What Rahul Gandhi does not get about Ambedkar and Dalit aspiration

(Guru Prakash)

Bhagwan Das, author of In Pursuit of Ambedkar, wrote: “The newspaper used to publish a lot of things about Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Azad, Subhas Chandra Bose and Jinnah but hardly a thing about the untouchable communities. I used to wonder, ‘Who is our leader?’ I asked Abba this, and he replied, ‘Umeedkar, the one who brings hope,’ which is how Abba saw Babasaheb Ambedkar.”

In the life of a nation, there are times when there is a need for collective introspection on the past and to strategise on the future. As a school student, I often wondered about the objectives behind organising events to commemorate stalwarts on their birth and death anniversaries. Now, somewhat more evolved, socially and intellectually, things have started making sense at multiple levels. Ambedkar’s anniversary since our childhood has ignited curiosity and enthusiasm in equal measure. In a poll conducted jointly in 2012, Ambedkar was voted the “greatest Indian”, outshining leaders such as Gandhi, Nehru and Patel.

• Ambedkar’s legacy

April holds a special place in the Dalit imagination as it offers occasions like the birth anniversaries of Babu Jagjivan Ram, Mahatma Jyotiba Phule and Ambedkar as platforms to deliberate on their visions and the progress towards them. Ambedkar, in particular, was considered a polarising figure for decades after his death.

He was not only instrumental in the drafting of the Constitution but also the force behind institutions like the RBI and political parties catering to the depressed classes. His legacy was politicised by the Congress party. Those who follow Ambedkarite politics still wonder why it took more than decades after his death for him to get the Bharat Ratna. Ambedkar argued that “Congress does not truly represent the Untouchables” and that the party’s purported support for their interests is “nothing more than mere tactics” .

Time magazine has declared 2024 as the year of elections and the world is keenly watching the political developments in the largest democracy. Democracy has provided political equality to the voiceless and the socially marginalised for whom Ambedkar remains a source of inspiration. Dalit politics has witnessed a fundamental transformation in the decades after independence. From the issues around separate electorates to representation in Parliament and state assemblies, the universe of Dalit politics has widened from the phase of assertion to the one of aspiration.

• Congress style of Dalit politics

Many are now increasingly questioning the Congress style of Dalit politics where symbolism is the hallmark. There are reasons behind the failure of the social justice plank of Rahul Gandhi. The party may advocate a caste census and representation for political leverage but its practices say otherwise.

Till recently Congress party was the ruling dispensation in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh apart from Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka and now Telangana. Rahul Gandhi in his speeches mentioned the inclusion of SC, ST and OBC secretaries in the government – not one secretary in the government in Congress-ruled states came from these communities. The political leadership has to realise the shift in the Dalit consciousness: Politics can no longer be about sharing a meal for a photo-op. It must be about respect and recognition.

Prakash Ambedkar’s exit from the Maha Vikas Agadi (MVA) is an indication of this shift. That even Ambedkar’s grandson had reason to complain about fair treatment in the state where his ideas flourished is a comment on our political establishment.

Parties with their origins in social justice movements are losing relevance as particular families, not marginalised communities, are the priority for them. From Jammu Kashmir to Tamil Nadu, social justice has now become a project for personal aggrandisement.

Noted intellectuals have observed a trend where reserved constituencies are also becoming fiefdoms of the feudal classes by fielding dummy candidates from the SC communities as Nehru once did. Ambedkar condemned this practice.

Congress and the political establishment must realise that that era is long gone. Dalits now want to become stakeholders and a part of the dispensation not only in Parliament but also in media, universities, think tanks, the judiciary and as entrepreneurs. This would be a true tribute to the legacy of BR Ambedkar.

(The writer is assistant professor at Patna University and adviser to the Dalit Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry and national spokesperson, BJP)