BJP has set new standards when it comes to internal democracy and uplifting the downtrodden. What clearly corroborates this fact is that Rajesh Kalia was elected Mayor of Chandigarh after 16 out of the 27 votes were polled in his favour. Kalia belongs to the Valmiki community and had once worked as a rag picker to support his family. His father, Kundan Lal, retired as a sweeper and one of his brothers still works as a sweeper. His family’s financial condition had compelled Rajesh Kalia to work as a rag picker at a very young age in order to provide monetary support for his family.
Rajesh Kalia said, “I used to work as a rag picker after school. My two brothers, four sisters and I, would collect rags from garbage mounds and sell them to support the family. I am not ashamed that I worked as a rag picker. That is the harsh reality of my life”. Rajesh Kalia hails from Ahulana, a village in Haryana’s Sonipat district. He shifted to Chandigarh in 1977. Kalia recalls how he and his siblings were discriminated against as they are from a lower caste. Kalia’s father said, “My son is very hard working. I have told him to work for the common people and make Chandigarh clean.” Rajesh Kalia’s three daughters are proud of what their father has been able to achieve. One of his daughters, Nisha, who is a second-year BBA student, said, “I have seen our father doing numerous jobs like driving an auto rickshaw or even picking up rags. We are proud of him.”
Kalia is also an RSS activist and had led the garbage collector’s agitation last year when the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation had decided to privatise the garbage collection work. Now, having become the Mayor of Chandigarh, he has taken up the task of making Chandigarh the cleanest city in India. Currently, the city is ranked third, with Indore and Bhopal figuring first and second respectively in the Swachh Survekshan rankings of the central government.
Rajesh Kalia’s election as the Mayor of Chandigarh is the true definition of empowerment and upliftment. It is not merely symbolic but a concrete example of how someone belonging to a lower caste community can go on to be elected to a prestigious post. It shows that someone belonging to marginalised sections of society can rise to great heights with dedication and hard work if given the opportunity.
The BJP deserves to be applauded for giving such an opportunity to someone belonging to vulnerable sections of the society. This is something that can happen only in a party like the BJP. This goes on to show that all the BJP cares about is dedication and ability. It is primarily why people like Rajesh Kalia who represent the unprivileged sections get an opportunity to rise in terms of political power. The lack of resources or monetary backing do not act as a hindrance and that is why someone who once cleaned streets and picked up rags has now become the Mayor of a city like Chandigarh.