IMPACT OF AMBEDKARISM

(Contributed by Sh. Rattan Lal Gottra)

The Constitution of India drafted by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar is generally said to have been shaped on the Western Model. But, in fact, it can also be described as ‘first and foremost a social document’, because the ideology or its provisions are either directly arrived at furthering the aim of social revolution, or they attempt to foster this revolution by establishing conditions necessary for its achievement. The Constitution guarantees and protects a wide range of civil liberties, including freedom of religion. It outlaws all forms of discrimination on the bases economic, and social grounds like that of untouchability. With this constitution in India today, there lies the possibility to get established a casteless society in the long run, and consequently the real democracy due to the impact of Ambedkarism as shown below.

1. Through the voting rights, the people’s aptitude for equality is likely to rise continuously.

2. Due to India being a one political unit, the struggle for social justice in one part of the country is apt to get support in other parts.

3. The caste Hindus in large numbers are gradually saying good–bye to the caste system, untouchability and views based upon the old ‘Karma’ philosophy.

4. It is now increasingly becoming impossible for the ‘Dwij Hindus’ to continuously keep ‘Dalits’ into mental slavery.

5. In every field of life, without giving a central place to the last person, ‘salvation’ is not possible.

6. The democratization of knowledge and know-how has progressed in such a manner in the world that it has now become difficult to keep enslaved the human consciousness.

7. The humankind cannot tackle its crisis’s without mass participation of the whole society.

8. Due to pressure of the dreams and aspirations of general masses, the Backward-Dalit leadership may either reform itself or otherwise, the new leadership is likely to emerge.

9.  Increasing number of people are getting impressed with the creation of understanding and love among themselves, rather than creating differences on one’s birth or profession.

10. As it is visible at many places, and particularly in big cities of India that there are growing numbers of inter-caste marriages, which substantiates a change in the conservative caste-based society of the past.

11. Intelligentsia has realized that it is time to get out of the inhuman traditions, and castetist mind-set in the name of ‘God’, culture or identity.

12. Since 1952 till date caste-wise complexion both in the Lok Sabha, and State Legislatures has gradually changed with progressive increase in the number of people’s representatives belonging to OBC, SC, and ST, except in case of minorities like Muslims, which more or less did not show much variation.

TASK AHEAD:

Caste is the curse of India. Caste in all its forms made us nation of slaves. It is not Islam, etc. that has destroyed India. Our enemy is within us. Priest-craft and caste have slain us.   Therefore, a strong wind is still needed to blow away the ghost of caste, and revolutionize the mental attitudes. To achieve this object, the ignorant masses must be made to understand that caste is not predetermined by ‘God’ on the basis of deeds of any supposed previous birth, and that majority of people in India wrongly get handicapped due to wrong conditioning of their minds with feelings of high and low. This conditioned mind-set of the people has remained the cause behind inequality, inefficiency, and inability to rationally conduct our social problems in India. Caste-system has also blocked the natural evolution of good / progressive human qualities. Here are a few suggestions to deal with the ghost of caste.

1. As jobs in government. Semi-govt. or govt.-aided organizations carry respect in the eyes of public; preference in selection for such jobs should be given to such individuals/children who do not suffix caste, as sir name.

2. All state governments should provide liberal cash awards to those who go in for inter-caste marriages. Individuals who go in for inter-caste marriages should be given preference for at least one promotion in their jobs.

3. Nomenclatures in respect of public sector organizations/institutions that smell of caste should be legally changed.

4. All those living below poverty line should be considered for reservation in jobs, both in the public and private sector.

5. All caste based organizations/institutions linked with narrow castetist objects should be legally not allowed to function.

6. All so called ‘holy’ books that contain any portion supporting pre-determination of caste by ‘God’, should be re-written; because ‘holiness’ lies in the service of humanity, and not in the ‘Karma’ based pre-determined fate/caste.

7. Those who support casteism should be declared communal/anti-national.

8. The children of deprived sections of society should be provided free, good-quality, and vocational education to empower them for making a good headway in life, instead of continuing to believe in the provision of reservation.

9. Preferential treatment for ‘Dalit Muslims/Dalit Christians’ may also be considered, as they are also part and parcel of the Indian society and remained depressed due to the similar flaws in Indian social system, as in case of other Dalits.

10. All politicians/bureaucrats who in any manner conduct themselves with favoritism based upon caste/religious prejudices must be shunted out.

11. All political parties having hand in caste-based agitations or which select/field candidates based upon caste considerations should be de-recognized for electoral purposes. 

Is Ambedkerism need of the day - क्या अंबेडकरवाद आज की आवश्यकता है

(Contributed by Sh. G.L. Bhagat)

“Ambedkarism” as an Institution for Social change is an idea that is derived from the constitutional concept of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity. Social justice is a word that derives its strength from Liberty, Equality and Fraternity. “Ambedkarism” is a philosophy to develop the down trodden, suppressed, neglected and dehumanized classes of our society so that they could be brought to the national main stream. This word literally means social justice. This ism is a development from the ideology of Dr. B R Ambedkar who had experiences of fighting with subversive forces acting against interest of depressed classes since the days of King Indra till date and is being carried forward by his followers. He gifted social justice to the depressed, woman and the poor. Fate of untouchables was locked by the Hindu law / Laws of Manu in a sealed cover of “bonded labour” about eighth century AD and the cover was opened by the British in 1843 AD. Most of the “bonded labour of Hindus” was liberated till the recent past and where they are not liberated they are still working in the same capacity. For all this and many more, Dr. B R Ambedkar was more than God to untouchables.

