THE ASIAN INDEPENDENT UK
Dr. Ramjilal, Social Scientist, Former Principal, Dyal Singh College, Karnal (Haryana- India)
e.mail id. [email protected]
Abstract
From ancient times to the present, every country in the world has had such great men and social reformers, political thinkers, philosophers, writers, scientists, saints, mahatmas, politicians and revolutionaries who have played a leading role in the fields of social, economic, educational, cultural, religious and political development by giving a new direction and new light to humanity. In the galaxy of these great men and women, the name of Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar shines like the Pole Star, and people living on the margins of society in most countries of the world take inspiration from him. This is the reason why his birth anniversary is celebrated in about 150 countries of the world on 14 April. Eric Adams, the mayor of the famous city of New York in the United States, announced that Ambedkar’s birth anniversary will be celebrated every year and declared 14 April as ‘Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar Day’. The most important thing is that Ambedkar Jayanti was celebrated in North Korea, and on this occasion, North Korea’s supreme leader Kim Jong Un considered Ambedkar’s contribution important for humanity.
Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (14 April 1891– 6 December 1956) was the father of the Indian Constitution, its creator, sculptor and architect, chairman of the drafting committee of the Constitution, famous lawyer, first Law and Justice Minister of independent India, creator of the Republic of India, linguist, independent and fearless journalist, bookworm, politician, parliamentarian, famous economist, guide of social revolutionaries, supporter of abolition of caste and untouchability, staunch opponent of the social, economic and political system based on injustice, philosopher and thinker, sympathiser of women, farmers and labourers, advocate and messiah of the untouchables and the deprived class, a great agitator and struggling thinker against the society based on inequality and disparity, and a high class . As a social reformer, he was the main advocate of the abolition of the caste system based on Manuvad-Brahminism. He himself accepted that no society can improve and develop without the social, economic and political empowerment of women. In this sense, he was the pioneer of women’s empowerment. He is considered an advocate of equality, liberty and fraternity.
>Dr.Ramjilal,https://samajweekly.com/dr-b-r-ambedkar-as-a-journalist)
>https://theasianindependent.co.uk/the-indian-constitution-and-dalit-emancipation/
>Dr.Ramjilal,https://samajweekly.com/objectives-of-the-constitution-of-india/20/02/2023)
Expansion
The concept and main features of Ambedkarism
The systematic form of the thoughts expressed by Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar from time to time in newspapers, books, speeches, memoranda, Constituent Assembly debates, etc., regarding various problems and issues, is considered to be Ambedkarism or Ambedkar’s thinking. Ambedkarism today is such an ideology which, like a lighthouse, guides everyone, from politicians to the common people standing on the margins of society. Ambedkarism is a set of ideas that include equality, liberty, fraternity, social/economic/political justice, human dignity, secularism, democracy, socialism, and empowerment and upliftment of the marginalised and neglected sections of society—Dalits, Adivasis, women, small farmers, non-farm workers, organised and unorganised workers—and establishment of an egalitarian society where basic needs – food, shelter, clothing, universal education, health facilities, the right to work, and the right to equal pay for equal work – are fulfilled.
Ambedkarite thought supports the idea that there should be public control (nationalisation) over important industries. From this point of view, Ambedkarite thought is against corporatisation, including liberalisation, privatisation, and globalisation prevalent in the current century. This is the reason why Ambedkar occupies an important place in the category of the vanguard of socialist thinkers.
Ambedkarism is against inequality, social injustice, inhuman behaviour, untouchability, Manuism, Brahmanism, feudalism, capitalism, the anti-people attitude of bureaucracy, the dictatorship of majoritarianism, violent movements, religion-based or religion-dominated states, the two-nation theory and Hindu or Muslim nations.
