TheprescienceofBabasahebAmbedkar

politics

B.R.Ambedkarpropheticallywrotethatthegoverningclass
alwaysraisesthecryofnationalismwhenevertheexploited
classesdemandequaltreatment.Forhim,truenationalismwas
compassionateandemancipatory
The125thbirthanniversaryofDr.B.R.Ambedkarisanaptoccasiontoassessandreassesshis
thoughtsandideologyandtheirrelevanceinIndiaandtheworldtoday.Ambedkarwasaphilosopher
whonotonlyinterpretedthesocietyandtheworldduringhistimebutalsostruggledtochangethem,
fightingasafootsoldier.Havingauniversalvision,heshapedandsteeredstrugglesinwhichwas
forgedhisbeliefinsecularism,socialjusticeandsocialism.Hebelievedthattheannihilationofcaste
andnegationofcapitalismareimperativesforchangeandtakingIndiaandtheworldforward.He
declaredthatthebourgeoisie(capitalism)andBrahminismarethetwinenemiesofthepeople.
AmbedkaralsoanalysednationalisminthecontextofthedemandoftheIndiancommercial
community/classthatsoughttoreplaceEuropeansinthefieldoftradeandcommerce.Theywanted
todosousingthetropeofnationalism.Theyalsowantedlowerexchangeratesandhigherprofitsin
foreigntradebytakingrecoursetonationalism.Ambedkarcriticallyobservedsuchprofitseeking

orientationofthecommercialclassanddisapprovedoftheirpredatoryeconomicpursuitsunderthe
garbofnationalism.TheverysameclasscompromisedwiththeBritishcolonialRajandservedits
interest.RightwingforcessuchasRashtriyaSwayamsevakSangh(RSS)didthesame.In21st
centuryIndiawherethearchitectureoftheeconomyisdominatedbycorporateandfinancecapitalin
alliancewiththepoliticalformationschampioningthecauseofsocallednationalism,itisextremely
criticaltorecalltheanalysisofAmbedkarindictingthesoleprofitmakingpursuitsatthecostof
peoplesinterests.

Nationalismasafigleaf
Inthepresentcontext,nationalismisbeinginvokedinacoercivemannerspreadingfearandterror
amongpeople.Ambedkar,theprincipalarchitectofourConstitution,inhisnumerouswritings
reflectedonnationalismandgavevaluableinsights.Hearguedverypassionatelyforadequate
representationoftheuntouchablesinthelegislature,executiveandpublicservice.Nationalismwas
usedasacovertonegatesuchdemands.Infact,hecategoricallywrotethatnationalismbecamethe

coreplanktotakeastandagainstthestrugglinghumanitywithinthecountryandtherebycreating
fertileconditionsfortheupsurgeofrankcommunalism.Indeed,whathewrotebeforeIndependence
hasbecomeagrimrealitytoday.Thecommunalfascistforceshavenotonlysecuredstatepowerat
theCentrebutalsocontrolandcommandthestateapparatusandtheirfunctionsatthenationallevel
toservetheirsinisterdesign.
ItisinstructivetonotethatAmbedkarverypersuasively,propheticallyandincisivelywrotethatthe
governingclassinIndiaalwaysraisedthecryofnationalism/Bharatmataisindangerwheneverthe
exploitedclassesdemandedjusticeandfairandequaltreatmentandaffirmativeactionfor
representationinthelegislature,executiveandpublicservice.Healsopointedoutthatthegoverning
classwasawarethatclassideology,classinterests,classissuesandclassconflictswouldspell
disasterforitsruleandthereforealwayssidetrackedtheissuesandinterestsoftheexploitedmasses
byplayinguponthesentimentofnationalismandnationalunity.Hedescribeditasamisuseof
nationalism.ItistragicthatwhatAmbedkarwrotemuchbeforeourIndependenceisnowbecominga
grimrealityincontemporaryIndia.UnderthepresentdispensationattheCentreandseveralStates,
MakeinIndiaiswitnessingconcentrationofwealthinafewhands,growinginequality,galloping
unemployment,farmerssuicidesandwidespreaddisenchantmentoftheyouthandallsectionsofthe
toilingpeople.
Itiswellknownthatduringthefreedomstruggleuntouchablesdemandedseparateelectorates.Such
ademandwasdescribedasantinationalinspirit.Ambedkarrejectedthedescriptionbystatingthat
separateelectoratesforMuslims,SikhsandChristiansdidnotmakethemantinationals.Thenhe
insightfullycommented,Obviously,nationalismandantinationalismhavenothingtodowiththe
electoralsystem.Theyaretheresultsoftheextraelectoralforces.In21stcenturyIndia,itisthe
extraelectoralforcesrepresentedbytheRSSandotherextremistforcesthathavededicated
expertsonhistory,cultureandsociologytryingtodefinenationandnationhood.
Theimportanceofsocialjustice
InhisAnnihilationofCastelecture,Ambedkardescribedcasteasantinationalandwantedto
addressthescourgeofcastediscriminationandexclusionthroughtheinstrumentalityoflaw,which
hepoeticallydescribedasthegreatestdisinfectantagainstinequality.Inhisspeechinthe
ConstituentAssembly,whilestatingthatIndiaisanintegralwhole,hecautioned,Thesoonerwe
realisethatwearenotyetanationinthesocialandpsychologicalsenseoftheword,thebetterfor
us.Forthenonlyweshallrealisethenecessityofbecominganationandseriouslythinkofwaysand
meansofrealisingthegoal.Therefore,hestressedonjustice,notonlypoliticalandeconomicbut
alsosocialjustice.Accordingtohim,thekeycomponentsofsocialjusticeareliberty,equalityand
fraternity.Ambedkarsaid,Thesystemofrankandgradationissimplyanotherwayofenunciating
theprincipleofinequality,soitmaybetrulysaidthatHinduismdoesntrecogniseequality.
Ambedkar,beingacompassionaterebel,foundBuddhismclosertohisunderstandingofsocial
justice.Aneconomisttoo,thequestforsocialjusticeledhimtobecomeasocialdemocratandstudy
KarlMarxsideology.HecomparedtheBuddhaandMarxandsaid,TheideologyofBuddhaandKarl
Marxandacomparisonbetweenthemjustforcesitselfonme.