The two disjunctive classes have been put in the channel of new constitution of the preset democratic law along with other religions. Two mutually exclusive classes are asked to sail in the same ship in two different laws. One governed in living by Hindu law of its own and other living as a professing class as scheduled castes defined as a class in Constitution (scheduled castes) of India 1950.

These two disjunctive groups have adopted different names over thousands of years. There is no respite of suppression of one by the other. Constitution as such have failed on many accounts to deliver justice and so number of statuary bodies are made to perform. If untouchables are to succeed in their social change they have to robust enough in their mission. Ambedkarism will continue as long as humanity exists on earth.

The two disjunctive classes have been put in the channel of new constitution of the preset democratic law along with other religions. Two mutually exclusive classes are asked to sail in the same ship in two different laws. One governed in living by Hindu law of its own and other living as a professing class as scheduled castes defined as a class in Constitution (scheduled castes) of India 1950.

These two disjunctive groups have adopted different names over thousands of years. There is no respite of suppression of one by the other. Constitution as such have failed on many accounts to deliver justice and so number of statuary bodies are made to perform. If untouchables are to succeed in their social change they have to robust enough in their mission.

Ambedkarism will continue as long as humanity exists on earth.

Ambedkarism -a root of the Outcastes society

We are all a Mulniwasi and strictly an endogamous “Tak Kshatriya” group and inter-married only within select clans. We have a national level organization called Megh / Bhagat/ balai/ Masha etc Mahasabha located all over the nation. Most of us are forced to do work in leather and have been called chammars. Our’s is a nation of Mulniwasi religious society and believed in democracy, equality brotherhood. Castes of a work that we write are not our original work. A police force had cought our boys and forced them to do dirty work. Should we leave our boys or the house? Should we discard our person who was cought by police force of Brahmins and asked to do scavenger work? One modern Hindu leader went to north and praised the elevation of meghs to Arya Samaj. The same very leader went to Bombay are took dusting rod in his own hand on a road and asked the meghwals to follow scavenger work. He made lakhs of meghwals as scavengers.

Should we forget and eliminate these brothers from the reord of meghwals or other original Tak Tribes? Should we remove them from the record that they are not Tak Kshatriyas? Similar position is prevaling among Jaiswals who are Jassal /Kori groug of Meghwal community. Why can not they write Tak Kasatriyas? The reality is that all outcastes are Tak Kshatriyas. Original word to identify with Rishi is from Risi Sal- hotra who tought horse riding and war tacticts to Bali. He gave first fling horse on this earth to Bali. The word hotra is brahmanised as gotra. However the MAGI priestly class protected it in one form or the other.

We still have a village of sal-gotras in Jammu and Kashmir where only this Tribe of Salgotra meghs resides and I am one among them and belong the megh-Sadh family. There are number of Sadh families among meghs in north.This title we are carring from our original Magi community of priestely clan. It is the duty of Sadh families to rechristianise our Mulniwasi community in to their original glorious status of Kshatriyas. It is their duty to elevate them and guide them to write Mulniwasi Kshatriya in place of low graded work oriented name of the caste.

No one can take away or disjunctive status benefits as most of the official may be thinking. This is only a reward that our ancestors have done servile duty to the Hindu Society as per previous Law of this Nation from 800 AD to 1843 AD. That is why Dr. B R Ambedkar has maintained separation. Only one word is preferred for all and that is List of the Tribes i.e. Schedules of castes or scheduled caste.No one can take away or disjunctive status benefits as most of the official may be thinking. This is only a reward that our ancestors have done servile duty to the Hindu Society as per previous Law of this Nation from 800 AD to 1843 AD. That is why Dr. B R Ambedkar has maintained separation. Only one word is preferred for all and that is List of the Tribes i.e. Schedules of castes or scheduled caste.
 

THE CONSTITUTION (SCHEDULED CASTES) ORDER, 1950:
In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (1) of article 341 of the Constitution of India, the President, after consultation with the Governors and Rajpramukhs of the States concerned, is pleased to make the following Order, namely: —

1. This Order may be called the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950.

2. Subject to the provisions of this Order, the castes, races or tribes or parts of, or groups within, castes or tribes specified in 2[Parts to 3[XXIV]] of the Schedule to this Order shall, in relation to the States to which those Parts respectively relate, be deemed to be Scheduled Castes so far as regards member thereof resident in the localities specified in relation to them in those Parts of that Schedule.4[3. Notwithstanding anything contained in paragraph 2, no person who professes a religion different from the Hindu 5[, the Sikh or the Buddhist] religion shall be deemed to be a member of a Scheduled Caste.] 6[4. Any reference in this Order to a State or to a district or other territorial division thereof shall be construed as a reference to the State, district or other territorial division as constituted on the 1st day of May, 1976.]

Source of the root of Ambedkarism? “I am a Devotee of Gautam Buddha, Kabir, Mahatma Phule and Worshipper of Learning, Self respect and Character. I have none of the bad habits but am found of reading. That learning was essential for every individual if he wished to make progress in the life.” (Ref. P.505, Vol. 17, Part-III, Oct. 28th 1954, Dr. Ambedkar Diamond Jublee Celebration). The spirit of equality, fraternity, liberty that made our modern democracy is derived from the ideology of Gautam Buddha, Kabir, and Mahatma Phule. Religion given by Gautma Buddha is an open book. Religious ideology given by Kabir is not only unity of communities but that of religions. Mahatma Phule did the same in announcing a religion of humanity. Kabir and Buddha are pioneer in the concept of the spirit of i.e. equality, fraternity, liberty of Constitution of India.