Dr Sanjay Kumar Bhasin
Today country is celebrating 134th birth anniversary of Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar, popularly known as Babasaheb, one of the greatest epoch thinkers world has produced in last 200 years. An “epoch-making thinker” has a profound and lasting impact, often marking the beginning of a new era of development in human history by virtue of thought and knowledge and through revolutionary, transformatory and reformatory actions. Dr. Ambedkar was a philosopher who not only interpreted the society and the world during his time but also struggled to change it, fighting as a foot soldier. Having a universal vision, he shaped and steered struggles in which was forged his belief in secularism, social justice and socialism. Annihilation of caste and negation of capitalism were on top of his agenda. He believed the bourgeoisie (capitalism) and hegemonic caste of the country as twin enemies of the people. In spite of being from disadvantaged section of the society, but by virtue of his epoch thinking he compelled British government and post independent GoI to adopt Egalitarian model of society based on the humanist principles of Liberty! Equality!!Fraternity!!!, thus denounced the principle of graded inequality thrashed upon the fourth Varna and outcaste. He prophetically wrote that the governing class always raises the cry of ‘nationalism’ whenever the exploited classes demand equal treatment. For him, true nationalism was compassionate and emancipatory. Finding it difficult to survive in Hinduism, he converted to Buddhism.
Few Facets of His Struggle full Life
His revolutionary struggle for getting water for untouchables through Mahad Movement (1923-27), and entry into Kala Ram Mandir Nasik(1930-35) has no parallels in the history, Raja Ram Mohan Rao’s struggle for abolition of Sati Pratha was the only recognized social reforms movement before this. He used to say in agony, “My heart breaks to see the pitiable sight of your helplessness as inevitability. Why did you not perish in the prenatal stage instead? Why do you worsen and sadden the picture of the sorrows, poverty, slavery and burden of the world with your deplorable, despicable and detestable miserable life? You had better die and relieve this world if you cannot rejuvenate yourself. As a matter of fact it is your birthright to get food, shelter and clothing in this land in equal proportion with every individual high or low. If you believe in a respectable life, you must believe in self-help that is the best help.”
At round table conference (RTC), Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar spoke on the total independence of India, Constitution for free India and rights of Depressed classes without sparing host British. His intellect compelled British to make him member of almost all the nine committees appointed after plenary session of RTC. His scheme titled “A Scheme of Political safeguards for the protection of the Depressed classes in the Future Constitution of a Self- governing India” and other views at RTC laid strong foundation of self-governing India and rights of Depressed classes in the future government of India.
Every effort was put in by the governing class at that time to stop entry of Babasaheb into the constituent assembly (CA) from Bombay province. His Biographer Dhannajay Keer quoted, “Bombay premier B.G. Kher, under instructions from Sardar Patel, ensured that Ambedkar was not elected to the 296-member body”. Jogendra Nath Mandal later Chairman of Pakistan’s constituent assembly got Babasaheb elected to CA from Bengal by forging alliance of Scheduled Castes Federation with Muslim League. Bengal’s Partition disabled Babasheb’s membership of the CA. Finding him indispensable, the Congress replaced M.R. Jayakar with Babasaheb from Bombay assembly to continue him as member of CA.
Immediately after independence, Babasaheb advocated rapid industrialization of the country to keep pace with the world. He wanted the farmers of the country to be self-sufficient and self-reliant. He felt that collectivism was the only answer for problems of agriculture. As an eminent socio-economic thinker and epoch-maker,he shaped the economic destiny of India by introducing many tenets of the State Socialism into the Constitution of free India. His economic thoughts are spread over a plethora of pages, speeches, and statements made in various capacities. He was the first to co-relate the evils of untouch ability and the caste system with the economic system.
Indian Social Order
His contributions towards establishment of RBI, emancipator of women, father of labour laws, maternity leave etc has never been discussed in low voice. In spite of being one of the best brains of the world, the intelligentsia, media and overall socio-political system of the country relegated him to the position of Dalit’s emancipator, His prowess as a great nationalist, a liberal democrat, a great parliamentarian find much less space in discussions. May be, he primarily symbolizes the cultural good of Dalit Bahujans, but still, to ghettoize him to Dalits alone will mean downright disrespect to him and incalculable harm to the cause of Dalits. While leaving him to Dalits will mean retrogressive destruction of the annihilation-agenda of Babasaheb Ambedkar. Ambedkarism as a phenomenon is much more than simple rhetoric. The nation should be grateful to Babasaheb Ambedkar as his followers always followed advise of Babasaheb and worshipped principles of constitutional morality and hence a bloody revolution is prevented till date.
This Superman intellectual giant died on 6th December 1956. The funeral procession was two miles long with people from all walks of life participating in it and he was rest to peace at Chaitya Bhumi Bombay. Today Babasaheb Ambedkar certainly outshines every other leader in terms of public acceptance more so amongst SCSTOBC and religious minorities and chanting his name has become necessity for all socio-religious and political outfits. No other leader can rival him in the number of statues, pictures, congregations, books, research, organizations, songs, or any other marker of popularity of/on him. However, the incidences of caste discrimination, caste atrocities, and caste discourses, etc. also show parallel growth. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s ideology needs to be given practical shape and has to be necessarily constructed to confront the far messier problem of contemporary castes than that obtained in his times.
Conclusion: Babasaheb while furthering cause for rebuilding post-colonial India engaged himself with creative thinking and critically challenged the dominant ideology. He methodically pursued for a new social order where there was adequate space for progress and development of marginalized sections and succeeded up to larger extent by pressing for humanist principles of equality, liberty and fraternity to ensure social justice to socio-educationally and economically backward sections of the society including women irrespective of their caste and religion. Just imagine, India would have been a different India without Babasaheb Ambedkar in all probability, a much more inequitable and unjust one. By all virtues Bababsaheb Ambedkar, increasingly became an indispensable political thinker and cultural symbol for analysis and social transformation and his phenomenon is being discussed widely in present times. Lakhs of people began to follow his ideas and vision both during and after his life time. A true tribute to him shall be to firmly accept him as National Icon rather than Dalit Icon and spread his thoughts in the larger interest of India as a Nation.
(The author is Academician, Thinker and Social Activist)
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