How Mayawati competed with PM to impress UP's children

After much dithering, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati finally agreed that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's message will be read out to children in schools across the state on Friday. Her decision, however, came with a rider – the PM's letter was read out along with her message across 3 lakh schools in the state.  

Mayawati had earlier turned down the missive from the Centre to read out the PM's message to school children on November 11, the birthday of freedom fighter Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad, also observed as the National Education Day.

"The state government never had any intention to ignore the prime minister's message to the children, but since the UP chief minister too wants to convey her good wishes to them, we made arrangements for simultaneous reading of both the messages," a top spokesman of the chief minister's office said.

The PM's message included a vivid description of the tough life he led in his early days and how it was merit that eventually took him to get the best education at London School of Economics. Mayawati too did not lag behind in highlighting how she too acquired her education at the Delhi University.

"I had to walk miles to reach my school in my native village in Punjab … I slogged and studied hard to earn my reward from this nation which paid me back in much bigger dividends," Dr Singh stated in his message, which also highlighted the adversities he faced.

As if to give Dr Singh a match, Mayawati pointed out, "It was my dedication and hard work that enabled me to acquire higher education -- a BA, BEd and LLB from Delhi University."

She went on to add, "thanks to my grandfather the late Mangal Sen who never believed in discriminating between girls and boys I could move ahead of my brothers because he always inspired and encouraged me to gain more and more education."

"I began my career as a school teacher and later took to social service and politics; see today I am the chief minister of India's most populous state for the fourth time. I am sure you too can scale such heights in life and serve the society, state and the nation," she said.

The UP chief minister also made it a point to focus on Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar by highlighting how "this architect of the Indian Constitution had made special provision for providing free and compulsory education to all until the age of 14 years."

She added, "It was in keeping with Babasaheb's dream that I made it a point to formulate a policy of not only ensuring free education but of also providing free books, free uniform as well as free meals to all students irrespective of caste or creed in all our schools."

"All this was not available until sometime back. I would want you all to take advantage of these new facilities and make it a point to attend classes, study, set your goals and achieve them," she concluded.