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Ambedkar- Dr. B.R. TheMan and HisMessage A Commemorative Volume . J Dr. B.R. AMBEDKAR The Man and His' Message A Commemorative Volume Edited by SUDARSHAN AGARWAL Secretary-General, Rajya Sabha , , Prentice ..Hall of India IP>Il'O\Yl~'U@OJIMlOU@@l New Delhi-110001 1991 r- I Rs.125.oo I Dr. B.R.AMBEDKAR- The Man and His Message: ACommemorative Volume Edited by Sudarshan Agarwal -." (i64qftt ~~ PRENTICE-HALLINTERNATIONALI,NC.,Englewood Cliffs. PRESIDENT PRENTICE-HALLINTERNATIONALI,NC.,London REPUBLIC OF INDIA PRENTICE-HALLOFAUSTRALIAP,TY.LTD.,Sydney PRENTICE-HALLCANADA,INC.,Toronto PRENTICE-HALLOFJAPAN,INC.,Tokyo ••• • PRENTICE-HALLOFSOUTHEASTASIA(PTE.)LTD.,Singapore EDITORAPRENTICE-HALLDO BRASILLTDA.,RiodeJaneiro PRENTICE-HALLHISPANOAMERICANAS,A, Mexico City Message @ 1991by RajyaSabha Secretariat, New Delhi. Allrights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by mimeograph or any other means, without permission in writing from the editor and Dr. B.R.Ambedkar's is a household name in India-whether in his the publishers. home state or in the far-flung areas of India, the intelligentsia as well as the humble folk look up to his memory with admira'tion and respect. His portrait adorns not just the walls of our legislatures and ISBN-Q-S7692-634-0 public buildings, but also those of countless humble dwellings in factorypremises, workers' linerooms and busties all over the country. The people of India have perceived in Babasaheb Ambedkar a man who feltin hisown arteries the pulsations of his poor brethren. The export rights of this book are vested solely with the publishers. Bhimrao Ambedkar was born in the oppressed community of Mahars and was personally witness to the many humiliating privations Published for the RajyaSabha Secretariat, New Delhi. which were being heaped upon the so-called untouchables of India. During his school days, young Bhimrao realised what the ~tigma of untouchability meant. The story istold of how, when Bhimrao and his brother were once going to Goregaon from Masurrailway station, they secured abullock cart. Hardly had the cart gone a few yards when the cartman learnt that the two boys in the cart were 'untouchables'. The Phototypeset and Printed by Mohan Makhijani at Rekha Printers cartman promptly got offthe cart. Bhimrao's elder brother had to drive Private Limited, New Delhi-IIO 020 and Published by Prentice-Hall of the cart while the cartman followed the cart on foot, for fear of India Private Limited,M-97,Connaught Circus, Ne~ Delhi 1I0 001. pollution! Also, they could not get drinking water for the whole I journey forthe same reason. iv .v Being an 'untouchable', Bhimrao was also forced, while atschool, to sit apart from the rest. He could not fraternise with other boys or It is important to record here one major influence on Dr. play games with them. The teachers, it is said, would not touch his Ambedkar. While in the USA, he was drawn to the fourteenth notebook, while some of them would not even put questions to amendment of the Constitution of the USAwhich gave freedom to the Bhimrao and others of that caste for fear of being polluted. When they Black Americans. He saw at once the parallel of the situation for the felt thirsty in the school, they were not given glasses of water; instead Depressed Classes in India. On returning home, Babasaheb came to .they were required to raise their heads and cup their mouths so that . be greatly influenced by the life-work of Mahatma Phule, the votary of somebody could funnel drinking water towards their lips. But, most a classless society and women's uplift. The need as well as the galling of all, they were prohibited from learning Sanskrit. To feasibility o( reform impressed itself on' Babasaheb's mind and he Bhimrao, this was the indignity that perhaps rankled the most. For decided to devote all his time and talents for the amelioration of his who has the right to put alock on people's minds? underprivileged brethren: Newspapers started by him such as the But, as the saying goes, "Where there is a will there is a way". Mooknayak, Bahishkrit Bharat and Samata were at once recognised Bhimrao Ambedkar overcame all the disabilities, humiliations and as authentic voices of the Depressed Classes. Likewise, institutions set poverty by the sheer quality of his. intellectual c'alibre and up by him such as the Hitakarini Sabha and the Independent Labour determination. Before long, his outstanding abilities came to be Party of India became vehicles of change. During the same period, recognised. Thanks to the foresight of the progressive Maharaja Sayaji Gandhiji was pioneering his epic reform of Indian society which Rao of Baroda, Bhimrao was able to enter Elphinstone College in included the uplift of the Depressed Classes whom Gandhiji had Bombay arid