Ambedkar’s name has been chanted repeatedly for the sake of spurious goals by all and sundry

By Ananda Maitreya* 

The recent fracas in the Indian parliament over the remarks of Home Minister Amit Shah related to Dr. Ambedkar brings up an important point. This is regardless of the intent of Amit Shah, and what many others, chiefly in the opposition, have made of it. 

Ambedkarite activists have been highlighting the fact that Dr. Ambedkar’s name has been misused increasingly. There is, what can be called, a tokenism involved in invoking him. People not really invested in his struggle, his interventions, his concerns, his commitment to the uplift of the Dalits have nevertheless chosen to drop his name indiscriminately according to their expediency. 

It is similar with other bahujan crusaders like Savitribai and Jotiba Phule. It is equally fashionable to shout out Jai Bhim along with a raft of other Jai-s and salam-s.

The world has seen such casual appropriation if you will, of icons like Che Guevara and Malcolm X. 

Earlier Dalit leaders like Chandrashekhar Azad, the MP from Nagina (UP), had deplored the sudden love for the Constitution which political parties were flaunting before the 2024 elections. 

A shallow and utilitarian use of Dr. Ambedkar is indeed a selfish appropriation of his struggle and legacy. That might even be counted as an insult.

But no national leader was more aware of indignities and insults heaped on him as was Dr. Ambedkar. The sordid details of the withdrawal of his invitation to the Jat Pat Todak Mandal forced to have his undelivered lecture, The Annihilation of Caste, published, which has become a classic. 

In the preface to his book, "Who were the Shudras", Ambedkar dwells on the angry reactions he receives for his writings, especially from those he calls ‘Orthodox Hindus’:

“What the Orthodox Hindu will say about this book I can well imagine for I have been battling with him all these years. The only thing I did not know was how the meek and non- violent-looking Hindu can be violent when anybody attacks his Sacred Books. I became aware of it as never before when last year I received a shower of letters from angry Hindus, who became quite unbalanced by my speech on the subject delivered in Madras. The letters were full of filthy abuse, unmentionable and unprintable, and full of dire threats to my life…What I would like to tell these amiable gentlemen is that they will not be able to stop me by their imprecations.”

Dr. Ambedkar was unstoppable in his mission and he did not care for insults thrown at him. And at any rate, he did not need someone else to bat for him. He was fully capable of forming his own rejoinders. 

His legacy has seen several slurs, from defacement of his statues all over India to most recently to misinterpretation of his stands on various issues. So, the current instance of a supposed lashing out by Amit Shah about the excessive use of his name would surely not have offended Babasaheb. He, who was endlessly reviled, would well have anticipated his name being taken in vain. 

Whatever Shah meant - whether it reflected the old right-wing frustration with Ambedkarite assertion or not - it does highlight the fact that Dr. Ambedkar’s name has been chanted repeatedly for the sake of spurious goals, by all and sundry.

The show of supposed outrage by the various political parties robbed the citizens of India precious time for debating and discussing issues in the parliament during the winter session. As such, the session is short. And it was cut shorter by people willing to capitalize on an issue Dr. Ambedkar would have pooh-poohed. 

He would have just continued working for the cause he fought for. As he stated regarding criticisms and censure in the book referenced above: ‘...if the Hindus of this generation do not take notice of what I have to say I am sure the future generation will. I do not despair of success. For I take consolation in the words of the poet Bhavabhuti who said, "Time is infinite and earth is vast, some day there will be born a man who will appreciate what I have said."’ No politician - a home minister or a leader of the opposition - can either add to or subtract from his achievements.

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*Peace and justice activist in Delhi NCR