Kanshi Ram facts for kids

Kanshi Ram (born March 15, 1934 – died October 9, 2006) was an important Indian politician and social reformer. He was also known as Bahujan Nayak or Manyavar. He worked to help and politically empower the Bahujans. These were people from backward or lower castes, including groups who faced discrimination in the caste system in India.

To achieve his goals, Kanshi Ram started several organizations. He founded the Dalit Shoshit Samaj Sangharsh Samiti (DS-4) in 1971. He also created the All India Backwards (SC/ST/OBC) and Minorities Communities Employees' Federation (BAMCEF) in 1971. Later, in 1984, he started the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). He later handed over the leadership of the BSP to his close associate, Mayawati. She went on to become the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh four times.

Early Life and Education

Kanshi Ram was born on March 15, 1934, in Ropar district, Punjab, British India. His family belonged to the Ramdasia group of the Chamar caste. Some say he was born in Pirthipur Bunga village, while others say Khawaspur village.

He studied at different local schools. In 1956, he earned a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree from Government College Ropar.

Beginning His Career

Kanshi Ram started working at the Explosive Research and Development Laboratory in Pune. It was during this time that he first experienced caste discrimination. This experience led him to become an activist in 1964.

People who admire him say he was inspired by B. R. Ambedkar's book Annihilation of Caste. He also saw how a Dalit employee was treated unfairly for wanting to celebrate Ambedkar's birthday. Kanshi Ram was deeply influenced by Ambedkar and his ideas.

Forming Organizations

Kanshi Ram first supported the Republican Party of India (RPI). However, he became unhappy when they worked with the Indian National Congress. In 1971, he started the All India SC, ST, OBC and Minority Employees Association.

In 1978, this organization became BAMCEF. BAMCEF aimed to encourage educated people from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, and Minorities to support Ambedkar's principles. BAMCEF was not a political or religious group. It did not aim to protest but to unite people.

Later, in 1981, Kanshi Ram formed another social group called Dalit Shoshit Samaj Sangharsh Samiti (DSSSS, or DS4). He began working to bring together the votes of the Dalit community.

Founding the Bahujan Samaj Party

In 1984, Kanshi Ram founded the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). This party aimed to represent the interests of the Bahujan community. He ran in his first election in 1984 from the Janjgir-Champa area in Chhattisgarh.

The BSP became very successful in Uttar Pradesh. At first, it was hard to unite Dalits and Other Backward Classes. But later, under Mayawati's leadership, this gap was successfully closed.

The Chamcha Age

In 1982, Kanshi Ram published his only book, The Chamcha Age. In this book, he used the word chamcha, which means "stooge" or "puppet." He used it to describe Dalit leaders who he felt were working for their own gain. He believed they were not truly working for the benefit of their community.

He argued that Dalit leaders should work politically for their own community's goals. They should not compromise by simply working with other political parties. He believed that if Dalit leaders only followed upper-caste parties, they would become "stooges."

Political Journey

After forming the BSP, Kanshi Ram famously said the party would fight its first election to lose. The next election would be to get noticed, and the third election would be to win.

In 1988, he ran for election in Allahabad. He ran against V. P. Singh, who later became Prime Minister. Kanshi Ram did well, getting nearly 70,000 votes, but he lost.

He also ran unsuccessfully in East Delhi (Lok Sabha constituency) and Amethi (Lok Sabha constituency) in 1989. He came in third place in both elections. Later, he became a member of the 11th Lok Sabha (1996-1998) from Hoshiarpur. Kanshi Ram was also elected as a member of Lok Sabha from Etawah in Uttar Pradesh.

After the Demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Kanshi Ram joined forces. They wanted to keep certain political forces out of power. They created unity among backward and Dalit castes. They used the popular slogan, "Mile Mulayam-Kanshi Ram, Hawa mein ud gaye Jai Shri Ram" (When Mulayam & Kanshiram come together, Jai Shri Ram vanishes).

After the election, a coalition government was formed in Uttar Pradesh. It was made up of the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party. Mulayam Singh Yadav led this government. However, due to some disagreements and Mayawati's goals, this alliance broke up in June 1995. Mayawati then became the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh for the first time, with support from the BJP. In 2001, Kanshi Ram named Mayawati as his successor.

Planned Conversion to Buddhism

In 2002, Kanshi Ram announced his plan to convert to Buddhism. He intended to do this on October 14, 2006. This date marked 50 years since Ambedkar's conversion to Buddhism. He hoped that 50 million of his supporters would convert at the same time.

This plan was important because Kanshi Ram's followers included people from many different castes, not just those who faced discrimination. Their conversion could greatly increase support for Buddhism. However, he and Mayawati decided to convert when the BSP would form a strong government.

Mayawati explained their decision. She said, "Saheb Kanshi Ram and I had decided that we will convert and adopt Buddhism when we will get 'absolute majority' at the center. We wanted to do this because we can make a difference to the religion by taking along with us millions of people. If we convert without power then only we two will be converting. But when you have power you can really create a stir."

Death and Legacy

Kanshi Ram had diabetes. He suffered a heart attack in 1994 and a stroke in 2003. He passed away in New Delhi on October 9, 2006, at the age of 72. He died from a severe heart attack. He had been mostly bed-ridden for over two years.

According to his wishes, his funeral was held following Buddhist traditions. Mayawati lit the funeral pyre. His ashes were placed in an urn at Prerna Sthal, where many people came to pay their respects.

The Indian Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, called Kanshi Ram "one of the greatest social reformers of our time." He said Kanshi Ram's ideas and movements had a big impact on India's political development. He was able to unite different underprivileged groups and give them a political voice. Under Kanshi Ram's leadership, the BSP won 14 parliamentary seats in the 1999 elections.

Many government programs, schemes, and public buildings in Uttar Pradesh are named after Kanshi Ram. His birthplace, Pirthipur Bunga Sahib, has a memorial with his statue. The Manyawar Shri Kanshiram Ji Green Eco Garden in Lucknow is also named in his memory.

Statues of Mayawati (L) and Kanshi Ram (R) at Ambedkar Memorial Park

Books by and about Kanshi Ram

In 1982, Kanshi Ram wrote The Chamcha Age (The Era of the Stooges). This book explained his views on Dalit leaders who he believed were not truly independent. His book Birth of BAMCEF was also published.

A biography about him, Kanshiram: Leader of the Dalits, was written by Badri Narayan Tiwari. His speeches have also been collected in books like Bahujan Nayak Kanshiram Ke Avismarniya Bhashan.

Biopic Film

In 2017, a Hindi-language biopic film called The Great Leader Kanshiram was released in India. The film was directed and produced by Arjun Singh. It tells the story of Kanshi Ram, from his childhood up to 1984. It covers his work in founding DS4, BAMCEF, and the Bahujan Samaj Party.