after graduation join the Baroda State Service. Shortly termed Harijans. Babasaheb's work did not form part of the thereafter, the Maharaja, who was sending some students to the USA programmes ofthe Indian National Congress led by Gandhiji. for higher studies at the Columbia University, included Bhimrao But we can now see from the vantage point of history that both among them. Professor Seligman, the well-known economist, was his Gandhiji and Babasaheb represented different facets of the same teacher there. In 1915, Bhimrao obtained Master's degree for his awakening. Not many are aware that when Gandhiji started his new thesis, "Ancient Indian Commerce':. In May 1916, he presented a weekly, Harijan, he requested Babasaheb Ambedkar to send a paper on "The Castes in India: Their Mechanism, Genesis, and message for the firstissue. Babasaheb sent a statement for publication Development", at the Anthropology Seminar sponsored by Dr. inthe magazine which said: Goldenweiser. In June 1916, he submitted his Ph.D. thesis entitled The outcaste is a bye-product of the caste system.There willbe I "National Dividend for India: AHistoric and Analytical Study", which outcastes as long as there are castes. Nothing can help to save was published eight years later under the title: The Evolution of Hindusandensuretheirsurvivalinthe comingstruggleexceptthe Provincial Finance in British India. Bhimrao dedicated the book to purgingoftheHindufaithoftheodiousandviciousdogma. Maharaja Sayaji Rao. In his introduction to the book, Prof. S.A. Publishing these words in his weekly, Gandhiji paid a remarkable Seligman stated: "Nowhere to my knowledge, has such a detailed tribute to Dr. Ambedkar, and I quote from Gandhiji's words as I study of the underlying principles been made." Bhimrao was, thereby, published in the Harijan: launched in academics. He studied Economics, Law and Political Science in America and, later, atthe London School of Economics' and Dr.Ambedkar is bitter. He has every reason to feel so. He has receiveda liberaleducation. He has more than the talentsof the Bonn University, where he wrote TheHistory of Indian Currency and averageeducatedIndian.OutsideIndiahe isreceivedwithhonour • Banking. and affection, but in India, among Hindus, at every step he is One trait marked Babasaheb during his student days and, in fact, remindedthatheisoneoftheoutcastesofHindusociety.... Thisis throughout his life: He was a voracious reader. He had an insatiable thecasteHindus'shame, not his,but Iwould likehimto feelthat therearetodaythousands ofcaste Hinduswho would listento his thirst for books. He bought books by curtailing his daily needs. In messagewiththe same respect and considerationthattheywould New York he issaid to have purchased about 2,000old books. And it givetothatofanyother leaderandthat"intheirestimationthere is isrecorded that at the time of the Second Round Table Conference in nopersonhighandnopersonlow. London, he bought so many books that they had to be sent to India in The differences between Gandhiji and Babasaheb on the question 32boxes. of separate electorates were marked. Babasaheb signed the famous Poona Pact with misgivings. He was to declare later that the Pact had 1 I vi vii "resulted in disenfranchising 60 million untouchables." And yet, for all The following observation he made issignificant: his discontent, Babasaheb Ambedkar never allowed his emotions to tum into cynicism. He believed in constructive action and used every The Constitution isafundamental document. Itisadocument which defines the po~ition and power of the three organs of the State-lhe opportunity that was available to him to embody his ideals in executIve, the.JudiCIaryand the legislature. Italso defines the powers constitutional programmes. ofthe executive and the powers of the legislature as against the Babasaheb was elected to the Bombay Legislative Assembly in cIHzens,as we have done in our chapter dealing with Fundamental the elections under the Constitution of India Act, 1935. The Congress Rights.In fact, the purpose of a Constitution isnot merely to create had declared that it was entering the legislatures to wreck that the or~ans of the State but to limit their authority, because, if no hmltallon was Imposed upon the authority of the organs, there will Constitution. Babasaheb was determined to make it work. The becomplete tyranny and complete oppression. objective was the same, although the techniques differed. Babasaheb made effective contributions to the debates in the Assembly on a Jawaharlal Nehru chose Dr. Ambedkar to be the first Law Minister variety of subjects. His flair for legislative work became evident to the of independent India. This was a recognition of Dr. Ambedkar's skills whole nation. in the field of law and legislation as also a tribute to his vision of social Soon the