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| Dr BR Ambedkar: A Social Revolutionary | | | D.R. Bhagat | 4/14/2018 11:11:25 PM |
| There is no parallel to Dr B.R.Ambedkar in the field of reformation of Hindu society. He was pained to see the exploitation of downtrodden in the Hindu society. He once said, "Hinduism is a veritable chamber of horror for the untouchables. The iron law of castes, the heartless law of Karma and the senseless law of status by birth pronounced by Vedas, Smriti and Shastras as sacred are in reality the permanent tools of torture against the untouchables". The depressed people are denied the basic human rights and are compelled to live in sheer poverty and subhuman conditions. He wanted to demolish the whole institution of untouchability and rebuild a new social order in which all Hindus would be socially, economically and politically equal. His aim was to establish a powerful state on the foundation of oneness and unity of the Hindus. Ambedkar's family followed the teachings of Kabir who was a great saint and social reformer. This background greatly influenced the philosophy and deeds of Dr Ambedkar. Dr Ambedkar who was born in a family of untouchables himself bore the worst warrants of hate, humiliation and abuse. While travelling on a bullock cart of a caste Hindu, he was thrown out of the cart the moment the cart man came to know that he was an untouchable. He was made to sit separately from other upper class students in the class. For drinking water from the school well he had to ask the peon who threw water in his hands from a distance. He was even called a traitor and destroyer of Hindu religion by his opponents. But these atrocities did not cow him down rather gave him inner strength and bestowed strong will power to fight against the atrocities. After obtaining the highest degrees of that time like M.A, D.Lit, Ph.D, LLD, D.Sc and Bar-at-Law from England and America universities, he devoted himself in the service of the depressed people. He was fully convinced that only the education can narrow the gap between the untouchables and the touchables. He established 'Bahishkrit Hitkarni Sabha' in1924 with aim to promote education and improve economic condition of these classes. The Sabha opened some hostels for dalit students and also managed their affairs. On education he once said that, "The education that makes us neither competent nor teaches us the lesson of equality and morality is no education". It is education that breeds in us the noble sentiments of unity, fraternity and patriotism. On religion he said that it preaches equality, fraternity and passion for humanity. He further said, "I consider the foundations of religion are essential to the society but at the roots of Hindu social system lays the religion as prescribed in Manusmriti which is unnatural and biased". To lodge a protest against this biased manuscript, he burnt a copy of it in full public view in 1927.
He started the publication of a fortnightly paper 'Mook Nayak' in1920 with the financial help of Maharaja of Kolhapur and published articles condemning the discrimination meted out to the outcastes. In one of his editorials he said that no real progress could be achieved in the field of education if this work was given only to teachers of a community who showed no regard for intellectual upliftment of any other class than their own. He said that those people who protested violently against the insulting treatment meted out to the Indians in South Africa are denying the human rights to their own countrymen. A conference of depressed classes was held in March 1920 in Margaon where Maharaja of Kohlapur Sahuji Maharaj was the chief guest. Speaking in the conference the Maharaja said that the depressed classes have found a savoir in Ambedkar and there is every hope that he will break the shackles and shine as a front rank leader with all India appeal. He was of the opinion that the exploitation and the miseries of the downtrodden can be addressed by giving them representation in the legislature. He attended three round table conferences as a representative of the depressed classes and forcefully presented the case of these classes. He even criticized Gandhi and Congress party which have done nothing visible for these hapless people. Mahatma Gandhi in his speech in the second Round Table Conference said, "I have the highest regard for Dr Ambedkar. He has every right to be bitter, that he does not break our heads is an act of self restraint on his part."When Simon Commission came into India in October 1928, almost every party bycotted the commission but Ambedkar did not want to lose any opportunity for welfare of his people. He deposed before the commission and presented his demand for separate electorate and reservation for depressed classes. At last the British government on 14 August 1932 announced that the depressed classes shall have a number of special seats assigned to them. Only the persons belonging to these classes would vote for these seats. They were entitled to vote for the general seats also. Gandhi rejected this award and he resorted to fast unto death. To save Gandhi and with the intervention of some other leaders an alternative accord was signed between Mahatma Gandhi and Ambedkar on 24 September 1932 at Poona which was known as Poona Pact according to which some seats in the local assemblies were reserved for scheduled castes. He was inducted as a member in the Bombay Legislative Council in 1926. The council passed a resolution to keep public places open to all including the untouchables. He also advised the downtrodden people to have courage to fight for their legitimate rights. He believed in the philosophy of Lord Krishna that people should fight with their own people if they deprive them of their rights. He said that Manusmriti has also graded the women at the lowest level in the socio-religious, economic and cultural status. Ambedkar was also making efforts to ameliorate the condition of the labor class especially the agricultural masses. He presented a bill in Bombay assembly which gave occupancy rights to the actual holder of the land.
After the independence of India, he was nominated as the chairman of the constitution drafting committee. After studying the various constitutions of the world he gave India the present constitution which is considered as one of the best democratic constitution in the world. By incorporating the provision of equality before law irrespective of caste, creed and religion he legally uprooted the untouchability from the society and the same was made a punishable offence. The depressed people got the right to worship in the religious places and to use the public utilities. With the provision of reservation in the legislature, government jobs and educational institutions, he changed the destiny of the people discarded for centuries. He was also of the firm opinion that the political democracy cannot survive long without the social democracy. Ambedkar was opposed to the article 370 which granted a special status to the Jammu and Kashmir state. This article was included in the constitution against his wishes. He remained a believer of Budhism and he formally embraced this religion on 14 October 1956 only a few days before his death on 6 December 1956. Paying tributes to this great soul in the Parliament, Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru described him as a symbol of revolt against all the oppressive features of Hinduism. He was decorated with the highest civilian award Bharat Ratna in 1990. He was one of the stalwarts of India who changed the social structure of the Hindu society in a short span which was in force as an evil for many centuries. He is remembered as the greatest social reformer of India, the father of Indian constitution, a great educationist, a great jurist, an outstanding economist and a patriot who wrote his name in the history of human freedom. |
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