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Building the Mayawati Empire, Uttar Pradesh, India
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Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh (U.P.), India, February 2009 : Mayawati, U.P.'s Chief Minister for the 4th time in a row, is an icon for millions of India's Dalits, or "Untouchables" who provide an important base for her after centuries of oppression by the Hindu upper castes. But more than that, she is known nation wide as an extremely corrupt, extortionist, untrustworthy, politician who governs with an iron fist and strikes fear in all under her rule. Seen here are massive construction works ordered by Mayawati, but what they are building are hundreds of statues of herself (some even with a clearly marked Versace handbag) and her mentor besides a few other Dalit leaders. There are hundreds of these structures under construction in U.P., which could end up costing $250 million dollars of public money.

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Photo by Suzanne Lee
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mayawati lucknow uttar pradesh india south asia asia indian minister chief politician elections statues empire dictatorship lady woman female construction building build stone labor labour labourer laborer worker work constructor sari mayavati kumari kanshi ram ambedkar rao dalit caste untouchable lowest lawyer law corrupt
Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh (U.P.), India, February 2009 : Mayawati, U.P.'s Chief Minister for the 4th time in a row, is an icon for millions of India's Dalits, or "Untouchables" who provide an important base for her after centuries of oppression by the Hindu upper castes. But more than that, she is known nation wide as an extremely corrupt, extortionist, untrustworthy, politician who governs with an iron fist and strikes fear in all under her rule. Seen here are massive construction works ordered by Mayawati, but what they are building are hundreds of statues of herself (some even with a clearly marked Versace handbag) and her mentor besides a few other Dalit leaders. There are hundreds of these structures under construction in U.P., which could end up costing $250 million dollars of public money.