According to Ambedkarism, untouchability caused by casteism and the Varna system is narrow, divisive, inhuman, immoral, unscientific and narrow. Untouchability and the four-caste systems being divisive are obstacles in social unity, social integration, national unity, and social, political and economic development. According to Ambedkarism, the Dalit class has to face humiliation due to untouchability. Ambedkar believes that ‘living a life with dignity is the birthright of every person.’ As a result, Ambedkar inspired the scheduled castes to get educated, organise and struggle to completely destroy the caste system for a life with dignity. His belief is that the caste system has made India dead, and discrimination has made the Dalit class powerless, incapable and crippled. This is the reason why no social revolution has taken place in India, like in European countries. Without social revolution, social slavery, exploitation, inequality, oppression and humiliating life will not end. Therefore, as a social reformer, he was the main advocate of the abolition of the caste system based on Manuism-Brahminism. >(Dr. Ramjilal, ‘Dr. Ambedkar: A great man, visionary and great thinker’, Dainik Bhaskar, (Panipat), 14 April 2008, p.6)
>Dr. Ramji Lal, https://samajweekly.com/dr-bhimrao-ambedkar-in-the-context-of-deprived-scheduled-castes/26/07/2023)
Emergence of unfortunate scenario: Criminal Mindset
On the one hand, many functions, seminars, symposia, etc. are organised on the birth anniversary of Dr. Ambedkar in India; on the other hand, the news of damaging, breaking and harming his statues and burning his effigies and pictures by the opponents of Ambedkarism makes headlines in newspapers from Amritsar (Punjab) to Varanasi (UP), Ahmedabad (Gujarat) to Haryana (Buddha Kheda police station Uklana), and Bihar to Andhra Pradesh. An unfortunate scenario is emerging in Indian society. In fact, it is like a double-edged sword. On the one hand, the importance of Ambedkarism and Ambedkar’s contribution are being diminished, and on the other hand, the Scheduled Castes are being insulted and suppressed. The continuous increase in atrocities, crimes and violent incidents due to ‘caste discrimination’ or ‘hidden apartheid’ is not only harmful for Dalits but also for the nation and society.
> Will Hindu Rashtra be harmful for Dalits and the deprived? https://www.satyahindi.com/analysis/hindu-rashtra-be-harmful-for-dalits-and-deprived-138450.html
Challenges before Ambedkarism
First, Discrimination and Inequality:
Ambedkarism considers discrimination and inequality prevalent in the society as the most important challenge in the process of Indian democracy and nation building. On the last day of the Constituent Assembly, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar said on 26 January 1950, ’We are going to enter a life full of contradictions. We will have equality in politics, but we will have inequality in social and economic life”. Dr. Ambedkar said, ‘Political democracy cannot be established unless at its core there is social democracy, i.e., equality, liberty and fraternity in the principles of life. Without equality, liberty will establish the dominance of a handful of people over the majority. Without fraternity, liberty and equality will not seem natural things. Discrimination and inequality must be removed. If this is not done, then those who will be the victims of discrimination will tear apart the democracy which this Constituent Assembly has prepared.’
For the need to establish social democracy, only by removing social discrimination and inequality can a permanent democracy be established, and the Constitution can also be protected. As a result, according to Ambedkarism, the process of nation building continues by establishing social democracy
Second, ‘devotion or hero-worship in politics’:
According to Ambedkarite thinking, ‘devotion or hero-worship in politics’ is an important challenge in the present times. Dr. Ambedkar had warned that ‘devotion or hero-worship in politics’ is an important challenge in the way of democracy and is ultimately a sure path to dictatorship’. Dr. Ambedkar warned :
“There is nothing wrong in being grateful to great men who have rendered lifelong services to the country. But there are limits to gratefulness, as has been well said by the Irish patriot Daniel O’Connell: no man can be grateful at the cost of his honour, no woman can be grateful at the cost of her chastity and no nation can be grateful at the cost of its liberty.
This caution is far more necessary in the case of India than in the case of any other country. For in India, Bhakti, or what may be called the path of devotion or hero-worship, plays a part in its politics unequalled in magnitude by the part it plays in the politics of any other country in the world. Bhakti in religion may be a road to the salvation of the soul. But in politics, Bhakti, or hero-worship, is a sure road to degradation and to eventual dictatorship”.
While quoting John Stuart Mill, Ambedkar said, “Do not surrender your freedom at the feet of a great hero or give him so much power by trusting him that he becomes capable of destroying institutions… It is quite possible for this nascent democracy to maintain the facade of democracy, but in reality it may be a dictatorship. In the event of a grand victory in the elections, the danger of the second possibility becoming a reality is greater.” Ambedkarite ideology supports the fact that blind devotion is fatal and harmful for democracy because it weakens logical thinking and paves the way for dictatorship.