Constituent Assembly of India afforded Dr. Ambedkar justice-a vision which was sought to be infused into the new Indian the opportunity to give the most notable and permanent shape to his polity. But above all, this was a tribute to the success of Babasaheb social philosophy and to his undying faith in the dignity of human Ambedkar's own campaigns against social injustice. Who could have beings. Babasaheb was not in the Congress, but it must be said to the dreamt that one born to a Mahar family would one day become not credit of the farsighted and objective leadership of the Indian only a Law Minister but a Law-maker and be hailed as the modern Manu? National Congress that it requested Dr. Ambedkar to serve on the Drafting Committee of the Constituent Assembly and made him its In the four decades and more since Independence, much progress Chairman. has been achieved in providing equality of opportunities to the As Chairman of the Drafting Committee, Dr. Ambedkar anticipated people. Members of the Scheduled Castes find doors which had been every conceivable requirement of the new polity. Drawing from the closed to them for centuries being opened. No legal bars exist today examples and experiences of other nations and the distinctive needs for self-expression or self-advancement. They are enrolling themselves of our own society, he raised, brick by brick, the magnificent edifice in institutes of higher learning and entering public services. They have which now stands as the Fundamental Rights in the Constitution of come to occupy high offices of State, both at the Centre and in the India. There were, of course, other luminaries on the Committee like States. Judges, ambassadors and governors have been drawn from Alladi Krishnaswami Ayyar, K.M. Munshi and N. Gopalaswami their ranks. And they have acquitted themselves creditably in all these Ayyangar who also made vital contributions to the process of positions of responsibility. Constitution-making. But if there is one person who will be And yet, much remains to be done on the social plane. The remembered as the pilot of the various provisions of the Indian Annual Reports of the Commissioner for Scheduled Castes and Constitution, it will surely be Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. It devolved on Dr. Scheduled Tribes list several violations of the law and several Ambedkar to explain (to the Assembly), with a combination of tact instances where, notwithstanding the statute book, members of the and frankness, and utmost patience, the meaning and scope of the Scheduled Castes have been discriminated against. Babasaheb different provisions of the Draft Constitution. He had the rare gift of Ambedkar's work will be truly complete only when social discrimina- unravelling the most complicated legal concepts in a language which tion iscompletely eliminated from our society. the laymen understood. Dr. Ambedkar, aided by the indefatigable Babasaheb Ambedkar always stressed the importance of Constitutional Adviser, B.N. Rau, performed this task matchlessly. constitutional methods to a~hieve social objectives. In an interesting Dr. Ambedkar had a clear perception of the mutuality of the three observation, he once descnbed the methods of civil disobedience pillars of State-the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary. He non-cooperation and satyagraha as the "grammar of anarchy". Th~ realised that the jurisdiction of each should be clear and observation assumes importance in the context of public agitations in untrammelled. At the s~me time, he had a sense of the limitations of free India. It is one thing to utilise these methods in a struggle against these three pillars of democracy and of the importance of the role of an ahen power. The nght to rebellion is recognised against a citizens. government without people's consent, be it alien or national dictator- viii ix ship, but not in a democracy based on free and fair elections. Ihave no doubt that, whether we agreed with him or not in many Misdirected and volatile, such agitations invariably result in the loss of matters, that perseverance, that persistence and that, ifImay use the lives and public property. word, sometimes virulence of his opposition to allthis did keep the In commemorating Babasaheb Ambedkar, we shall do well to people's mind awake and did not allow them tobecome complacent about matters which could not be forgotten, and helped in rousing .