Mayawati has decided that her statute shall now stand tall at a public place in Lucknow. With her, will stand political mentor Kanshiram.

The new statue, to come up at a public place will ensure that Mayawati does not escape public conscience ever, and that her followers can bask in the pride of her towering presence.

The announcement about Kanshiram’s statue had been made soon after Mayawati took the reigns of the state in May. At 47 metres, it will dwarf even the Statue of Liberty. The addition of her own statue she claims has been made in keeping with her mentor’s wish.

A cabinet decision to this effect made on Friday, spells out that the state’s Housing department will find a suitable place to be landscaped and beautified for the statues. In addition a Kanshiram memorial with a museum, permanent gallery, inscriptions, life sketches and murals will also come up.  Apprehension about the whereabouts of the proposed memorial are already being expressed, for the chief minister is known to demolish (or at least attempt to demolish) all that stands in the way. Last month she moved against a stadium next to the Ambedkar Park, a treeless wonder that stands in the posh Gomtinagar area. The stated reason was that the local intelligence had received news of threats to the Ambedkar memorial. But the demolition attempt was stayed by the High Court.

Mayawati’s push for her statues is not an entirely original ploy. Dalit movements have constantly used pictures and statues of BR Ambedkar as a symbol of the anti caste movement. In all of these, Ambedkar is always impeccably dressed and often flanked by an image of Lord Buddha and Mahatma Jyotirao Phule. This pan Dalit image is then used with the local culture (such as street theatre in Mahrashtra, or in Bundelkhand with the legends of Jhalkari Bai from the army of the Rani of Jhansi) to foster Dalit consciousness. Mayawati is merely re- inventing that idiom. A colony in the name of Kanshi Ram, a documentary on his life and a 2.50 lakh writing award in his name will bolster the campaign.

A statue at a public place will also prompt party workers to carry similar, smaller models to the districts and villages as they start to prepare for the 2009 Lok Sabha polls. It will also send across another clear message, that Mayawati is the “only” Dalit leader of stature after Ambedkar and Kanshiram.