Buoyed by her unexpectedly huge success in Uttar Pradesh Assembly election, Ms. Mayabati naturally suffers from an euphoria about her own and her party's future. She might be privately relying on Swami Vivekananda's prophecy in the 1920s that India would have a 'Sudra Raj', some day, when the wheel of Time would turn full circle so that the untouchables, whom Mayavati calls 'dalits' avenge the hatred and ill-treatment of them by upper-caste Hindus. In this, her rival would be the Railway Minister, Lalu Prasad Jadav whose wife, Rabri Devi once said, "howsoever you folks may laugh at my husband's boorishness, one day he will ascend the chair of Prime minister of India". Whether either of the two, or both in succession, would one day rule India is still in the womb of future but a question that can be asked and answered now is: "Should they, or any other Dalit leader rule India, now or in future? India being a democratic country with a multi-party system cannot bar a Dalit leader becoming the Prime Minister if his opr her party secures majority on its own strength, or with support of kindred parties but could the complexity of India's politics or economy be understood and mastered by a Dalit leader? In politics, education and coivil services, the Dalits are rising not on merit but by reservation. Until and unless the post of Prime Minister or any other top civilian post is also reserved for Dalits, no leader from them can or should occupy them. This Ms. Mayavati and Mr. LP Yadav will not like or agree with but the fact remains, proved by generationsd of experience, that daliyts are genetically weaker than non-Dalits. But, as it is said, nothing is impossible in politics. who had ever thought, not even Ms. Mayavati herself perhaps, that her party BSP would sweep like this a State election and she herself would be catapulted to the top executive post in India's largest and politically most decisive State. Bandana Ray Camp: Singapore
