E-Digest on Ambedkar’s Appropriation by Hindutva Ideology

74 Pages·2015·1.27 MB·English

Ambedkar’s  Appropriation  by  
Hindutva Ideology

An E-Digest

Compiled by Ram Puniyani

(For Private Circulation)

C S S S
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E-Digest - Ambedkar’s  Appropriation by Hindutva Ideology
Preface

Many   a   debates   are   raging   in   various   circles   related   to   Ambedkar’s  
ideology. On one hand the RSS combine has been very active to prove
that  RSS  ideology  is  close  to  Ambedkar’s  ideology.  In  this  direction  RSS  
mouth pieces Organizer (English) and Panchjanya (Hindi) brought out
special supplements on the occasion of anniversary of Ambedkar,
praising him. This is very surprising as RSS is for Hindu nation while
Ambedkar has pointed out that Hindu Raj will be the biggest calamity
for dalits. The second debate is about Ambedkar-Gandhi. This came to
forefront   with   Arundhati   Roy’s   introduction   to   Ambedkar’s
‘Annihilation   of   Caste’   published   by   Navayana.   In   her   introduction  
‘Doctor  and  the  Saint’  Roy  is  critical  of  Gandhi’s  various  ideas.
This digest brings together some of the essays and articles by various
scholars-activists on the theme. Hope this will help us clarify the
underlying issues.

Ram Puniyani
(All India Secular Forum)
Mumbai
June 2015

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E-Digest - Ambedkar’s  Appropriation by Hindutva Ideology
Contents

Page No.
Section A
Ambedkar’s  Legacy  and  RSS  Combine
1. Idolatry versus Ideology 05
By Divya Trivedi

2. Top RSS leader misquotes Ambedkar on Untouchability 09
By Vikas Pathak

3. RSS going the whole hog in appropriating Ambedkar 10
By Piyush Srivastava

4. RSS  rewrites  history:  Dalits  ‘created’  by  invaders 11
By D.K. Singh

Section B
Ambedkar: Indian Nationalism versus Hindu Nationalism

5. Legacy of Dr.B.R. Ambedkar stands irreconcilably 13
opposed to Hindutva
By B. Sivaraman

6. Deconstructing Ambedkar 19
By Anand Teltumde

7. The Highjacking of Babasaheb 22
By Shamsul Islam

8. Whose Raj is it anyway 25
By Shamsul Islam

9. Ambedkar and RSS 27
By Ram Puniyani

10. Ambedkar Ideology: Religion, Nationalism and Indian 28
Constitution
By Ram Puniyani
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E-Digest - Ambedkar’s  Appropriation by Hindutva Ideology
11. Claiming Ambedkar, Trashing the Constitution 31
By Praful Bidwai

Section C
Ambedkar - Gandhi Debate
12. The Ambedkar Gandhi Debate: Reply to Arundhati Roy 33
By Rajmohan Gandhi

13. They were rivals, but with the same mission 51
By Ramachandra Guha

14. Sea of Lies – Response to Arundhati Roy 53

15. Comments by Niloufer Bhagwat 58

Section D
Interviews

16. Time to reinterpret his contribution – Interview with 59
Prof. Bhalachandra Munkegar
By T.K. Rajalakshmi

17. Dalits are not definitely a block, and there is an intellectual 64
Blossom – Interview with Kancha Ilaiah
By Ajmal Khan and Anish

18. The  RSS  won’t  be  able  to  internalize  Ambedkar  – Interview 71
With Raosaheb Kasbe
By Makrand Gadgil

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Section A

Ambedkar's Legacy and RSS Combine

Manvender Vashist/PTI. Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the ceremony to lay the foundation stone of

the Dr Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi on April 14.)