According to Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, “If we want to maintain democracy not only in form but also in fact, what should we do? In my view, the first thing we must do is to firmly adopt constitutional methods to achieve our social and economic objectives. This means that we must abandon the bloody methods of revolution. This means that we must abandon the path of civil disobedience, non-cooperation and satyagraha. When there was no way left of constitutional methods to achieve economic and social objectives, the justification for unconstitutional methods was very high. But where constitutional methods are open, there can be no justification for these unconstitutional methods. These methods are nothing but the grammar of anarchy, and the sooner they are abandoned, the better it will be for us.”
It is our firm opinion that there is no place for gun systems (bloody methods) in democracy. Because power does not arise from the barrel of a gun but from pressing the EVM button on the polling day during elections. But despite this, peaceful movements in the gap between two elections are necessary to control the totalitarianism of governments. Peaceful movements are not a weakness of democracy and nation-building but are their sentinels. It is very difficult to agree with Dr. Ambedkar’s advocacy of abandoning peaceful movements because it is difficult to control the ‘elected dictatorship’ only through constitutional means. Therefore, Satyagraha and peaceful movements will strengthen democracy. Civil disobedience movement, non-cooperation movement, Satyagraha, Dharna, demonstration, strike, etc. – peaceful movement is not a weakness of democracy and nation-building because it is difficult to control the elected dictatorship only through constitutional means, and therefore Satyagraha and peaceful movement strengthen democracy, as a result of which the process of nation-building will continue. These three challenges or warnings described by Dr. Ambedkar in his historic speech at the end of the last meeting of the Constituent Assembly on 25 November 1949 – social inequality, ‘bhakti or hero-worship’ in politics, and methods of bloody revolution (such as terrorism, the Naxalbari movement and the Maoist violent movement) and abandoning terrorism – are still completely meaningful and relevant in the present 21st century. In short, peaceful mass movements have the power by which totalitarian rulers can be forced to kneel down – to withdraw their decisions or laws or to leave the chair.
>https://prasarbharati.gov.in/whatsnew/whatsnew_653363.pdf >https://thebasicstructureconlaw.wordpress.com/2022/11/26/remembering-ambedkars-last-speech-in-the-constituent-assembly/
Fourth, Casteism and Varna System:
The history of casteism in India is thousands of years old. According to the Rigveda, there are four Varnas in India – Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra. Shudra Varna means servant or untouchable. Shudra Varna is compared to the feet of a person’s body. Among these four Varnas, Brahmin is placed at the highest place and Shudra at the lowest place. Dr. Ambedkar was a staunch opponent of the Manuvadi and Brahminist Indian social systems.
Dr. Ambedkar wrote very clearly about ‘Hindu society’ in the first issue editorial (31 January 1920) of his first Marathi fortnightly newspaper, Mooknayak (‘The Leader of the Voiceless’):
Dr. Ambedkar considered this Chaturvarna system to be destructive, violent, exploitative and extremely dangerous. He said that the system developed conservatism, superstitions and such traditions, which resulted in exploitation of the working class. The protectors of this system have destroyed humanity and enslaved people by exploiting the common man, especially the people of the Dalit class. The enslaved people kept getting their heads chopped off by their own weapons, kept doing slavery, kept producing crops by ploughing, and kept dying of hunger themselves. This system never gave them time to turn the ploughshares into swords. They did not have any weapons or organisation. This system reduced the Dalits and the weak people to moribund status and ended their power to revolt. As a result, there was never a social revolution in India, like it happened in European countries. Dr. Ambedkar believed that till there is no social revolution in India, despite many laws and provisions of the Constitution, exploitation will not end, and the Dalits and the working class (proletariat class) will keep getting exploited. In short, the Dalits and the exploited class, i.e., the working class, were exploited, are exploited and will continue to be exploited. According to Dr. Ambedkar, ‘untouchability is worse than slavery’. Untouchability caused by casteism and the Varna system is inhumane, unscientific, immoral, divisive and narrow. Tired of the caste system, in order to eradicate casteism completely, he declared in 1936 regarding religious conversion that ‘although I am born a Hindu, I will not die as a Hindu, and in the last phase of his life, on 14 October 1956, at Deekshabhoomi in Nagpur, Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar accepted Buddhism along with 3 lakh to 5 lakh of his followers. This is the first example of such religious conversions in a single day in the annals of the history of India.
