In June of 2009, there will be an election for the office of prime minister in India. There is a great deal of speculation about who will be selected. There is the possibility that a woman of humble origins will be selected. Mayawati Naina Kumari is a woman who is often called "The queen of the humble." She is a strong candidate to be the next prime minister.
A caste system has existed in India for centuries that consists of four classes, as well as one more class that is not included in the system. They are the Untouchables. The Untouchables are the lowest class in India.
India is a country where inequality is perpetuated through observation of the caste system even though it has been legally abolished. Nevertheless, if Kumari is elected the prime minister, it will mark a huge change in India's contemporary history. 50 years have passed since the abolition of the caste system. However, the Untouchables are still treated much as they were when the caste system was legal. If Kumari is elected, she will be the first person from her caste to attain that high an office. This would also be a victory for women in general in India. Indira Gandhi is the only female prime minister in India's history. However, she came from a noble family, and also became famous because she was the daughter of Nehru. If Kumari wins the election, it will be even more meaningful than Indira Gandhi's election. It will show that even a woman from the lowest end of society can attain the highest office.
She promotes a BMW policy. This policy means she will tolerate Brahmins, Muslims and Weakers. The political climate of India is historically sectional. She said that her BMW policy can unite the rich and the poor, Untouchables and Brahmins, Hindus and Muslims. However, not everyone will accept Kumari. India's top class, who still will not accept the Untouchables, asserts that she is using the legacy of Ambedkar. Ambedkar is called the "Father of the humble," he worked all his life to liberate people of the lower classes.
The top class might still look upon the lower classes as being untouchable. However, a champion of the Untouchables believes a policy that tolerates all classes is possible. Generous minds that tolerate others can make a better India for the future and help them finally be free of their past.
