--- On Sun, 19/4/09, [email protected] <[email protected]> wrote: > From: [email protected] > <[email protected]> > Subject: [ambedkarscholarship] Digest Number 476 > To: [email protected] > Date: Sunday, 19 April, 2009, 12:59 PM > There is 1 message in this issue. > > Topics in this digest: > > 1. Ambedkar's ideals still relevant > From: Benjamin Kaila > > > Message > ________________________________________________________________________ > 1. Ambedkar's ideals still relevant > Posted by: "Benjamin Kaila" [email protected] > benjamin_kaila > Date: Sat Apr 18, 2009 10:26 pm ((PDT)) > > > > > > Dear donors and friends, > I would like to share this article with you on the > occassion on Dr Ambedkar's birth anniversary. > Thanks to ZestCaste group for collecting such articles for > the benefit of people like me who can not end a day > without reading its collection of news. > My sincere thanks to all those involved. > With regards > Ben Kaila > http://www.centralchronicle.com/viewnews.asp?articleID=4816 > Ambedkar's ideals still relevant > > Category » Editorial Posted On Tuesday, April 14, 2009 > > > To pay a true homage and real tribute to Bharat Ratan Dr. > BR Ambedkar- the unique soul of India on the 118th birth > anniversary being celebrated on 14th April, we need to take > a pledge to fight for the causes Ambedkar championed > relentlessly. Let Ambedkar be known to the World as an > outstanding economist deserving recognition more than a > noble prize in economics. > Dr. BR Ambedkar was a professional economist and deserved > recognition more than Dalit Messiah and author of the > constitution of India. Various memoranda and statements that > the scholar par at excellence submitted to the Government > from time to time are indicative of the fact that he had > mastered the subject of economics to a great extent a unique > aspect of his scientific free mind. > To save the Indian economy from the fiscal crisis of today > caused by the so called global economic crisis, it would be > relevant to adopt the canons of public expenditure advocated > by Ambedkar. In 1949, while discussing the functions of the > Comptroller and Auditor General Ambedkar said that during > the framing of our Constitution, that Governments should > spend the resources garnered from the public not only > according to rules, laws and regulations, but should also > see that 'faithfulness, wisdom and Economy' are adhered to > in the acts of expenditure by public authorities. > The > remarkable thing about Ambedkar's canons of public > expenditure is that they are ism-neutral. One can follow a > policy of a large or small public sector and yet the > principles behind these canons are applicable. > First, the > cannon of faithfulness, Faith in this context as defined by > the dictionary a 'duty or commitment to fulfil a trust, > promise...' Thus, it is necessary for the Government to be > faithful to the original intentions. For example, if a > certain sum is allocated to a centre for high education to > improve the facilities without specifying the item of > expenditure, a really faithful way of spending would be on > libraries, laboratories and other items of teaching and > research, rather than on frivolous things such as status or > imposing buildings. > Fidelity to > the original intention must be tempered with wisdom, is the > second canon of Ambedkar. A policy of the Government when > executed may be faithful but may not be wise. While > sagacity, prudence and commonsense are the all marks of a > just and wise Governments, it should also possess experience > and knowledge that can be applied critically and practically > in specific areas. In the context of a just utilization of > public funds, economic wisdom becomes a paramount necessity. > > The > importance of the third cannon of Economy takes on a special > meaning to achieve social well being. The apparent > faithfulness to the original intentions and wisdom are not > sufficient in themselves for public expenditure. Economy in > public expenditure does not simply mean a low level of > public spending, but is the intelligent use of funds, so > that every paisa fetches the most benefit. > These canons > of Ambedkar are sufficiently flexible so that expenditure > can be related to the state of the Indian economy. Ambedkar > emphasized that the expenditure decision should closely > relate to the specified objectives and the available > resources, besides ensuring economy, efficiency and > effectiveness. The allocation of expenditure among competing > demands and the manner of utilization fall within the domain > of these canons. > Ambedkar's > canons can be used as a touchstone to see whether a > particular item of expenditure is necessary or not. Every > single expenditure decision should be assessed in terms of > the faithfulness to the will of the people; wisdom as > provided by the professionals in the field, coupled with > well-considered and honest judgement in execution. > Following > the canons scrupulously in individual items of expenditure > can not always eliminate problems arising out of the broader > economic policy pursued by the Government. But they can > mitigate the harmful effects of ill-considered policies of > the Government at the centre and the state level. > Ambedkar proved to be the father of human resource > development in India by virtue of the numerous safeguards > incorporated in the Indian Constitution to improve the > socio-economic, educational and cultural conditions of the > Scheduled Castes He left no stone unturned in his efforts to > postulate and pursue social policy that has direct bearing > on the advancement of the untouchables. Accordingly, > Ambedkar can be described as the architect of human resource > development, the scope and significance of that form the > core analysis in United Nations Development Programme > (UNDP), formulating the case for human development strategy. > In fact, Ambedkar's social policy is a forerunner of the > contemporary human development school of though in public > policy. > The human > development approach postulates Government intervention and > regulation in the development of education, health, > nutrition, protection of the environment and the interests > of the poor masses and weaker sections. > Ambedkar > visualized a society where all social barriers between man > and man were demolished where man was measured by his worth > and not by his birth, and where equality between man and man > was vigorously pursued. This meant that income inequalities > caused by wealth and caste among the population had to be > reduced. He emphasized the imperative necessity of uprooting > the caste