Mayawati uses arms licences to gun down upper caste domination

Before she steps down as Uttar Pradesh chief minister later this month, Mayawati wants another upper caste bastion -- possession of weapons -- to crumble.

Following the Bahujan Samaj Party cadres's frequent complaints that arms licences are being issued only to the upper castes, the chief minister has ordered the state chief secretary to issue a circular to all district magistrates that priority should be given to dalits in this regard.

Days after the circular was issued on July 31, the chief minister's personal secretariat talked to those concerned, impressing upon them the spirit of the circular.

''This is a major move,'' said a BSP source. ''The dalits, who had always been at the receiving end, will now feel stronger in facing the onslaught of other backward castes and upper castes.''

Licensed weapons are not just status symbols for the Uttar Pradesh village folk. They also indicate a leader's clout -- higher the number of licences he organises for his folks the greater his influence.

In fact, Mayawati's arch political rival and Union Defence Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav owes his popularity partly to his ''liberal outlook'' in granting such licences. ''Under no other chief minister were so many licences issued,'' a top state official said.

In the past past three years, a record number of arms licences have been issued. ''As many as 70,000 of the 700,000 licences issued so far in the state have been given in the last three years,'' the official said.

Sources claim it was this impression about Mulayam Singh having made full use of his chief ministerial tenure to equip more and more OBCs with arms, that provoked Mayawati into issuing the circular.

The circular explicitly directs the divisional commissioners and district magistrates to personally monitor the monthly progress in this regard. 'All applications for issue of arms licences to scheduled castes and scheduled tribes must be disposed of within one month,' the circular stated. Reasons for delay in completing the formalities, including a police clearance, have to be communicated to the chief minister's office.

What is more, Mayawati reportedly issued oral instructions that those dilly-dallying with the dalit applicants should be taken to task.

Political observers said the move would bring rich dividends for Mayawati and her party. Though not many dalits could afford arms -- even before her government hiked the licence fee in the last assembly session -- the decision has received wide acclaim among the backwards even as it triggered the officials's criticism.

''Preferential treatment to anyone on the basis of caste or creed is unprecedented anywhere in the country,'' said a top state government official. ''Besides being grossly against the provisions of the Indian Arms Act, it violates the spirit of the Constitution.''