Our nation paid tribute to Babasaheb Dr BR Ambedkar on his 125th birth anniversary on April 14. Ambedkar’s political legacy reminds us of his aim to build a democratic and inclusive India with economic growth, equality and social justice.
The social and economic equality vision of Ambedkar continues to inspire Indian nationalism and in building India on principles of democracy, liberty, equality, fraternity and dignity of human being. But it is a fact that the last 65 years of planned economic growth of the country has not been able to ensure socio-economic equality among its citizens.
There are various forms of gaps in status and opportunity; discrimination and exploitation continues and the marginalized groups are being excluded from the process of development without a fair share with dignity. So it is important to reorient ourselves with the ideas of Ambedkar and the principles of constitution while moving on the path of building a modern India.
It is fact that our centuries old caste system has not only divided our human society but also deprived many of their basic human rights. There has been denial of access to education, land and participation in governance to low caste people. The caste system in India and untouchability practices needs to be eradicated by the effort of Government and others.
Ambedkar through his famous books Caste in India: Their mechanism, genesis and development, (1916) and Annihilation of Caste (1936), made a historic analysis and provided recommendation for annihilation of caste. Ambedkar argued for common dining and inter caste marriage. The Constitution of India abolished untouchability and enacted anti-untouchability offence legislation in 1955, Protection of Civil Rights Act, and later SCs and STs (PoA) Act in 1989 along with provision of financial award for inter caste marriage among SCs and caste Hindus. But in spite of legislations the untouchability, caste-based discrimination and atrocities continue in newer forms posing new challenges to our social harmony, brotherhood and national unity .
There are reports of practices of untouchability in rural parts, caste-based discrimination in public institutions and heinous forms of atrocities against Dalits, honour killing by dominant caste, Khab Panchayat. Many young couples who prefer inter caste marriage are being ostracized and in many cases being killed by dominant caste Panchayats. The policy and criminal justice administration has failed to ensure justice to the victims of atrocities. There should be exemplary punishment for the persons who believe in caste system by treating them as anti-nationals because they are against equality and human dignity.
The ideas of Ambedkar can bring social unity in the country to build our nationhood on principles of equality. Therefore it is time to take the great ideas of our Constitution to our schools, colleges and all educational institutions, public places and villages for annihilation of caste and for building modern India on principles of social democracy. Ambedkar and Constitution of India should be widely read and discussed among all, especially youth, who are the future of our nation. Along with enforcement of anti-discrimination laws, there should be programme for social change to change the caste, communal and patriarchal based mindset of the people. The builders of modern India have put much emphasis on human liberty, brotherhood and dignity without which a democratic society is not possible.
Ambedkar has argued for social democracy as a way of life in family and social life which recognizes liberty, equality and fraternity as its basic principles. He said democracy is not merely a form of Government. It is essentially an attitude of respect and reverence towards fellowmen. Political democracy cannot last without social democracy. He also said fraternity is the other name of democracy, a sense of common brotherhood which is equally important to build a nation like ours with so much of diversity and social hierarchy based on caste.
Ambedkar was more engaged in building social movements to bring the socially oppressed sections into the nation building as equal citizens of modern India. While ensuring diversity and equal rights for all its citizens in the Constitution, the provisions of affirmative action have brought protection for the marginalised. Affirmative action, reparation, compensation and reservation have been in practice worldwide to protect and ensure the participation of the marginalised, indigenous communities, ethnic and religious minorities, and people getting discriminated based on their identities, race, caste, gender, ethnicity, indigenous and minority status. The principles of reservation have been in practice in India in the field of education, employment in Government and public sector and political governance. It has created scope of participation of the marginalised in national building and making our public place inclusive of all social groups of the country. It has contributed to promote brotherhood and social harmony among fellow citizens from diverse groups.
But the scope of reservation has served a few from among the marginalised while a vast majority remains as before without land, capital and education for their development. Hence, there is a need to expand the scope of reservation to private sector to bring more inclusion of group left out in our private sector business and industry. There are areas where the participation of the marginalised section is very negligible.
It is the duty of the Government to enforce affirmative action in employment of private sector. The Government has to provide opportunity for quality education, skill development and placement guidance so that the youth from the marginalised section become employable in all sectors. The natural resources of the country such as land, forest, water and minerals have been disproportionately used by a privileged few and depriving many of their rights to life and livelihood. The financial resources available with banks are also unreasonably accessed by a few for their development while denial of right to development and right to financial access of majority of rural poor and marginalised in unorganised sector continues. Social segregation is one of the major reasons of under development. There has been growing unemployment, distress migration, and hunger death among the marginalised sections. The market forces are largely dominated by upper caste people where the State has to make rules for affirmative action in private sector to ensure employment and income for the marginalised.
The country with constitutional governance is mandated to bring equality in social and economic sphere but it is fact that all the successive Governments are more focused on economic growth and have paid very less attention to equality and social justice agenda. But without social equality only economic growth has resulted in concentration of wealth in the hands of a few families and they are also ruling over the majority of the poor and have-nots. The socio-economic equality cannot be realised without active participation of the socially oppressed in decision making process in the Government. Political power is the key to any change and social progress but political power has been monopolised by a few in this country which needs to be democratised. Ours is a multi-party parliamentary democracy and our election system having universal adult franchise based on FPTP should be changed to proportionate electoral system to give equal representation to all by converting votes into seats. The use of money and muscle power in election and caste and communal vote bank politics should be done away with to ensure political participation of the poor and socially oppressed. Therefore while paying tribute to Ambedkar his political ideas should be respected in letter and spirit.
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