Read your history for 15 minutes – and create your own history
6th December is about a very simple but stunning idea, which was introduced to the world (and India) that: no one has the right of absolute control over others.
According to this idea, people have the inherent right to some measure of freedom. Rules should be agreed upon, and not be imposed. Although this notion has become our most cherished political value, in the 17th century it existed in practice nowhere on the planet. When it did spread, slowly, it was applied to men, usually white men.
Bit by bloody bit, the idea has encompassed other groups, but it has yet to be applied to innumerable people in India. Most of whom belong to the lower end of the caste system …
Today’s India tends to be critical of Gandhi, Nehru, Ambedkar without their -isms being understood.
This is unfortunate.
Among other things, these were intellectual stalwarts.
For example, Dr Ambedkar besides being a lawyer and a champion for social justice, studied at the Columbia University and did a MSc dissertation on Administration and Finance of the East India Company. Also a PhD on National Dividend: A Historical and Analytical Study. Later at the London School of Economic, Ambedkar evaluated the Problem of the Rupee along with Edwin Cannon. And above all, he drafted the Constitution of India.
The point is, Dr Ambedkar radicalised the process of justice and development.
Today, his relevance can be questioned, but not belittled.
On 6th December, spare 15 minutes and read Dr Babasaheb’s Ambedkar original writings in any language you deem fit.
Question his thoughts, by all means, but spare those 15 minutes and then ask the questions …
Please forward this link. So that more and more people are reading Dr Ambedkar for 15 minutes on 6th December
Some online links…
http://drambedkarbooks.wordpress.com/about/
http://drambedkarbooks.wordpress.com/dr-b-r-ambedkar-books/
http://drambedkarbooks.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/waiting-for-a-visa.doc
http://drambedkarbooks.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/annihilation-of-caste.doc
http://drambedkarbooks.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/notes-on-parliamentary-procedure.doc
http://drambedkarbooks.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/who-were-the-shudras.doc
http://drambedkarbooks.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/preservation-of-social-order.doc
http://drambedkarbooks.wordpress.com/other-important-books/
http://drambedkarbooks.wordpress.com/other-important-videos/
4 Comments »
Leave a comment
| Next »
Your thoughts are welcome
Amazing Ambedkar! 
Nice article, but need to share more ideas and experience of social work. Need to spread this mission to more people, especially the educated and settled one; who owe to deliver owe some service to society/nation as the gratitude of Babasaheb’s work. We must agree that apart from family responsibility some time must be spend for social welfare
Thanks
Satish
Comment by Satish Dethe | August 20, 2010 |
The appearance of AMAZING AMBEDKAR is fortuitous.
A few days the Pandharpur Yatra culminated. My thoughts travelled to Dr Ambedkar
In 1929, Dr Ambedkar presided over a meeting at Trymbak, a pilgrim centre. There was talk of building a memorial in the name of Chokamela. Amdebkar was not enamoured by Chokamela since he found him to be an Uncle Tom-type Mahar who willing to accept the status quo. Ambedkar said more than building a memorial, lets remove the blot of untouchability. His actual words were:
“The appearance of Tulsi leaves around your neck will not relieve you from the clutches of the money lenders. Because you sing songs of Lord Rama, you will not get a concession in rent from your landlords. You will not get salaries at the end of the month because you make pilgrimages every year to Pandharpur.”
Again it is very interesting, but Ambedkar’s family were followers of the Kabir and Ramananda Bhakti and Yalkot sects. For instance, his wife wanted to make a pilgrimage to some of these places. Ambedkar would NOT allow her to because he knew she would not be allowed into the temple. So according to Dhananjay Kheer (Ambedkar’s biographer), he consoled his wife and family members, by saying:
“What of that Pandharpur which prevents its devotees from seeing the image of God? By our own virtuous life, selfless service and spotless sacrifice in the cause of the downtrodden humanity WE COULD CREATE ANOTHER PANDHARPURI AND JEJURI.”
For Ambedkar creating ANOTHER PANDHARPUR was important since according to him the Bhakti movement (with the exception of Sant Gadge Maharaj) was without ANY SOCIAL PROTEST or SOCIAL REFORM CONTENT. For e.g. Chokamela had accepted his place in the village hierarchy; and Ambedkar rejected this rationale.
Personally, for me, Ambedkar’s project of saving the downtrodden humanity is an ongoing one.
Their problems will have to be addressed, and not through verbal tokenism.
Otherwise we will become like Eknath. A Brahmin saint, who wrote Bharuds. And even though, 47 of these Bharuds emerged from the mouths of a Mang, Ambedkar believes, Eknath NEVER challenged the concept of living (in non religious matters) according to caste.
Eknath’s couplet “I am the bastard Mahar, son of the Lord” is moving to another Brahmin but NOT to a Mahar. I was told this, many times by many Mahars and Buddhists.
Also most Dalits, REJECT the Bhakti tradition as totally useless.
The great Dalit poet, Namdeo Dhasal speaks of the “crumpled-paper-Pandurang-dindi goes on singing, winding the sweet notes flute”; and in the very next line, he speaks of prostitutes on Juhu beach. Dhasal then mocks the procession to Pandharpur, while the life of the Mumbai’s poor people BECOMES the reality the pilgrims of Pandharpur do not see.
Another great Dalit poet, Daya Pawar in PAV speaks of those born at the bottom of the crushing pyramid of caste. And then, at the end of the poem when the PYRAMID is sanctified, the holy water is given to a thirsty donkey.
I hope many more young people join in the AMAZING AMBEDKAR movement and over-turn this pyramid.
Comment by Sudeep Modak | November 5, 2009 |
Freedom is one of the most misunderstood words – often conflicting. A man’s freedom to smoke is curtailed by his neighbors freedom to breath fresh air. ‘Inherent right to some measure of freedom’ – did it complicate things further ? Because some one could decide, on your behalf, what is right for you and then go on define ‘freedom’ for you. More often than not, rules are imposed. The powerful chooses the ‘right form of freedom’ and the rules for the weak.
Dr Ambedkar’s India still discriminates the poor, the socially backward and the cast-ism still rules. His followers have their own political agenda.May be we need him now more than any time before.
Comment by Sajith | November 2, 2009 |
Do leave your comments here. It is important to have your views on this topic.
Comment by Samir Lukka | November 1, 2009 |