Fifth, Increase in Atrocities Against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes:
A.. Increase in atrocities against Scheduled Castes
(Dr. Ramjilal, Messiah of Dalits: Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, Dainik Vishwa Manav, Karnal, 6 December 1988, p.4)
After the implementation of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989, atrocities against Dalits have increased rather than decreased. According to the National Crime Records Bureau of the Home Ministry of the Government of India, 25,455 crimes were committed against Dalits in the year 2000; that is, two Dalits were attacked every hour, every three Dalit women were raped, two Dalits were murdered, and two Dalit houses were burnt. During the 10-year period from 2006 to 2016, 422,799 cases of atrocities against Dalits were registered in police stations.
>Will Hindu Rashtra be harmful for Dalits and the deprived? https://www.satyahindi.com/analysis/hindu-rashtra-be-harmful-for-dalits-and-deprived-138450.html
On 21 March 2023, Minister of State for Home Affairs, Government of India, Ajay Kumar, while answering Question No. 3443 on the basis of data collected by NCRB, said in the Lok Sabha that 42,793 cases of atrocities and violence against Dalit castes were registered in police stations in India in 2018, 45,961 in 2019, 50,291 in 2020 and 50,900 in 2021. According to the ‘Crime in India’ report of 2022 of the National Crime Registration Bureau (NCRB) of the Ministry of Home Affairs of the Government of India, a total of 57,582 cases were registered in police stations for committing crimes against Scheduled Castes (SC) in India, which increased by 57,582 in 2021. (50,900 cases) is 13.1% higher than in 2021. The crime rate increased from 25.3 in 2021 to 28.6 in 2022. In terms of state-wise numbers, cases were registered in Uttar Pradesh (15,368), Rajasthan (8,752), Madhya Pradesh (7,733) and Bihar (6,509) in 2022. In UP, the number of crimes against scheduled castes increased from 13146 in 2021 to 15368 in 2022 – an increase of 16%. In 2020, this figure was 12714. In Andhra Pradesh, 2315; Telangana, 1787; Tamil Nadu, 1761; Karnataka, 1977; and Kerala, 1,050 were registered. Tamil Nadu saw a spurt in crimes against SCs, from 1377 in 2021 to 1761 in 2022, an increase of 28.4%. In 2022, the highest number of crimes against SCs were registered in UP (15,368) and the lowest in Kerala (1,050). The UP is ruled by the BJP-led Yogi government, while Kerala is ruled by the CPI(M)-led LDF.
B. Rape of Dalit women and Dalit girls
The Union Minister of State for Home, Ajay Kumar Mishra, told the Lok Sabha that 27,754 people were convicted in the cases during the same 4 years. According to a report of 2019, in India, in just one year, 32,033 Dalit women and girls were raped by goons. In other words, 88 rapes per day, that is, one rape every 20 minutes, are registered in the police stations, and a large number of rapes are not registered in the police stations.
>https://www.satyahindi.com/analysis/hindu-rashtra-be-harmful-for-dalits-and-deprived-138450.html
In the year 2022, 10,064 cases were registered in police stations for crimes against scheduled tribes , an increase of 14.3% compared to 2021 (8,802 cases). The crime rate increased from 8.4 in 2021 to 9.6 in 2022. In 2022, 1,347 cases of rape and 1,022 cases of attack on tribal women were registered in police stations. In terms of state-wise numbers in 2022, 2,979 crimes were registered in Madhya Pradesh, 2,521 in Rajasthan, 545 in Telangana, 67 in Tamil Nadu, 438 in Karnataka, and 396 in Andhra Pradesh, while 172 crimes were registered in Kerala. Karnataka registered the highest increase in crimes against STs, from 361 cases in 2021 to 438 cases in 2022, an increase of 21.3%. The highest number of crimes against STs were registered in Madhya Pradesh (2,979), and the lowest in Kerala (172). Madhya Pradesh is ruled by the BJP, while Kerala is ruled by the CPI(M)-led LDF. Analysis of the data makes it clear that the CPM-led LDF government is more sensitive towards Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes than the governments of other political parties. Another reason for the low number of crimes in Kerala is the literacy rate. The literacy rate in Kerala is 100%, which is equal to the western countries of the world.