1. Idolatry vs Ideology
The RSS-BJP’s  enthusiasm  to  celebrate  Ambedkar’s  birth  anniversary  is  seen  
as a key aspect  of  the  Hindutva  group’s  social  outreach  agenda  targeting  
Dalits for political ends.
By DIVYA TRIVEDI
(Frontline)
POLITICAL parties, especially the Bharatiya Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party
Janata Party and the Congress, are falling over leader Arvind Kejriwal demanded a
each other to claim the legacy of B.R. “permanent”  holiday  on  April  14,  Ambedkar’s  
Ambedkar. While the two major parties are birthday.   Kejriwal   tweeted:   “Salute to Baba
planning round-the-year celebrations for the Saheb  Ambedkar.   Let’s  try  to   implement   the  
125th birth anniversary of Ambedkar, with an Constitution in letter n spirit. That wud be best
eye on the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh homage  to  him.”  
and Bihar, regional parties are not far behind.
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The   Rashtriya   Swayamsewak   Sangh’s   (RSS)   that Hinduism is a political ideology of the
mouthpieces Panchajanya and Organiser are same character as the fascist or Nazi ideology
coming   out   with   collectors’   editions   on   and is thoroughly anti-democratic. If Hinduism
Ambedkar. Large hoardings announcing the is let loose—which is what Hindu majority
publication of the special issues dot the skyline means—it will prove a menace to the growth of
of the national capital. others who are outside Hinduism and are
opposed to Hinduism. This is not the point of
Dalit ideologues, however, view the rush to view of Muslims alone. It is also the point of
claim   Babasaheb’s   legacy   with   mild   view of the Depressed Classes and also of the
amusement. Political observers describe the non-Brahmins.”  (Writings & Speeches, Volume
BJP’s  moves  to  appropriate  Ambedkar  as  a  key   17, Part One; Dr B.R. Ambedkar and his
aspect of its social outreach agenda wooing Egalitarian Revolution—Struggle for Human
Dalits across India. Uday Chandra, a Rights; Dr Ambedkar Foundation, Ministry of
postdoctoral fellow at Max Planck Institute for Social Justice and Empowerment, Government
the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity, of India).
said:  “In the last general election, the proportion
of Dalits voting for the BJP rose to 24 per cent Ambedkar renounced Hinduism and gave a call
from 11 per cent in 2009 [Suhas Palshikar and to  Dalits  to  join  Buddhism.  His  words,  “I  was  
K.C. Suri in Economic & Political Weekly]. born  a  Hindu,  but  will  not  die  a  Hindu”,  have  
While this is a sharp increase, we should gained  popularity.  He  said,  “Some  people  think  
recognise that this trend in Dalit voting patterns that religion is not essential to society. I do not
is far from irreversible. Moreover, three hold this view. I consider the foundation of
quarters of Dalits did not in fact vote for Modi religion to be essential to the life and practices
and the BJP. Hence, the need for an outreach of society. At the root of the Hindu social
programme  with  its  promise  as  well  as  pitfalls.”   system lies Dharma as prescribed in
Manusmriti. Such being the case, I do not think
He said that mere symbolism would not it possible to abolish inequality in the Hindu
increase the BJP’s  vote  share.  “The  BJP  will  be   society unless the existing foundation of the
accused now of mere symbolism if Dalits do Smriti religion is removed and a better one laid
not benefit substantively or materially from the in its place. I, however, despair of the Hindu
current  regime’s  policies,”  he  said.   society being able to reconstruct on such a
better  foundation.”  
Besides, it appears that neither of the major
political parties has read or understood Ambedkar was also opposed to Mahatma
Ambedkar, who made his views on Hinduism Gandhi’s  views  on  the  uplift  of  untouchables  
and the Congress clear in his lifetime. His within the fold of Hinduism. The exchanges
intellectual and political project was dedicated between Gandhi and Ambedkar over the issue
to the annihilation of caste and he believed that of untouchability are in the public domain. Had
it could not happen within the fold of the   RSS   and   the   Congress   read   Ambedkar’s  
Hinduism, which has an inherently oppressive writings, they would not be making such claims
hierarchical structure. During the transfer of to his legacy. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP),
power from the British to the people of India the  original  inheritor  of  Babasaheb’s  legacy  by  
and when Partition was a looming possibility, virtue of the extensive work done by its leader
Ambedkar   had   said,   “The   Congress   cannot   Kanshi Ram among Dalits, restricted itself to
expect any sane person who knows anything attacking the attempts by other parties to claim
