Read the passage and answer the questions:
The 1980s also saw the rise of political organisation of the Dalits. In 1978 the Backward and Minority Communities Employees Federation (BAMCEF) was formed. This organisation was not an ordinary trade union of government employees. It took a strong position in favour of political power to the ‘bahujan’ – the SC, ST, OBC and minorities. It was out of this that the subsequent Dalit Shoshit Samaj Sangharsh Samiti and later the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) emerged under the leadership of Kanshi Ram. The other long-term development during this period was the visible rise of politics based on religious identity leading to a debate about secularism and democracy. After the fall of the Janata Party and its break-up, the supporters of erstwhile Jana Sangh formed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 1980. Initially, the BJP adopted a broader political platform than that of the Jana Sangh. BJP embraced ‘Gandhian’ Socialism along with cultural nationalism as its ideology. But it did not get much success in the elections held in 1984. After 1986, the party began to emphasise nationalism as the core of its ideology. The BJP also pursued the politics of ‘Hindutva’ for political mobilisation.
Two developments around 1986 became central to the politics of BJP. The first was the Shah Bano case in 1985. In this case a 62-year old divorced Muslim woman, had filed a case for maintenance from her former husband. The Supreme Court ruled in favour of Shah Bano. The orthodox Muslims saw the Supreme Court’s order as an interference in Muslim Personal Law. On the demand of some Muslim leaders, the government passed the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act, 1986 that nullified the Supreme Court’s judgement. The Ayodhya issue, as the second significant development, was deeply rooted in socio-cultural and political history of the country pertaining to different perspectives from various stakeholders.
Which one of the following statements is correct regarding the Backward and Minority Communities Employees Federation (BAMCEF)?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → It was out of this that the subsequent Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) emerged.
Option (1) It was an ordinary trade union of government employees. False. BAMCEF was not an ordinary trade union of government employees.
Option (2) It took a strong position in opposition to political power to the ‘bahujan’. False. It took a strong position in favour of political power to the ‘bahujan’, the SC, ST, OBC and minorities.
Option (3) It was out of this that the subsequent Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS) emerged. False. The Bharatiya Jana Sangh was formed in 1951, long before BAMCEF (1978), with Shyama Prasad Mukherjee as its founder-President.
Option (4) It was out of this that the subsequent Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) emerged. True. Out of it came the Dalit Shoshit Samaj Sangharsh Samiti and later the BSP, under the leadership of Kanshi Ram.
NCERT (2025-26): “Political fallouts … The 1980s also saw the rise of political organisation of the Dalits. In 1978 the Backward and Minority Communities Employees Federation (BAMCEF) was formed. This organisation was not an ordinary trade union of government employees. It took a strong position in favour of political power to the ‘bahujan’ – the SC, ST, OBC and minorities. It was out of this that the subsequent Dalit Shoshit Samaj Sangharsh Samiti and later the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) emerged under the leadership of Kanshi Ram.…” |