Relevance of Ambedkarism in India - Essay, UPSC MAINS | Course for UPPSC Preparation - UPPSC (UP) PDF Download

Relevance of Ambedkarism in India

structure

(1) Opening    —    Dalits are forced back into their age-old subservient positions.

(2) Body    —    Social liberation, economic emancipation and political 

advancement of the downtrodden.

    —    An ideology of protest against the oppressions and inequalities.

    —    Anti-untouchability move-ment in Maharashtra.

    —    His days of action.

    —    Difference of opinion with Gandhi.

    —    About democracy.

    —    Ambedkar and Buddhism.

    —    Not a caste problem but a problem of human rights.

(3) Closing    —    ‘Ambedkarism’ as a doctrine will definitely help in rethinking about the various issues and problems our world is facing today.

The Dalits of India have continued to be neglected and ostracised in Hindu society because of its irrepressible caste system. From time immemorial they have been, and continue to be, downtrodden, exploited and oppressed. They suffer the stigma of untouchability even after untouchability has been abolished and its practice has been declared as an offence by law. They are socially frail, economically needy and politically powerless. They continue to be so despite protective discrimination policies being given effect to by the government under various constitutional provisions. Even if a small section of them has become well-to-do under government patronage and has  moved up economically and professionally, socially they are still downgraded and unacceptable, socially they are still downgraded and unacceptable. When the Dalits endeavour to rise up in the social scale, they are too often brutally crushed by upper castes, who resort to mob-raids, murder, arson and rape. The Dalits are thus forced back into their age-old subservient positions.

At different points of time in history a number of reformers, saints, politicians fought for the eradication of untouchability in Indian society as a means of improving the socio-economic status of the Dalits. Among them was B.R. Ambedkar—an untouchable himself, who championed the cause of the Dalits and fought relentlessly throughout his life to ensure equality, social justice, self-respect and freedom for them. Ambedkar stood for the social liberation, economic emancipation and political advancement of the downtrodden million—a task never undertaken by any high-caste Hindu leader with so much vigour and force.

The Hindu reformers had focussed only on issues such as widow remarriage, child marriage, etc, which aimed at reforming the Hindu family. But, none of them aimed at a fundamental and radical change in the social system of which the institution of family was only a part. They did not boldly attack the ideological basis of social institutions such as the caste system and untouchability. Their concern was not the rejection but the interpretation of the scriptures in the light of contemporary exigencies and reason. Ambedkar was remarkably free from this limitation. His protest and reformist movement was against the age-old abuses and disabilities of the Dalits in our society. The climax of this struggle occurring towards the end of his life was a total rejection by him of Hinduism and his conversion to Buddhism. His life-long battle reflects his world view, philosophy and ideology which we call “Ambedkarism” today.

Like any other ideology, Ambedkarism too projects a perspective on man and his world can aims at modifying and changing the existing order of things and replacing it with something that he considers better, and is in keeping with the dignity of one and all. And since the existing order of things itself is the point of origination of all the troubles and problems for the Dalits, Ambedkar’s ideological weapon is turned mainly towards toppling this order as a prelude to the resurrection of the Dalits. In this sense, Ambedkarism is an ideology of protest against the oppressions and inequalities which are in-built in the caste system. Ambedkarism, the most revolutionary and ruthless critique of the caste system, calls for a total rejection of social and religious hegemony by the upper castes and of inequality in all forms. It exposes, above all, the philosophy and its pragmatic consequences that brand a large section of the populace as untouchables and condemn it perennially to a life of penury and indignity.

Ambedkarism as a philosophy is committed to the total annihilation of the caste system and to bring equality on all fronts. But, before going deeper into this ideology, it is necessary to review the back-ground in which Ambedkar took up his life’s mission, to have a proper perspective on his life and his philosophy.

As a young man, Ambedkar was imbued with hatred for the Indian social system which condemned him and his class of people to utter degradation. Ambedkar’s education in the USA, England and Germany broadened his horizon and strengthened his resolve to free his community from the thralldom of misery through rational and progressive means. He wanted equality in religious, social, economic and political spheres.

A radical reconstruction of Indian society, as Ambedkar imagined, cannot come without the intensification of the caste/class struggle. Since Hinduism is founded on scriptures which sanctioned the caste-based social order, a just solution can only be possible through a new edifice, that is, the annihilation of the Indian caste system. For this, Ambedkar launched several satyagrahas.

In 1926 Ambedkar started Mahad Tank Satyagraha with S.K. Bole, the leader of the non-Brahmin party, to use all public waterplaces, wells etc. In 1927 he started a Marathi fortnightly Bahiskrit Bharati.