about conditions in India to agree to the Ambedkar’s legacy. BSP supremo Mayawati
government of the country being placed in the said,  “Other  parties  do  a  drama  of  celebrating  
hands of the Hindu majority, simply because it Dr  Ambedkar’s  anniversary  in  a  grand  manner,  
is a majority. The Congress chooses to forget but they never bothered to give him the due
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E-Digest - Ambedkar’s  Appropriation by Hindutva Ideology
respect in his lifetime. They are propagating Bill, socialise banks and lands and redistribute
that Dr Ambedkar supported the RSS for its land  among  the  people.  “Will  the  BJP  dare  to  
work among Dalits. Had it been so, Dr do  this?”  she  asked.  
Ambedkar would never have gone and accepted
Buddhism, which professes equality and peace Tactics of co-option
for all. During elections, the BJP calls every
caste Hindu, and after the elections are over, it It is political pressure that is compelling these
only works for the rich and privileged  castes.”   parties to reach out to the S.Cs and B.Cs and
they   are   using   the   “outreach   programme”   to  
In Uttar Pradesh and elsewhere, upper-caste reconvert large sections of the populace. Until
BJP leaders ate food in Dalit homes. Earlier this and unless any party dares to question the
year, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat called upon Hindu religious perspective on society, it will
the cadre to picnic and share food with the only   be   misquoting   Ambedkar.   “Mohan  
“lower   castes”.   The   sociologist   Sujatha   Bhagwat is only worshipping the idol of
Surepally  said,  “but after all, they ate only daal Ambedkar but breaking his ideology. Indian
at  these  homes,  and  not  beef!”  Beef  is  a  major   democracy has successfully failed to take
source of affordable protein for the lower castes forward the agenda of social revolutionaries
and a ban on the slaughter of the cow and such as Phule,  Ambedkar  and  Jagjivan  Ram,”  
consumption   of   beef   is   the   BJP’s   important   said Sujatha Surepally. Apart from giving a
national agenda. token representation to Dalits in politics,
nothing has been done to change their social
Sujatha Surepally, who is the convener of the and economic conditions. Dalits continue to
Telangana Bhoomi Rakshana Sangam and face discrimination in subtle forms. Crimes
principal of Satavahana University College of against Dalits are unabated. And the two-
Arts  in  Karimnagar,  said  the  BJP  was  “showing   tumbler system persists in several villages.
its actual colours but all the other parties,
including the Telangana Rashtra Samithi [TRS], “Where  are  Dalits  in  the  Land  Acquisition  Act?  
the Telugu Desam Party, and the BSP celebrate Who is going to lose in the privatisation
the birthdays of Ambedkar, Jyotirao Phule and process? Nobody is asking these questions. All
Jagjivan Ram to sidetrack the real mission of parties are culpable in keeping the privileges
eradication  of  caste”.  These  parties  have  set  up   intact. What is happening now is either you
“cells”   for   the   Scheduled   Castes   (S.Cs),   the   wage a battle against them or you co-opt  them,”  
Scheduled Tribes (S.Ts), women and others to she said.
divide Malas and Madigas, backward classes
(B.Cs) and other marginalised groups and to Prof. Kancha Ilaiah, director, Centre for Social
push their own agendas; in the case of the BJP, Exclusion and Inclusive Policy, Maulana Azad
for instance, the Hindutva agenda. She said the National Urdu University, throws light on the
BJP’s  move  to  appropriate  Ambedkar  could  be   historical trajectory of the process of co-option.
a part of its reformist agenda, but it cannot be
seen in isolation from its core agenda of “Until  1990,  Ambedkar  was  untouchable  to  all  
Hindutva. mainstream political parties. The question of
the BJP looking at him did not arise at that
On   the   TRS’   plan   to   install   a   statue   of   time. The implementation of the Mandal
Ambedkar in the Telangana Assembly, she Commission report, the V.P. Singh government
said:  “First  install  it  in  your  own  party  office.”   honouring Ambedkar [posthumously] with the
She said if Prime Minister Narendra Modi was Bharat Ratna [the highest civilian award] and
really  concerned  about  preserving  Ambedkar’s   the massive Dalit civil societal celebration of
legacy then he should call upon the BJP cadre his role across the country triggered a new
to convert to Buddhism, follow the Hindu Code debate. From 1991 to 2015, emerging civil
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E-Digest - Ambedkar’s  Appropriation by Hindutva Ideology
societal forces acquired definite intellectual and Shudra communities. A Brahmin or a
status in universities and colleges and became a Baniya youth could not participate in killing
force to reckon with. More significantly, campaigns because they were already English
