Back to Ambedkar Chandrabhan Prasad http://www.dailypioneer.com/columnist1.asp?main_variable=Columnist&file_name=PRASAD196%2Etxt&writer=PRASAD&validit=yes
At this critical phase of history when the mainstream Indian polity has begun abandoning Dalits, we must ask certain questions to ourselves- "why the post-Ambedkar Dalits couldn't add to what Baba Saheb Ambedkar had fought and won for us"? My answer: the Dalit movements have drifted away from the classical Ambedkarism. Like wild grass in a paddy field, many a non-Ambedakarian thoughts have entered in our consciousness and made the community leadership directionless. If not rooted out or poisoned, the wild grass can some times grow bigger enough to over shadow paddy plants. That seems to have been the case, and we are not in any position to even protect the rights Baba Saheb had won for us. Let us measure our consciousness on the Amedakarian scale: Was Baba Saheb a Socialist or Communist? In his States and Minorities (1946), Baba Saheb advocated for state socialism. By 1951, he argued for a sapitalistic order. While drafting Manifesto of the Scheduled Caste Federation (1951), he wrote - "The policy of the party is not tied to any particular dogma or ideology such as Communism or Socialism., Gandhism or any other ism" (p388, Vol.17, part 1). Read between the lines - Baba Saheb clubs Gandhism with Communism/Socialism. On economy, he wrote: "Where national undertaking of an industry is possible an essential, the Scheduled Caste Federation will support national undertaking. Where private enterprise is possible and national undertaking not essential, private enterprise will be allowed" (p391, Vol.17, Part 1). These lines were written when nearly half of the world had turned Red. On agriculture: Agriculture must be mechanized. Agriculture in India can never become prosperous so long as the method of cultivation remains primitive To make mechanized farming possible, cultivation on small holdings must be replaced by large farms, and To increase yield, there must be provision for adequate manuring and for the supply of healthy seeds. (p392, Vol.17, Part 1). He in his manifesto asks for a rapid industrialization of India. Taken in letter and spirit, he advocated a capitalistic order for India. Taking cue from what he advocated five and half decade ago, Dalit leadership should have long back got in touch with CII/ASSOCHAM/FICCI, saying that - "We are your social friends, integrate us, and we will carry your White flag". Unfortunately, the post-Ambedkar Dalits at the level of consciousness have been fighting Capitalism by implication, in favour of caste-feudalism which treats Dalits sub-humanly. Was Baba Saheb against globalisation? Difficult to say as the phenomena of globalisation didn't exist in his time. But, as an exceptional visionary, he drops enough hints. He wrote: "This championing of the cause of Communist China by India has been responsible for the prevailing antagonism between India and America with the result that it has become impossible for India to obtain financial and technical aid from America" (p396, Vol. 1, Part 1). Think again - as far back as in 1951 when America was painted as devil in the non-Capitalist world, if he had argued for American aid. What would have been his position on globalisation today! The day Manmohan Singh became India's Finance Minister in 1991, and advocated globalisation, the Dalits should have approached him and said: "Sir, we are with you, but please fix our share in globalisation". Was Ambedkar in anti-Americanism Camp? "United States of India" was the new name Baba Saheb gives to India. Why did he after all name his new party as the "Republican Party of India"? Unfortunately, the post-Ambedkar Dalits at the level of consciousness have been fighting America- by implication, in favour of conservative India. Baba Saheb drafted blue print of RPI in English, which was translated by DT Madan in Marathi a year later. Yet, many a Dalits are upset with our English Goddess. Like time and Buddhism, Ambedkarism is a philosophy all the time in motion-we must match speed of the time. In this age of globalisation, we must go back to Dr. Ambedkar with pure minds and see what he is telling us. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Ours is a battle not for wealth or for power. It is a battle for freedom. It is a battle for the reclamation of human personality." - Dr BR Ambedkar ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ greenyouth mailinglist is the activist support mailinglist for kerala run by Global Alternate Information Applications (GAIA) To post to this group, send email to [email protected] -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