•.j remember that the methods for the redressal of grievances available in up those groups inour country which had suffered forso long inthe a parliamentary democracy are efficacious and must be used, past. It is, therefore, sad that such a prominent champion of the eschewing other methods. The march towards a casteless and classless oppressed and depressed in India and one who took such an society should be through dialogue and discussion, education and important part inour activities, has passed away. .legislation. This requires not just statesmanship but sagacity. There can be no doubt that the day is not far off when Babasaheb About 2500 years ago the Buddha had questioned .the caste Ambedkar's dream of samatawill become a reality. divisions in India. He said "The only valid divisions are the divisions between those who are noble and wholesome and those who are ignoble and unwholesome." The Tamil poetess Avvai had said, similarly, that there are only two castes in the world, namely, the charitable who give and are superior, and the misers who do not and lJec-v, ~""" are, therefore, inferior. Throughout the course of Indian history, great Il/)./. (/eI1v~I' . sages and saints exposed the hollowness of these divisions and sought New Delhi. I ' to bring all the communities of India together in a creative partnership. October 1, 1990 [R.VENKATARAMANI But caste, by virtue of its power structure, showed itself to be firmly entrenched. Under the policy of "Divide and Rule", the British rulers exaggerated caste distinctions and divided the people of India further to strengthen their hegemony over us. Itwas given to two great Indians of our time, Mahatma Gandhi and Babasaheb Ambedkar, to repudiate caste and to. proclaim the oneness of the Hindu. community. Gandhiji did so by reminding the higher castes of their duty towards the Depressed Classes. Babasaheb Ambedkar did the same by reminding them of their inherent rights to equality with the higher and more powerful castes. One stressed the duties, the-.9lher stressed the rights; together, they brought about a veritable revolution in social thought. ' In course of time, Babasaheb embraced Buddhism. It is important to remember that this act of Babasaheb Ambedkar was the result of deep thinking. He was drawn to the concept of dukkha in Buddhism, for he was aware of the sorrows of human society. He was drawn to the classless concept of the Buddhist sangha, for collectivism as opposed to social fragmentation had been his aim. Babasaheb's lecture in Kathmandu on "The Buddha and Marx" is a classic of its kind. It shows how Babasaheb was working towards a revolution through peaceful, inner change. When Babasaheb passeq away, in December 1956,]awaharlal Nehru made a moving reference in the Lok Sabha. Describing Babasaheb as "a symbol of revolt", he said: ~~....' - -- - ••• PRIME MINISTER - <II I I, Message I J I • The contribution of Dr. Ambedkar in the building of modem India will . r long be remembered. His work as one of the prime architects of our I~ ~ Constitution, the bedrock upon which the Indian nation rests, is of ( lasting importance. The work of Dr. Ambedkar was a source of inspiration not only to his own generation but the generations which have followed. Dr. Ambedkar's life was a relentless struggle in the cause of the dOwntrodden. His sustained efforts and indomitable spirit have left their imprint on history and continue to inspire us in our present day endeavours to secure for the weaker sections their rightful place in society. Iam happy to learn that the Rajya Sabha Secretariat are publishing a commemorative volume on Dr. Ambedkar. This is a tribute worthy of a great son of India whose struggle to secure justice for the I downtrodden has continued to give courage and strength to all those who stand for a more just society. w~ New Delhi I I January 2, 1991 [CHANDRA SHEKHARl i " " I r ) SPEAKER, WK SABRA Message Iam glad to learn that the Rajya Sabha Secretariat is bringing out a commemorative volume to mark the BirthCentenary of Dr. Babasaheb BhimraoAmbedkar, the architect of our Constitution. An erudite scholar, a legal luminary, a great statesman and a champion of Depressed Classes, Babasaheb has carved out a permanent niche for himself in the hearts of our countrymen. To quote the Father of Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, he was a "patriot of sterlingqualities." The Constitution of India, to the framing of which he contributed so much and every page of which has his imprint, truly reflects the hopes and aspirations of our people. It is indeed a tribute to his sagacity, wisdom and legal acumen that the basic philosophy and idealsenshrined in the Constitution of India have withstood the test of time and helped in p~eserving the unity, integrity and democratic fabricof the country. Therefore, he has been aptly described as the Modern Manu. Today, when the grateful nation celebrates the BirthCentenary of thisdistinguished son ofour motherland, the only befitting tribute that we, the people of India, can pay to him is to rededicate ourselves to theloftyideals which Babasaheb always held so dear. NewDelhi Foreword Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar was one of the most remarkable