Suchnotionsofallembracingnationalismincludedinitsscopegenderequalityandwomens
empowermentwhichhewantedtoachieveinfullmeasurethroughhisepochmakingHinduCodeBill.
DemocracyforAmbedkarwasawayofliving.Hewrote,Democracyisnotmerelyaformof
government.Itisprimarilyamodeofassociatedlivingofconjoinedcommunicatedexperience.Itis
essentiallyanattitudeofrespectandreverencetowardsfellowmen.Hestronglyfeltthatasociety
basedonliberty,equalityandfraternityshouldbetheonlyalternativetoacastesociety,andthatis
whyheattachedgreaterimportancetotheprincipleofoneman,onevoteoneman,onevalue.He
wasveryparticularthatthedemocracythatheupheldwentbeyondtheformalexpressionsofitand
movedintothesocialandeconomicrealmwheresubstantialdemocracyprevailed.Thisformof
democracy,heimagined,wouldensuredignityforall.
Nationalismthatisinclusive
SomeoftheleadersoftheBharatiyaJanataParty(BJP)andtheRSSarenowinvokingnationalismin
acoerciveandrecurrentmanner.Theyunderlinethepointthatnationalismisindangeranditis
importanttoinculcatethespiritofnationalismamongcitizens,particularlystudents,tosafeguardour
unityandintegrity.ThesloganBharatMatakiJaiisbeingusedbythemastheonlysymbolof
nationalismanditisassertedbytheleadersoftheBJPthatrecitationofthissloganbyIndiansaffirms
theircredibilityasnationalists.Theydescribeeverythingelseasantinational.
Ambedkarrightlyobserved,Nationalityisasocialfeeling.Itisafeelingofacorporatesentimentof
onenesswhichmakesthosewhoarechargedwithitfeelthattheyarekithandkin.Thisnational
feelingisadoubleedgedfeeling.Itisatonceafeelingoffellowshipofonesownkithandkinandan
antifellowshipfeelingforthosewhoarenotonesownkithandkin.Itisafeelingofconsciousnessof
kindwhichontheonehandbindstogetherthosewhohaveitsostronglythatitoverridesall
differencearisingoutofeconomicconflictsorsocialgradationsand,ontheother,seversthemfrom
thosewhoarenotoftheirkind.Itisalongingnottobelongtoanyothergroup.Thisistheessenceof
whatiscalledanationalityandnationalfeeling.
Thiselevatednotionofnationalitycannotbegeneratedandachievedbymeresloganeeringbased
onaviolentmasculinistapproach.Itrequiresaconcerteddemocraticeffortandhighlevelof
statesmanshipandvisiontoempowerpeopleandreclaimtheirdignitythroughthespreadof
educationandprovisionoflivelihoodemanatingfromaninclusiveandnonalienatingeconomyasa
right.ThisisthetruemeaningofAmbedkarsnationalism,whichiscreative,compassionateand
emancipatoryintheuniversalisticsense.
D.RajaistheNationalSecretaryoftheCPIandaMemberofParliament