Kartikey Sehgal

Mayawati is right about Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi when she says that “…he was responsible for depriving the community of certain special rights and privileges by getting the Poona Pact passed on September 24, 1932."  (source)

Mohandas was not very concerned about Dalit rights. He felt that Hindu society would disintegrate if special privileges were given to Dalits. His concern lay not in the progress of Dalits or Brahmins but in the welfare of the nation.

If I further divide the Hindu society and demand special privileges for my group, then Mr. Gandhi is not obliged to grant me privileges. He would want to squash my opposition through active persistence. Another leader would want to use violence to curb my group and ensure that the Indian society is not divided and weakened.

Mohandas was not an appeaser. He relented only when he thought that it would help the nation. And then when he made a mistake, he would admit it to himself or write about it.

Our nation can be labelled as a nation of concessions. We give concessions to any group that can help achieve the political aim.

Strangely, Mohandas’s supporters are feeling bad that Mayawati is not considering their hero to be an appeaser.