leaders who shaped the polity of India in the nascent years of our freedom. He was a thinker, revolutionary, and a champion for human rights and human dignity. In the centenary year of the birth of this great son of India, whom history will progressively recognize as a universal man, I felt it would be appropriate that a commemorative volume should be brought out by the Rajya Sabha.Secretariat as a mark of gratitude and respect towards Dr. Ambedkar; the need to do 'so was reinforced by the fact that Dr. Ambedkar had graced the Rajya Sabha as a Member. I am particularly happy that exceedingly fine contributions, illuminating various significant aspects of the personality, the life and work of Dr. Ambedkar, have been integrated in this volume, and made available to the reading public on the WIst anniversary of his birth. PI.Jawaharlal Nehru, in a tribute to Dr. Ambedkar, had said of him:"Theway he will be remembered most will be as a symbol of the revolt against all the oppressive features of ... society. He rebelled against something against which all ought to rebel." In the perspective of a profoundly significant tradition of seers and reformers in India, Dr. Ambedkar helped the people of India to open their eyes and become aware of many cruel distortions and injustices that had become institutionalized over the centuries -encruSting and debilitating Indian society. Dr. Ambedkar's struggle may be seen as a missionary effort by an enlightened guide persevering in the noble task of leading a vast and ancient nation to the right path of humanism, peace, brotherhood and progress. The Constitution of India bears the impress of Dr: Ambedkar's thought as a key instrument for national recons- truction. In an important way, Dr. Ambedkar thus gave expression to an inner need in India for a just social condition; on such basis alone can national we'n-being be secured in tune with our ancient ideals. . xv xvi Foreword I sincerely hope that this commemorative volume- representing a centennial tribute-would also encourage further studies concerning Dr.. Babasaheb Ambedkar, his ideals, his struggle and achievements, and induce ever-widening individual Preface and institutional effort for the attainment of the goals he so clearly defined. Dr.Babasaheb Ambedkar, whose BirthCentenary isbeing celebrated .r..~.~_~ thisyear,was atowering personality ofour time.Hewas aMemberof theRajyaSabhafromMay1952tillhisdeath on 6December 1956. NewDelhi [SHANKERDAYALSHARMA) Fromthe depths ofdespair Dr.Babasaheb Ambedkar emerged as 14April 195>l Vice-Presidentof India, and a colossus in the Indian political arena to champion the cause of the Chainnan, Rajya Sabha Depressed Classesand uphold human dignity. Aversatile genius, he played a crucial role in the political, social, economic, religious and other spheres to attain his objectives. As the architect of our Constitution,he has contributed immensely to build up Parliamentary institutionsand worked for their consolidation. For, he believed that these institutions were the central lever of social engineering which canheraldabetter tomorrow forthe sufferingmillions. Asa Member of the RajyaSabha, Dr.Ambedkar displayed great debating skilland spoke authoritatively on various issues. He spared noeffortinCriticisingthe Government on policymatterswhenever he feltthatthe latterwas followinga wrong path. Histhought-provoking suggestionsand succinct summaries'used to evoke admiration ofthe entire House. While speaking on the floor of the House, he used to touchon issues likea true statesman and firmlyplaced the interest of the nation above everything else-.Asan eminent parliamentarian, he wasgenuinely concerned about the roleofParliament inameliorating thelotofthe people, particularlythe underprivileged. oilthe floorof theRajyaSabha, he had declared that unless Parliament took care of thewelfareofthe people withi'l a reasonable time,itwould be treated withuttercontempt bythe public. Hisrespect for the Chair was unquestionable. Notbeing swayed bythe heat and passion ofthe moment, he used to follow strictlythe time-testedrulesand conventions. . Ademocrat par excellence, he firmly believed that "democracy means a form and method of government whereby revolutionary changes in the economic and social life of the people are brought about without bloodshed." Therefore, he urged the people to adopt constitutional methods and abandon the path of violence to bring aboutradicalchanges irisociety. Freedomand development ofsocietyforDr.Ambedkar meant the guaranteeingofbetter conditions forallstrataofsocietyingeneral and xvii I.

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The people of India have perceived in Babasaheb Ambedkar a man who felt in his own arteries the pulsations of his poor brethren. Bhimrao Ambedkar
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