Click to play videoNew Delhi: The arrest of Mahendra Singh Tikait by the Mayawati government for a derogatory casteist remark has set a new precedent in North Indian politics.
When Tikait walked into a Bijnour court to surrender, it set a precedent. A decade back his casteist remark against Mayawati would have gone unnoticed but today he has to surrender and ask for forgiveness.
"I appeal for calm. I want nothing more," Tikait had said after he surrendered.
The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister's actions were based on a sound understanding of current realities.
In the 2007 Assembly elections Mayawati swept the Jat heartland of western UP by winning 30 per cent of the votes in the region.
Interestingly, among her winning candidates there were many Jat leaders, while Tikait's son Rakesh lost his Assembly seat to a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate.
And not just in UP, last year in the Gohana district of Haryana, Dalits hit back strongly when a member of their community was killed by an Other Backward Caste youth.
These are is clearly signs that social hierarchies are crumbling in north India, which reports maximum number of atrocities on Dalits.
According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRBO report of last year Uttar Pradesh reported 4960 cases of crimes against Dalits. Madhya Pradesh came second with 4214 cases while Rajasthan saw 3910 cases.
Her highhandedness might make many uncomfortable but by acting decisively Mayawati sent a clear message that it is not ok to make a casteist slur against a Dalit.
"Shri Tikait has said sorry for his actions and has expressed his regrets. Now it is up to the police to handle the case," Mayawati said.
And by making Tikait say sorry, Mayawati has also won the moral battle against all her rivals including the Congress, the Samajwadi Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party, who supported Tikait during the episode.
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