NEW DELHI: PM Narendra Modi on Friday introduced plans for a grand celebration of the second beginning centenary of famend nineteenth century social reformer Jyotiba Phule, in what could be seen as an necessary gesture to OBCs who revere the anti-caste activist, who additionally championed ladies’s schooling.“Within the close to future, we might be marking the 2 hundredth beginning anniversary of the nice social reformer Jyotiba Phule. We’re going to start the celebrations for this anniversary. Phule’s rules and the mantra “precedence to the backward” are an inspiration for us,” mentioned Modi. The proposed celebrations mark the elevation of Phule, who was born into Mali caste, to the nationwide pantheon.BJP included Phule and his spouse Savitribai, identified for her ‘passionate and tireless’ advocacy for ladies’s schooling, amongst its gallery of icons way back. However Modi’s plans for his bicentenary flip the embrace right into a heat hug.Modi mentioned his govt is working to implement Phule’s mantra. “By giving precedence to the backward, we need to attain the heights of transformation. We need to put in our utmost effort for this. By means of clear insurance policies, we want to make “precedence to backward” a actuality on the bottom, bringing it into the lives of each backward individual”.The remarks have been seen from a number of prisms, together with the upcoming determination on vp, selection of the brand new BJP chief, and Bihar polls the place OBCs will play the decisive function. Phule, for lengthy, has been a serious affect on the OBCs in Bihar, with many among the many intermediate castes of Kushwahas and Koeris, who, like Malis, are engaged in horticulture, relating to him as one among their very own.The PM additionally spoke about Dalits and different disadvantaged sections whereas stressing the necessity for govt to be proactive about enhancing lives. “Whether or not they’re Dalits, the oppressed, the exploited, or the disadvantaged, govt needs to be proactively constructive for them, govt needs to be pro-people,” he mentioned.Modi mentioned some individuals endure from the misperception that his govt was implementing schemes for welfare of the disadvantaged sections the identical means as its predecessors. “We’re implementing schemes on the bottom. We emphasise saturation as a result of if there’s any true execution of social justice, it’s in saturation the place no eligible individual is neglected.”Phule’s bicentenary celebrations would mark the co-option by BJP of a second legendary social reformer from Maharashtra, after B R Ambedkar was formally inducted into its ‘Corridor of Inspirations’. The apply of adopting even those that had as soon as appeared incompatible with the social gathering’s unique ethos has gone hand-in-hand with the enlargement of its base past the core. It gathered momentum beneath Modi who, as PM, moved vigorously to establish the social gathering with Ambedkar’s legacy.