'Dalit, Land and Dignity'; 'Press and Prejudice'; 'Ambedkar, Ayodhya aur Dalit Andolan; 'Impact of Special Economic Zones in India'; and 'Tark Ke Yoddha'. His films – 'The Silence of Tsunami', 'The Politics of Ram Temple', 'Ayodhya: Virasat Ki Jung', 'Badlav ke aur: Struggle of Balmikis of Uttar Pradesh' and 'Living on the Edges' – explore a wide range of contemporary sociopolitical issues.

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