Flesh, blood or stone: Mayawati's Maya.

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Occasion: 117th birth anniversary of Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar.

The Venue: Newly renovated Ambedkar Samajik Parivartan Sthal, Lucknow.

The event: UP's Chief Minister and firebrand Dalit leader unveils four statues - of Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar, his wife Ramabai Ambedkar and of Mayawati's guru and BSP founder Kanshi Ram. But there is something else which has generated curiosity among all those gathered in the Ambedkar sthal. It is unveiling of the fourth statue. 'Mayawati In flesh and blood' will be unveiling, 'Mayawati in stone.'

But why did Mayawati unveil her own statue? Perhaps the answer lies in the reactions given by the people who had gathered for this occasion.

Three categories of people witnessed this event:

Firstly, the bureaucrats who it seemed had not slept for several days because they wanted to make the event a 'special one'.

Second, the journalists who could not wait even for hours to make the event an 'unusual one.'

And, lastly, the thousands of Bahujan Samaj Party workers who had gathered there from all over the state to witness an event "which for them was really a 'memorable one'.

So when Mayawati unveiled these statues, reactions were different from different kinds of people. The bureaucrats or Mayawati's Babu: Nearly all of them stooped before their chief minister and carried a big smile on their faces as if their own grandmothers' statue was being installed at the 500 crore Ambedkar Park.

The journalists: all started frantically calling up their offices with a sense of urgency. They wanted to tell their bosses: "Look what Mayawati has done. She has unveiled her own statue; how can she do this?

Lastly, the committed BSP workers: Many amazed, some awe struck, many cheering and clapping tirelessly, and many pushing each other just to have a glimpse of the dais where Mayawati stood; many unable to decide whom to stare - their 'dalit queen's eighteen feet tall bronze statue or their leader herself, who stood right in front of them in flesh and blood.

Kanshi Ramji used to tell me, Mayawati clarified. "In our county memorials and statues are only erected or installed after the death of a person. This practice is wrong as the person himself or herself cannot see his or her memorial. This tradition must go."

"It was Kanshi Ram's wish that after his (Kanshi Ram's) death Mayawati's statue should be installed beside him. I am only fulfilling the desire of Kanshi Ramji."

Mayawati seemed to have all the answers and these answers were neither for her own officers (whom she knew could stoop to any level to please her) nor for the media (who would write good or bad about her; but she would not care.

Her answers were only for her committed workers; who unmindful of the blistering heat, stood barefoot and listened to their supreme leader in rapt attention. Each and every worker would go back from here go to his or her village - it does not matter if the village had no electricity, pucca roads or drinking water - but Behanji's message will spread there like wild fire. "Ab dilli jana hai.... PM baha ko bana na hai," (Now get ready for Delhi so that Mayawati can become the Prime Minister).

So what makes Mayawati different from most Dalit leaders of our times? Perhaps she is the only leader who has the power to transfer the crucial Dalit vote to any other community or party. She did this successfully in the recent assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh where Dalits came out in large numbers and voted for the Brahmins candidates of the BSP.

Whatever Mayawati does these days becomes news in the media. The self-style dalit queen wears diamond ear rings; it matter little to her if her millions of voters sleep on the floor; she doesn't mind using a fleet of cars and flying on coppers for her rallies; while her voters walk barefoot to attend her rallies; She lives in palatial bungalows and adds several new ones to her kitty every year; unmindful that millions of her Dalit voters still live under the thatched roofs. But despite of all this Mayawati still manages to strike a cord with her voters. Why?

Under Maya Raj economic condition of the Dalits might not have changed but socially --- but go to any small Ambedkar village you will find dalits becoming increasingly aware of their rights. There was a time when a dalit used to be beaten up if used ghee to prepare meals in his house in rural Uttar Pradesh...but now Mayawati's supporters feel a sense of pride when they see top bureaucrats and politicians - be it Brahmins, Thakurs or Yadavs -- all queuing up to offer a piece of cake to her in her Birthday.

As one BSP worker, Promod Kumar explains: "There is no development work in my village. There is neither electricity nor roads. Our pradhan (village headman) is a Yadav and he ensures that all benefits go to the Yadavs. But I have come all the way to Lucknow to meet Behanji. I am sure she will settle this Yadav too."

No wonder one day you might find Mayawati's statues not just in Ambedkar Parks of Lucknow but in every nook and corner of Uttar Pradesh- just like the ubiquitous clay statues of her Dalit icon Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar. And, who knows if Mayawati manages to become the prime minister she might set yet another record. She could become the first prime minister in office to have her statue installed outside the parliament in New Delhi and get Taj Mahal renamed to Kanshi Ram Smarak.