Buddhism, has given Dalits a spiritual platform educated and bound for foreign countries. The
where they can have their own self-dignity, OBC youth were taken to Hanuman
religion and God. It is a religious alternative to Vyamshalas and not schools. Instead of books,
Hinduism. When Ambedkar embraced trishuls were distributed among them.
Buddhism in 1956, he opened the locks of
religious transformation. Eighty per cent of “If  you  look  at  [Vishwa  Hindu  Parishad  leader]  
Dalits converted to Christianity in south India. Pravin  Togadia’s  campaign,  you  will  see  that  
Similarly, 30 per cent of Mahars joined books were never distributed; only trishuls,
Buddhism. In Uttar Pradesh, 20-30 per cent of with which they would have to attack Muslims.
Dalits became Buddhists. This is an They tried to recruit Dalits in Andhra Pradesh
unrecognised  fact.”   but failed because Ambedkar was not on its
banner then. The RSS put Vivekananda on its
Ambedkar as Prophet banner. Even the Congress has realised this.
Now the RSS has started an underground
Ilaiah said that Dalits considered the Buddha network,”  Ilaiah  said.  So  a  person  who  was  seen  
the first prophet, Jesus Christ the second as a lackey of the Imperialist, suited and booted
prophet, the Prophet Muhammad the third and and never clad in dhoti and kurta, and an agent
Karl Marx, the fourth, whom they really loved of the British, suddenly became a social
and who they thought would really come and reformer. Although the Congress gave
liberate them. But in the past 20 years, accessibility to Ambedkar to write the
Ambedkar has become a prophet for Dalits. He Constitution, it never put him on a gallery with
is no longer simply a politician, a social its leaders. It was Dalits who started putting
scientist, an economist or a writer of the Ambedkar on their banners and the credit for
Constitution but a prophet. A large section of this goes to Kanshi Ram.
the population feels that the main prophetic role
he played was abolishing the roots of Ilaiah   said:   “In   a   country   that   created  
untouchability. He gave Dalits equal rights in untouchability, Ambedkar is more than a
the domain of God, dignity, English education politician or a writer. Because of his stature,
and a self-assertive role in society. untouchability has become a global issue. U.S.
President Barack Obama, the United Nations,
“The   large   masses   of   people rename their and the World Bank and International Monetary
children and shave their heads and visit Fund chiefs have spoken about untouchability.
dikshabhoomi,   Ambedkar’s   burial   place   in   Ambedkar initiated the abolishment of
Mumbai, or Shakti Sthal Ambedkar memorial untouchability, therefore, the BJP is claiming
park in Uttar Pradesh. This is not an issue of his  legacy.  Modi  said,  ‘I  would  not  have  been  
vote bank for them. Ambedkar is someone who here  if  it  was  not  for  Ambedkar’s  struggles’.  He  
liberated them. Imagine if 60 per cent of the realises that he can become Prime Minister but
people form their own religion, who will remain not the priest of the Tirupati temple. Maybe it is
with   Hinduism?   It   will   simply   crumble,”   he   his caste honesty. His stature will only grow.
said. Under the BJP, Christianity and Buddhism will
grow rapidly. Christianity has grown under
The RSS realises this. Earlier, it recruited cadre repression. The RSS-BJP cannot stop it. But
only from upper castes. From 1925 to 1975, its Hinduism cannot grow beyond a point as it is
recruitment base was only upper castes. During based on primitive ideology and superstitions. It
the Babri Masjid agitation in 1992, the RSS will not sustain itself with the spread of
recruited from Other Backward Class (OBC) education and the coming up of our thinkers.
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Ambedkar’s   texts   cannot   be   misinterpreted.   the President on March 4, 2014, was sent to the
Among very advanced Dalits, there is a view Standing Committee on Social Justice and
that they should build Viharas and put Empowerment headed by BJP Member of
Ambedkar  and  Buddha  in  them.”   Parliament Ramesh Bais. The committee
submitted its report on December 19, 2014. The
The self-assertion movement of Dalits has gained S.C. and S.T. (Prevention of Atrocities)
so much strength that no party can afford to Amendment Bill, 2014, proposed to replace the
ignore it. But symbolism and vote-bank politics ordinance, which was introduced in Parliament in
will alone not win the day for the BJP. The party July 2014, has been pending although in January
is faring poorly on the action front. It has 2015, after the winter session ended, the Modi
allowed an important ordinance to lapse. The government had a slew of ordinances
S.C. and S.T. (Prevention of Atrocities) promulgated.
Amendment Ordinance, 2014, promulgated by
****