The increase in atrocities against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes is a major challenge for constitutionalism, Ambedkarism, society, and nation-building.
According to News DFN UK (September 27, 2024) and Dignity Freedom Network, a crime is committed against a Dalit every 18 minutes. 13 Dalits are killed every week. 27 atrocities are committed against Dalits every day. According to the National Crime Records Bureau of India, about 45,935 cases of violence are registered every year. Violence against Dalits is a slur and an unfortunate everyday event. “In India, about ten Dalit women are raped every day.”
Even after 75 years of the implementation of the Constitution, the continuous increase in the incidents of atrocities against Dalit classes is a matter of concern. But no grief has ever been shown by the so-called religious fanatics, upper castes and blind devotees. No candle march was taken out. There was no long debate by the mainstream print media or electronic media. In short, ‘caste terror’ based on the Chaturvarna system is the main obstacle in the path of Ambedkarism.
>https://www.thenewsminute.com/news/ncrb-data-shows-increase-in-crimes-against-scs-and-sts-up-and-rajasthan-on-top
>https://thedialoguebox.com/dalit-violence-ncrb-report/
Sixth, continuous increase in cases in Indian courts:
The number of cases pending in various courts was 85,260 in 2006. This number increased to 129,881 in 2016. The number of acquittals in disputes is also increasing. For example, the number of people getting acquitted in 2006 was 72%, which increased by 2% to 74% in 2016. According to the chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, in June 2019, about 40,000 cases of atrocities against SC/ST classes were pending. (Times of India, 17 June 2019)
Seventh, non-performance of the commissions: The main function of the commissions related to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes is to prepare reports regarding the social, economic and other interests of these classes. But it is unfortunate that the functioning of these commissions is also not sensitive. According to an article published in The Hindu (26 April 2025), more than a dozen important annual reports of these national commissions have not been made public for the last seven years.
Eight, the increase in the number of acquittals of criminals:
The main reasons for the increase in the number of acquittals of criminals in various courts are: Indian police – bureaucracy, criminals, political alliance, deliberate delay by the police, lack of security for the victim and family members, threat to the life of the family, non-application of IPC sections in FIR properly by police, casteism, corruption, communalism, and political pressure, difficulty for the common man to engage the services of a good lawyer due to lack of money, visiting the court again and again, painfulness for women to fight against criminals, and an anti-Dalit mentality prevalent in society.
Ninth: Challenge of hunger:
Hunger is also an important obstacle in the path of Ambedkarism. If the bulk of the people in the nation are suffering from hunger, then there is a need for reforms in the policies of nation building. According to the Global Hunger Report 2020, India was ranked 94th in the list of 117 countries. According to the Global Hunger Index 2021, India is ranked 101st in the list of 116 countries. In the 2023 report, it is ranked 111th. In the 2024 GHI report, India is ranked 105th out of 127 countries, which makes it clear that India’s hunger situation falls in the “serious category”.
(Dr. Ramji Lal, Global Hunger Index Report 2023: A Critical Assessment/https://samajweekly.com/global-hunger-index-report-2023/)
Tenth: Economic inequality: Establishment of ‘billionaire rule’ for the first time in 100 years
The Indian Constitution and Ambedkarism emphasise social, economic and political equality. In the capitalist and corporatist system, economic inequality hinders democracy and nation building. Nobel Prize winner Dr. Amartya Sen has considered Dr. Ambedkar as the ‘Father of Economics’. According to Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, economic policies should be people-centric. If we talk about economic equality, it seems like a dream. Because according to the data of the World Inequality Report, in 2022-23, the income of the richest 1% of India’s population has increased to 22.6%, and their share of wealth has increased to 40.1%. For the first time in 100 years, such an increase has happened. Similarly, as per the 2023 estimate of Oxfam India, only 21 of the biggest billionaires of India have more wealth than the wealth of 70 crore people of the country; the top 10% of India have 77% of the country’s wealth, and the bottom 50% have only 30% of the nation’s wealth. For the first time in 100 years, inequality has increased so much.
