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Harijan Mandal

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The Harijan Mandal was an Ambedkarite political party in Jammu and Kashmir. The party was founded in 1951.[1] It was modelled on the Scheduled Castes Federation.[2] Unlike its predecessor, the All Jammu and Kashmir Harijan Mandal (founded in the 1920s), this organization was oriented towards electoral politics.[1] It was led by Babu Milkhi Ram (president), Munshi Ram, Major Singh and Sain Das.[1][2][3] The party was concentrated in Jammu.[3][4] It was opposed to the Praja Parishad, which was dominated by upper caste Hindus.[3] The party received government support during the reign of Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad.[3]

The party fielded two candidates in the 1952 Jammu and Kashmir Constituent Assembly election, Milkhi Ram being one of them. Both were defeated by Jammu and Kashmir National Conference candidates by large margins.[2][5] The party had received support from the Praja Parishad, which had withdrawn its candidates from the election.[6] The party won one seat (Babu Milkhi Ram, representing Jammu Tehsil) in the 1957 Jammu and Kashmir assembly election.[2][7][8][9] It had contested all four seats reserves for Scheduled Castes.[3] The election symbol of party was a standing lion.[8]

The party contested the 1962 Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly election as a constituent of the United Socialist Front (a coalition led by the Praja Socialist Party, and which also included the Akali Dal).[10][11] The party fielded ten candidates, but none was elected. All in all, they got 13,743 votes (1.89% of the votes in the state).[12] After the 1962 election the party entered a phase of decline. It was dissolved in 1970.[1] Milkhi Ram later joined the Republican Party of India.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Saxena, Ashish and Vijaylaxmi Saxena. RELIGIOUS LANDSCAPE, LOW CASTE HINDUS AND THE IDENTITY POLITICS: CONFIGURATION OF SOCIO-RELIGIOUS SPACE FOR WEAKER SECTIONS IN JAMMU CITY, J&K (INDIA). p. 101
  2. ^ a b c d e Rāmacandra Kshīrasāgara (1 January 1994). Dalit Movement in India and Its Leaders, 1857-1956. M.D. Publications Pvt. Ltd. p. 92. ISBN 978-81-85880-43-3.
  3. ^ a b c d e S. N. Sadasivan (1977). Party and democracy in India. Tata McGraw-Hill. p. 59.
  4. ^ Shiv Lal (1972). Indian elections since independence. Election Archives. p. 77.
  5. ^ Zaheer Masood Quraishi (1979). Elections and State Politics of India: A Case Study of Kashmir. Sundeep. p. 47.
  6. ^ Yog Raj Sharma (2002). Political Dynamics of Jammu and Kashmir. Radha Krishan Anand & Company. p. 315. ISBN 978-81-88256-02-0.
  7. ^ Role of Regional Political Parties in India. Mittal Publications. 2007. p. 6. ISBN 978-81-8324-191-5.
  8. ^ a b India. Election Commission (1963). Report on the Third General Elections in India, 1962. Manager of Publications.
  9. ^ India: A Reference Annual. Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. 1960. p. 414.
  10. ^ Link, Vol. 4, Eds. 26–51. United India Periodicals. 1962. p. 67.
  11. ^ Balraj Puri (1962). Conduct of Elections in Jammu and Kashmir State. Jammu and Kashmir Praja Socialist Party. p. 13.
  12. ^ Election Commission of India. State Election, 1962 to the Legislative Assembly of Jammu And Kashmir
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