In his essay in the book Political Process in Uttar Pradesh: Identity, Economic Reforms and Governance (Pearson Longman: 2007), Ravi S. Srivastava offers extensive data to make some sobering points: between 1983 and 1999-2000, while all groups experienced an average improvement in standards of living, conditions of employment, levels of education, etc, the relative distance between groups did not narrow and within-group inequalities increased. More dalits were concentrated at the lower end of the economic spectrum in 1999-20000 than in 1983. Dalits formed a greater percentage of the deprived in UP in 1999-2000 than in 1983. Evidently, neither the political mobilisations that the BSP carried out in this period, nor its three stints in government, had any significant impact on the growing marginalisation of the poorer dalits in the state.

To live up to the promise of her mandate, therefore, Mayawati will have to find a way to confront and to address the institutional and political causes for the failures of backward caste politics in UP. For this, it could be crucial that she is accessible to feedback from below.

Mayawati’s peremptory style with her party men and women may not have been a problem in running an election campaign — it may even have contributed to her electoral victory. There is also something refreshing about the politician who is so much an outsider and yet makes it so big — without help or hype from the giant media machine. But even as we celebrate the phenomenon, we must recognise its genuine dangers.

... contd.