Dr. Ambedkar has described capitalism as a threat to democracy. In his own words,
“If the reins of governance of democracy go into the hands of capitalists, then other citizens have to live in slavery.” In the present scenario of neoliberalism, it is called ‘modern slavery’. As an alternative, Ambedkarism supports public ownership of major industries, equitable distribution of national resources and safeguards against economic exploitation.
{States and Minorities* (1947)}
Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar’s ideas as an alternative to the capitalist system almost reach close to Marxist thinking. Ambedkar has clearly written that, ‘Until a classless society is established, freedom has no value.’
Eleventh: Unemployment: A continuously increasing serious situation:
The situation of unemployment in India is continuously becoming serious. The unemployment rate in India averaged 8.18 % from 2018 to 2024, which reached a high of 23.50% in April 2020 and reached a record low of 6.40%. As of December 2021, 53 million (5.3 crore) were unemployed. Of these, 35 million (3.5 crore) people need employment immediately. Of these, 8 million are women. According to economist Kaushik Basu (former Chief Economic Advisor (CEA) of the Government of India), based on the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Institute for Human Development (IHD) India Employment Report 2024, there is a huge increase in unemployment in India. The rate of youth unemployment in India is much higher than the global average. Between 2020 and 2022, the educated unemployment rate in the age group of 15-29 has increased from 54.2% to 65.7%. The unemployment rate in India is eroding brotherhood and trust. The role of the youth is important in nation building. But if the unemployed youth of the nation become directionless, they get involved in anti-national and anti-social activities, and unrest spreads in the society. As a result, the process of nation-building is hindered. The serious unemployment situation is not beneficial for the nation. But in the Lok Sabha elections (2024), the speech heroes of political parties gave assurances to solve unemployment. But they do not have a detailed plan as to how the solution will be done.
>( https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/jobs-outlook-bleak-on-the-india-employment-report-2024/article68002417.ece
>https://www.livemint.com/news/india/unemployment-rate-in-india-doubles-among-educated-youth-former-cea-kaushik-basu-says-change-is-coming-11711595014880.html
>https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/23/india-elections-opposition-blames-modis-bjp-for-high-jobless-rate.html#:~:text=Youth%20unemployment%2C%
Twelfth : Political Parties – Grand victory in elections is the danger of dictatorship:
Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar feared that if a political party gets a very high majority in the elections, then there is a danger of democracy turning into dictatorship. In the words of Dr. Ambedkar, “It is quite possible for this nascent democracy to maintain the facade of democracy, but in reality it is a dictatorship. In the event of a grand victory in elections, there is a greater danger of the second possibility becoming a reality.” His fear is based on historical facts. In Germany, Hitler came to power through elections and became a dictator. As a result, an elected dictatorship is established, which proves fatal in the development of nation building.
Thirteenth: The danger of political criminalisation and politicisation of criminals:
The success of the Constitution depends on what the background of the elected representatives is. According to Dr. Ambedkar, “No matter how good the Constitution is, if the people implementing it are not good, it will prove to be bad. No matter how bad the Constitution is, if the people implementing it are good, it will prove to be good.”
From the 1970s of the 20th century, criminals started entering Indian politics, and politics became criminalised and criminals became politicised. Gradually, the number of criminals elected from the Legislative Assemblies to the Parliament increased. According to the report of the Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR), in the 2024 elections, 251 out of 543 members in the 18th Lok Sabha have a criminal background. In other words, this number is only 21 less than the majority in the Lok Sabha. A total of 233 MPs (43 %) in 2019, 185 (34 %) in 2014, 162 (30%) in 2009 and 125 (23%) in 2004 had mentioned criminal cases in their affidavits. Elected members with criminal backgrounds are also ministers in the state and central governments, and they also formulate and implement policies. This is the reason why elected representatives and even ministers keep speaking against the Constitution, Supreme Court and other institutions, putting aside the dignity of their post. In such a situation, talking about the development of the common people or nation building is like a fantasy. Certainly, political criminalisation and the political culture of criminalisation are important challenges for Ambedkar’s thinking in the current century.