In the same year the first Mahar political conference was organised where some of Ambedkar’s followers had started burning the Manusmriti as a part of their protest. In 1930 the temple entry movement was launched with the attempt to enter the Kala Ram Mandir at Nastik. The Janata a weekly was published by Ambedkar during this period. He also formed the Samata Saina Dal (Social Equality Army) to dislodge values which fostered anti-human attitude in the name of traditional and cultural heritage. Another organisation which Ambedkar established in 1927 was the ‘Samaj Samata Sangh’ through which he announced: Social equality among untouchables; inter-caste marriage; equal status for women.

The sole motive of Ambedkar’s movement was to establish equal in religious, social, economic and political matters to all classes, offering the Dalits an opportunity to rise in the scale of life and creating conducive conditions for their advancement. For the total upliftment of the downgraded untouchables Ambedkar came to realise that unless this socially suppressed section of the Indian society secured political power it was not possible to completely wipe out all social, legal and cultural disabilities from which they suffered. That is why his slogan was: “Be a ruling race.” But, political power which Ambedkar wanted for the untouchables during the British rule could not be obtained due to the stiff resistance of the congress with its caste Hindu character. This Ambedkar characterises as “full-blooded and blue-blooded Hindu body”.

The inability of the Congress and the various socio-political organisations to bring about substantial improvement in the position of the depressed classes constituted a basic cause of the movement among the Dalit leaders to seek social and political uplift as a separate entry. Without understanding this point properly the critics of Ambedkar accuse him of being “anti-national”.

Ambedkar and Gandhi embraced different positions on the issue of untouchability. The latter believed the untouchability was an excrescence, a pathological growth that had nothing to do with the essential nature of the caste system which was the framework for the division of labour. He maintained that caste had existed in the past without untouchability and untouchability could be purged from it without doing damage to its fundamental design. Gandhi advocated a purified varnashrama dharama in which untouchables would be restored to their rightful place as Shudras. The idea of Gandhi on untouchability invites much criticism.

Ambedkar consistently opposed the Congress and Gandhi and demanded political safeguards and rights for the untouchables. This resulted in demanding adequate representation of the unprivileged classes in both political and educational fields. As the chief architect of the 

Indian Constitution, Ambedkar worked hard for a new constitutional order based on equality and social justice. Ironically, however, his dream has not materialised even after more than four decades of the working of the Consultation. The atrocities and tortures perpetrated on the Dalits today provide vivid proof of this.

Ambedkar believed that democracy was meaningless if it did not enable members of the deprived and the depressed classes to be dignified citizens of the country. Doubting the credentials of Indian democracy he left the need for a strong opposition, equality before law and in administration, constitutional morality, a strong and active moral sense in society and the presence of public conscience. True to his doubt Indian democracy has failed miserably in its endeavour as the state-sponsored tyranny and oppression against the Dalit community are increasing day by day.

Being dismayed and frustrated with the negative attitude of the caste-Hindu people, Ambedkar, towards the end of his life, rejected Hinduism and embraced Buddhism. Of course, his decision was not a sudden one. As early as in May 1929 at the Jalgaon conference of the Scheduled Caste, there was resolution which called all the depressed class people to embrace any religion other than Hinduism.

Not understanding the conversion as a protest, the critics of Ambedkar charge him as an “escapist”. Generally speaking, Buddhism advocates a casteless and classless society as against the Hindu society which is based on graded inequality. Buddha’s opposition to human exploitation is, perhaps, the main reason for which Ambedkar finds in Buddhism an alternative.

It is unfortunate that Brahmanism the quintessence of cast ideology and caste-ridden society which took roots in India thousands of years ago, survives even today. It has been enmeshed with the history of our country that is, history of feudalism, colonialism etc. and refuses to leave us even in this epoch of freedom. What has enabled it to thrive for such a long time?

Nowdays people all over the world are taking about human rights, its violation and its serious consequences in society. Caste system in India, by its very nature and functions, is against the rights and liberties of certain sections of people who as Dalits suffer till date. However, the post-Ambedkar scheduled Caste problem is not a caste problem but a problem of human rights. When castes are humanised the problems of the Scheduled Caste wither away.

Today, Ambedkar is known that is not only as an intellectual but also as a critical thinker and analyst, has been regarded as more than an institution—a social reformer, a redeemer, a law-maker and so on. The whole life of Ambedkar was a ceaseless struggle for the attainment of a social objective, improvement of the downtrodden and the scope of which was not confined to the Scheduled Castes only but encompassed the urges and aspirations of the cast millions of the under-privileged people in the country.

Ambedkar’s social philosophy, his views on religion, economics and politics, etc. are very much relevant to the present and the future. In this respect, “Ambedkarism” as a doctrine will definitely help in rethinking about the various issues and problems our world is facing today.