My ideology has an edge over ideology of NDA nominee: Meira Kumar

The opposition's presidential candidate Meira Kumar on Wednesday said her ideology of inclusiveness and democratic values has an edge over the ideology represented by NDA nominee Ram Nath Kovind.

"It is not a personal fight. I have respect for my illustrious opponent and I don't have an edge over him. But my ideology certainly has an edge over his ideology and that I am very sure of. We are genuinely here for Dalits, weaker sections and for women," Meira Kumar said in an interview to NDTV news channel.

Asked about the numbers in the President's election -- scheduled for July 17 -- going against her, the former Lok Sabha Speaker said: "No battle is a losing battle, especially if it is fought for the right cause."

"I believe in my ideology. I am going to start my campaign from Sabarmati Ashram of Mahatma Gandhi...it's symbolic. I believe in his ideology, I believe in his democratic values, I believe in inclusiveness, social justice, transparency and freedom of press," she said.

Earlier in the day, Meira Kumar filed her nomination for the President's election at Parliament House here.

Responding to being called a dynast, Meira Kumar said: "I am very glad to be straight...I want to clarify that I am not a dynast."

"Dalits for centuries have suffered humiliation, were suppressed, were not given opportunities to do anything. But lately, ever since we became independent, they have got opportunities and because of the opportunities, some of them have reached places, have proved themselves and have achieved.

"If their two generations prove and achieve -- father and mother do it and then their child does it -- then immediately they are called elite and dynast," she said.

"But they don't see that someone, who suffered and suffered, has in just two generations reached where it has taken others many generations to reach," the opposition presidential candidate said.

She also pointed out that it was just a way to condemn and demoralise the achievers among the Dalits.

"They are saying that I am not married to a Dalit, but my Constitution says that our caste is decided by birth and it doesn't change," she said on being married to a non-Dalit.

Reacting to the President's election being dubbed as a "Dalit vs Dalit contest", Meira Kumar said: "It is a very crucial point which pertains to polity, social fabric and mindset of the people of India.

"We are in the second decade of the 21st century and when the election happens, people talk of Dalit vs Dalit. If in any other country people talk of racism and apartheid, we condemn it, and here we are talking about Dalit vs Dalit...that is very shameful," she said.

Meira Kumar also said that Dalits are a class which has suffered "historical collective trauma because of historical collective prejudice".

"I feel that the prejudice must now be buried, so that the particular section of the society could come out of that trauma," she said.

Lashing out at the critics for referring to the presidential election as a battle of Dalits, the daughter of former Deputy Prime Minister Babu Jagjivan Ram said: "In the past, there has been presidential election where both sides have fielded the candidates of upper castes and no one questioned about their caste. They talked about their qualification, experience, ability, achievements and no one mentioned caste.

"But when my opponent and I am contesting, then the first thing that everybody is talking about now is that for supreme position of India, two Dalits are fighting."

"Is this how it should be?" she said.

Meira Kumar was announced as the opposition's presidential nominee, having the backing of 17 parties, on June 22.

--IANS

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