2.Top RSS leader misquotes Ambedkar on untouchability

By Vikas Pathak, Hindustan Times, New Delhi, 17-04-2015

In its latest bid to appropriate Dalit icon BR bring Ambedkar in line with the Hindutva
Ambedkar on his birth anniversary, the worldview.
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) seems
to have got at least some of its facts wrong. "He (Ambedkar) says untouchability encrypted
Hindu society 12 to 13 hundred years ago,"
An article by RSS joint general secretary Krishna Gopal claims.
Krishna Gopal in the collectors' edition in its
mouthpiece Organiser to mark Ambedkar's "The  first  instance…  can  be  seen  in  the  family  of  
124th birth anniversary year celebrations Dahir. Dahir lost the war against Islamic
claims that the Dalit icon thought aggressors. When the invaders entered his palace,
untouchability crept in India about 1,200- the women of his family said, 'They are coming.
1,300 years ago and linked to Islamic They are mlecchas (meaning dirty or bad). They
invasions. However, Ambedkar's original will touch us and we will be impure. We should
writings do not seem to endorse the claim. kill   ourselves…'   This   is   the   first   reference   to  
untouchability."
In fact, as his thoughts contained in Volume 7
of his writings and speeches – edited by Dahir was the last Hindu ruler in Sindh and parts
Vasant Moon – make clear, he saw of Punjab in modern Pakistan.
untouchability as beginning in 400 AD, the
time when beef-eating was purportedly Ambedkar's own explanation for the rise of
banned and beef-eaters shunned as untouchability is vastly different.
untouchables.
Significantly, while Ambedkar's explanation sees "Can we fix an approximate date for the birth
Brahmanism – loosely, an ancient term for of untouchability? I think we can, if we take
Brahmanical Hinduism – as responsible for beef-eating, which is the root of
untouchability, Krishna Gopal seems to be pinning untouchability,  as  the  point  to  start  from…  
Islamic invasions as the culprit, thus seeking to The date of the birth of untouchability must
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be intimately connected with the ban on cow-
killing  and  on  eating  beef….,"  he  says. JNU professor and expert on Ambedkar Valerian
Rodrigues told HT: "For Ambedkar, the institution
"…  Cow  killing  was  made  a  capital  offence  by  the   of untouchability evolves in the 4th century AD.
Gupta kings sometime  in  the  4th  century  AD…   He does not talk about its origin in relation with
Untouchability was born sometime about 400 AD. Muslim advent in India."
It is born out of the struggle for supremacy
between  Buddhism  and  Brahmanism…"

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/article-in-rss-mouthpiece-misquotes-ambedkar-on-
untouchability/article1-1338054.aspx

****
3.RSS going the whole hog in appropriating Ambedkar
Ambedkar believed in Sangh ideology, had called workers symbols of unity: Bhagwat
Piyush Srivastava | Mail Today | Lucknow, February 15, 2015

RSS chief Mohan BhagwatRashtriya "Ambedkar was also of the view that bhagwa (the
Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan saffron flag of the RSS) should be adopted as the
Bhagwat has claimed that Babasaheb national flag and Sanskrit should become the
Bhimrao Ambedkar, the architect of the national language. Unfortunately, we couldn't
Indian Constitution, believed in the ideology propagate his views," the RSS chief further said.
of the Sangh and had called its workers
symbols of social unity and integrity. He also Bhagwat said it was the failure of the RSS that the
said Ambedkar wanted to adopt the saffron downtrodden and poor were misused by certain
flag of the RSS as the national flag of India. forces as their political instrument. Such forces
ensured that the country was divided on caste
"We need to take steps to minimise the gap lines.
among social communities. Ambedkar, who
worked in this direction, believed in the "Armed with the ideology of Ambedkar, the
ideology of Hinduism. He and Dattopant RSS will now take up the cudgels for the
Bapurao Thengadi, an RSS ideologue, used to Scheduled Caste (Dalit) community to bring
discuss about it. them in the mainstream. We will deploy our
most experienced leaders on this mission," he
Ambedkar had told Thengadi that the Sangh said. In Kanpur for five days, Bhagwat held a
was working to bring the Hindu communities series of meetings with the RSS members.
closer   to   each   other…,"   the RSS He was quoted as saying in one such meeting
Sarsanghchalak said at a meeting in Sant in Kanpur that although the BJP-led Central
Puran Das Nagar, Unnao, on Saturday. government had failed to give indications that
it would work for the well-being of the
Thengadi was also a trade union leader and masses, the RSS would never stop
had founded Swadeshi Jagran Manch. strengthening the Hindu community. He held
a meeting with Prant Sanghchalak Virendra
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