system, which weakened Indian Society. > Ambedkar's > prime weapon was arming depressed classes with political > power by virtue of the numerous safeguards incorporated in > the Indian Constitution to improve their socio-economic, > educational and cultural conditions to augment their > development from deprivation, social stigma and suffering. > The identity and solidarity with which SCs are functioning > and participating in the democratic elections is testimony > to Ambedkar's intellectual vision, and the safeguard > introduced for securing social justice to the most depressed > section of the Indian population.. The SCs achieved > substantial progress in the sphere of education and > representation in public services in free India by virtue of > the constitutional safeguards he had proposed. > Human Development Index (HDI) > developed by UNDP since 1990 is an outstanding innovation > for measuring the level of human development.. It takes into > account three basic elements of human well-being; longevity, > knowledge and the access of resources required for living > measured by life expectancy, adult literacy and mean years > of schooling as well as real GDP per capita in purchasing > power parity. HDI ranking of India is 127 out of 177 > countries in the Human Development Report of 2005. But the > achievements of human development over the last six decades > reveals outstanding lesson asserting the benevolent role of > public policy. High levels of human development can not be > achieved at modest income levels unless the Government puts > people at the centre of its plans. > Although > Ambedkar's prime concern was the uplift of the depressed > classes, he anticipated the imperative of human development > on a wider plane long ago. The current human development > tide that endorses public for social development is the > fruit of Ambedkar's endeavor. > According to Ambedkar, the caste system is not merely > division labour it is also division of labourers. It is a > hierarchy in which the labourers are graded one above the > other. Those who were at the bottom were known as > untouchables and were not allowed to mingle with others and > denied basic civil rights. The proactive of untouchability > has ruined the nation and the economy as a whole. Ambedkar > observed that 'as an economic system, it (the caste system) > permits exploitation without obligation. Untouchably is not > only a system of unmitigated economic exploitation but it is > also a system of uncontrolled economic exploitation. > Ambedkar > believed that the caste system in India was a major obstacle > to economic development. It generally did not allow people > to teach professional skills to any other than their own > casts members. Even if an individual did possess the skill > necessary of a caste lower than his own. In a caste-minded > society, there is no willingness on the part of the > individuals to seek employment where they may be best > suited.. This inevitably reduces mobility of labour leading > to inefficiency in production, thus impeding economic > development. > Ambedkar > made every possible effort to eradicate untouchability in a > very democratic and successful manner. He had also suggested > a number of provisions for solving the problems of Indian > labourers when appointed the labour member of Viceroy's > Executive Committee in 1942, which was found to be a > landmark in the history of labour legislation in India. > Ambedkar > believed that the thrust of strategy for India's economic > development should be on eradication of poverty, elimination > of inequalities and on ending exploitation of the masses. He > accepted the Marxian view that there is exploitation in the > world; that the rich exploit the poor; and that the > enslavement of the masses by the privileged few, leads to > perpetuation of poverty and its attendant suffering. Yet > Ambedkar did not sympathize with the Marxist paradigm of > development. In his essay 'Buddhism and Communism' Ambedkar > expressed his view on communism. Unlike Marx, he did not > accept economic relationships as the be-all and end-all of > human life, and rejected the economic motive as the driving > power behind all human activity. He emphasized economic, the > social, religious and political dimensions of exploitation. > Indeed, social and religious exploitation is no less > oppressive than the economic > exploitation in India. Ambedkar believed that communism > stands for revolution and not for reformation. Communism > advocates revolutionary methods for overcoming dictatorship, > which he disliked, and believed those constitutional > provisions and democratic means should be relied upon for > the desired reformation. He rejected the totalitarian > approach of Marxian progress, which thinks the State is a > temporary institution that will 'wither away' in course of > time. He believed in a classless society but not in a > stateless society. He maintained that the State would > continue to exist as long as human society survived. Indeed > , in his book States and Minorities, he has entrusted the > share with 'an obligation to plan the economic life of the > people on line which will lead to highest point of > productivity without closing every avenue to private > enterprise, and also provide for equitable distribution of > wealth. Ambedkar has advocated State ownership of > agricultural > land with democratic collectivized methods of cultivation > and limited control of industries (i.e. heavy industries and > large public utilities). Ambedkar perceived an active but > well-defined role for the State in the economic life of the > country. He did not favour the State imposition of arbitrary > restraint on the economic processes. > Thus, Ambedkar's economic ideas are of great use for our > present economy of India capable of facing any kind of > global economic crisis. We should adopt and execute his > economic ideas so that we may enjoy a prosperous future in > all times to come. Let Ambedkar is known to the World as an > outstanding economist deserving recognition more than a > noble prize in economics. > Dr MM Goel, Writer is Prof & Chairman, Dept of > Economics Kurukshetra University, > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > An educated man without character and humility was more > dangerous than a beast. If his education was detrimental to > the welfare of poor, he was a curse to society. > -Babasaheb Dr B R Ambedkar > Please visit www.friendsforeducation.org or > www.ambedkarscholarship.org > > > > Messages in this topic (1) > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > Yahoo! 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