By Zile Singh
Ambassador(Retd.)
Bharat Rattan (Posthumous) Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar was born a Hindu, and lived as a strong critic of Hinduism until seven weeks before his death on December 6, 1956. On October 14, 1956, ( Sunday and the day of Vijay Dashmi -Dussehra- a prominent Hindu Festival ) he converted to Buddhism in Nagpur, Maharashtra – the State of his birth along with lakhs of his followers – men, women and children. The next day’s Bombay Chronicle had a front-page report, which noted that “ thousands of people almost in unbroken wave had been moving in the place since early morning. Like a huge avalanche, welling crowds rolled down on the street for a long period blocking all vehicular traffic. This ceremony without a parallel in any part of the globe was held within an enclosure of one million square feet of open ground on the outskirts of the city which presented an immense sea of human heads.”
Ambedkar had expressed his intention to leave Hinduism in October 1935. It took him 21 years to arrive at a final decision. During this time, he tried to reform the Hindu religion by advocating that some of its inhuman traditional practices like untouchability, rituals, blind faith and gender discrimination be done away with. His main concern was the centuries- old practice of untouchability in the Hindu fold. He was for these reforms as a religious reformer and also as a Statesman with a far sight of the would-be Independent Modern India. With his deep understanding of politics, law, economics and sociology he was sure that without these reforms, the democracy of independent India will face contradictions and day-to-day basis. Some of his critics were right in saying that Ambedkar gave preference to ‘social reforms’ over the ‘political freedom’.
A strong statement by Sir Winston Churchill during the debate on the Indian Independence Bill in the British Parliament in 1946 is noteworthy. -“ If Independence is granted to India, power will go to the hands of rascals, rogues, freebooters; all Indian leaders will be of low caliber and men of straw. They will have sweet tongues and silly hearts. They will fight among themselves for power and India will be lost in political squabbles. A day would come when even air and water would be taxed in India.” In fact it was a direct attack on the mental, social and fragmented political structure of India at that time on the basis of religion, region, language and caste. The first inhuman tragedy was witnessed immediately after Independence in the form of Partition of India and the subsequent blood-shed.
Dr. Ambedkar’s views on religion, the most dangerous weapon in the hands of humanity were as follows:-
“ I like the religion that teaches liberty, equality and fraternity”.
“Religion must mainly be a matter of principles only. It cannot be
a matter of rules. The moment it degenerates into rules, it ceases
to be a religion, as it kills responsibility which is an essence of the true religious act.”
“ The sovereignty of scriptures of all religions must come to an end if we want to have a united integrated modern India.”
“ Religion is for man and not man for religion.”
“The basic idea underlying religion is to create an atmosphere for the spiritual development of the individual.”
Dr. Ambedkar on Dalit Conversion: “ What the consequences of conversion will be to the country as a whole is well worth bearing in mind. If they go over to Islam, the number of Muslims would be doubled. If they go over to Christianity, the numerical strength of the Christians becomes five to six crores. It will help to strengthen the hold of British on the country. On the other hand, if they embrace Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism, etc., they will not only not harm the destiny of the country but they will help the destiny of the country. They will not be denationalized. They will help the political advancement of the country.”- Times of India, 24 July 1936.
Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar has been epitomized mainly as the Chief Architect of the Indian Constitution than a New Age farsighted Statesman for the newly Independent Democratic India. Among many other pressing issues like the economic development and political stability of the nation, he was of the firm view that without a cohesive social environment, the fruits of freedom will not reach in due proportion to the underprivileged (Dalits), the minorities and the fairer sex (women) of the population.
For Dalits, he made provisions in the Constitution in the form of Reservations for a certain period only.
For the rights of the women he brought, as the first Law Minister of free India, the Hindu Code Bill in 1950. Unfortunately it was opposed tooth and nail by the hard-core Hindu coterie in the Parliament. Taking personal responsibility for the non-passage of the Code Dr. Ambedkar resigned from the Nehru Cabinet. It was a ploy to rid him off. Otherwise, how was it that the same Code was passed in stages later on. The other measures by Dr. Ambedkar in regard to the welfare and equal status for the women are worth taking note of:
Maternity Benefit Bill was introduced by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in 1942 during his tenure as Labour Minister in Governor General’s Executive Council. Also, he was the first person who brought “Equal pay for equal work irrespective of the sex” and Restoration of Ban on Women Working Underground in Mines etc.
In November 1938 Dr. Ambedkar steered an unofficial Resolution in the Bombay Legislative Assembly regarding measures for Birth Control. Several members of the Hindu Mahasabha, Islam and Christianity including Gandhi opposed and the Resolution died. Not only the population control, the Resolution would have benefits for the health of the mother.
Ambedkar said, “ I measure the progress of a community by the degree of progress which women have achieved”.
This Indian statesman and political and social reformer, Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, is who he was because of his intellectual training. Much, but not all, of this cultivation took place in the confines of his expansive formal education in western institutions: namely, Columbia University, London School of Economics, Gray’s Inn and the University of London.
Zile Singh is a former Ambassador(Retd.) of India and a Vipassana Meditator. He can be reached at [email protected] .