Fourteenth: Challenge of Hindu Raj and Hindu Rashtra
Secularism has a special place in the Constitution of India and Ambedkarite thinking. Hindu Raj and Hindu Rashtra are harmful and fatal for secularism and nation building. After the establishment of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition government in 2014, secularism is being gradually weakened, and a deep connection between religion and politics is being established by the ruling class to exploit the sentiments and faith of the majority. The majority is trying to spread hostility and hatred against the minority and is moving towards establishing a Hindu Rashtra. Prime Minister’s inauguration of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, temple-mosque dispute in Mathura, violation of Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act 1991 by the administration-police-priest-ruling-politicians coalition, implementation of Citizenship Amendment Act passed in December 2019 by issuing notification after 5 years on 11 January 2024 before the elections, promotion of making National Population Register, abolition of statehood of Jammu and Kashmir by passing Section 370 and Section 35(A), passing of Uniform Civil Code (UCC) by the government of Uttarakhand, Hindu vs Muslim, Hindu vs Christian and Kuki vs Meitei (ethnic division) etc. are challenges to secularism. The partition of India on the basis of religion in 1947 proved fatal for nation building. Despite this, the makers of the Indian Constitution established a secular state for the creation of the Indian nation. After the country became independent, communalism gradually increased from the 1960s. In the current century, whether it is the Congress-led UPA government under Dr. Manmohan Singh or the BJP-led NDA government under Narendra Modi, communal riots have not stopped. After the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in 2014, the propaganda of the principle of Hindu Raj and Hindu Rashtra is increasing.
In the name of faith, communal poison has gradually entered the society in such a way that, as a result, communal tension, communal violence and communal riots have increased, which is harmful and fatal for the Constitution, secularism and nation building. The reality is that Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai, while answering the question of Congress MP Shashi Tharoor in the Rajya Sabha on 7 December 2022, said that during the 5 years from 2017 to 2021, 2900 communal incidents took place.
Citing data from the National Crime Records Bureau, Rai said a total of 378 cases of communal or religious riots were registered in 2021, 857 in 2020, 438 in 2019, 512 in 2018 and 723 in 2017 (https://indianexpress.com/article/india/2900-communal-violence-cases-india-5-years-govt-8311709/ )
According to the United Christian Forum, 525 cases were registered in police stations in 2023.
Fifteenth, Instead of rule of law: Bulldozer justice and ‘mob justice’
According to Amnesty International, between April and June 2022, 617 minority people were affected in 128 actions by the use of bulldozers (JCBs) in excess of the law and without regard to the rules in five states of India – Assam, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi. BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao had referred to JCBs as “Jihadi Control Boards” in April 2022 (now deleted post). >https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/7/why-is-amnesty-urging-india-to-halt-bulldozing-of-muslim-properties
The Punjab and Haryana High Court had said in the wake of the demolition in the area of Nuh in Haryana, “The issue also arises whether the demolition of buildings of a particular community under the guise of a law and order problem is an exercise of ethnic cleansing by the state.” Communal riots, communal violence and bulldozer politics are completely contrary to Indian secularism, justice, communal harmony, constitutionalism and Ambedkarism. After the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in 2014, right-wing anti-social elements turned democracy into mobocracy and justice into mob justice in the name of cow protection against Muslims. According to Shoaib Daniel, “The ruling party leaders have supported violence in the name of cow protection.” According to Rajendra Sharma, editor of the weekly magazine Lok Lahar, “Between 2014 and August 2022, 206 cases of violence in the name of cows were registered, in which 850 people were affected. Dalits and Christians are also among their victims, but 86 % were Muslims. 97% of such incidents happened only after the Modi regime came. In northern India, the BJP defends violence, even lynching, by its goons in the name of cow protection’’.
Sixteenth: Two-nation theory
In the revised edition of his book “Thoughts on Pakistan”, Ambedkar wrote that the creation of Pakistan would be a great tragedy for all of us because it would open the way for Hindu rule in which Dalits would be slaves. The main agenda of the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and other related organisations is to establish a Hindu nation, which is exactly opposite to Babasaheb’s ideals of liberty, equality, fraternity and social justice.
Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar considered it inappropriate to create a nation on the basis of religion. He believed that establishing Pakistan or establishing a Hindu nation on the basis of religion would definitely prove fatal for the Indian constitution, democracy, equality, liberty, fraternity, social justice and nation building. Ambedkarism warns that Hindu rule and a Hindu nation are fatal for the Indian constitution, democracy and nation building. Dr. Bhimrao explains this in his book ‘Thoughts on Pakistan’ by writing that
“If Hindu Raj becomes a reality, it will undoubtedly be the greatest misfortune of this country. Whatever the Hindus may say, Hinduism is a threat to liberty, equality and fraternity. It is incompatible with democracy. Hindu Raj must be prevented from being established at any cost.” (Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Thoughts on Pakistan, Writings and Speeches, Vol. 8, p. 358). He further writes that “There is no doubt that caste is essentially the soul of the Hindus. But the Hindus have polluted the entire environment, and Sikhs, Muslims and Christians all suffer from it. … The supporters of Hindu supremacy knew that democracy could be used to establish Hindu Raj. They and their followers want to use the Hindutva card to vote for power.”
Ambedkarism is against majoritarianism, which in the Indian context means unbridled rule by the majority community–the Hindus. Ambedkar wrote on March 24, 1947, in a memorandum on the rights of the states and minorities, which he submitted to the Sub-Committee on Fundamental Rights constituted by the Consultative Committee on Fundamental Rights, Minorities, etc. of the Constituent Assembly: “Unfortunately for the minorities in India, Indian nationalism has evolved a new theory which may be called the divine right of the majority to rule over the minorities according to the wishes of the majority. Any claim by the minority to share power is called communalism, while monopoly of the entire power by the majority is called nationalism. Guided by such a political philosophy, the majority is not prepared to give a share in political power to the minorities.”
>(B. Shiva Rao, Selected Documents, Vol. 2, p. 113).
According to Ambedkarism, the political ideology based on Hinduism is completely anti-democratic, fascist and Nazi ideology. In the words of Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar:
“Hinduism is a political ideology which is completely anti-democratic and whose character is similar to fascism or Nazi ideology. If Hinduism gets a free hand – and this is what it means to be in a majority with Hindus – then it will not allow those people to progress who are not Hindus or are against Hinduism. This is not only the view of Muslims. It is also the view of the depressed classes and non-Brahmins.” Giving a historical example in the Constituent Assembly, he said that “betrayal by insiders is our old enemy, while our new enemy is caste and religion. If people do not put the nation above their creed and caste, our freedom will be lost again.” According to Newton’s law of motion, every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Ambedkarism warns us that if the concept of Hindu Rashtra or Hindu Raj continues to grow, then according to the principle of motion, we may reach the dangerous situation of 78 years ago (1947). It is absolutely necessary to stop this. https://www.newsclick.in/hindu-rashtra-means-end-babasahebs-dreams)
>https://mediavigil.com/op-ed/document/ambedkar-was-against-hindu-rashtra/
>https://hindi.thequint.com/readers-blog/bhimrao-ambedkar-why-he-said-if-hindu-rashtra-is-formed-the-biggest-devastation-will-be-for-country#read-more#read-more
>Source Material on Dr. Ambedkar, Volume 1, Maharashtra Government Publication Page 241,)
>https://thebasicstructureconlaw.wordpress.com/2022/11/26/remembering-ambedkars-last-speech-in-the-constituent-assembly/
According to Ambedkarism, it is absolutely necessary for the people to be aware of the fatal consequences of Hindu Raj and Hindu nationalism. It is necessary to have goodwill among the different castes, religions, cultures, sub-cultures, cultural regions and people speaking different languages. Keeping in view the vastness and diversity of India, the process of nation building can be strengthened on the basis of ‘unity in diversity’, and every person should take an oath that he is the first and last Indian. Religion and caste have no place in Ambedkarism.
In brief, Ambedkarism advocates an alternative to the current system whose main objective is the establishment of an egalitarian society free from poverty, hunger, unemployment and illiteracy; social, economic and political justice; individual freedom; public control over major industries; decentralisation of wealth; and empowerment of marginalised sections of society. Ultimately, Ambedkarism provides an alternative to capitalism, corporatism, communalism and casteist alliances
(Note: Revised version of the speech given as the keynote speaker on the occasion of Dr. Bhimrao’s birth anniversary organized by Ambedkar Samaj Kalyan Sabha, Karnal on 14 April 2025. I congratulate my student Dr. Amar Singh Patlan, President, Ambedkar Samaj Kalyan Sabha, Karnal and his team members for organizing a wonderful program)
