Report : Understand Babasaheb in holistic perspective —Bhaiyaji Joshi

“The Nation was always supreme for Babasaheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar. Such a ‘Mahamanav’ needs to be studied and understood in totality. Just paying tribute on birth anniversary is not enough, we should collectively create a harmonious society for which he fought throughout his life,” said the RSS Sarkaryavah Shri Bhaiyaji Joshi on April 14. He was releasing the Collector’s Editions of Organiser and Panchjanya on Babasaheb Ambedkar in Delhi. Noted economist and leading scholar on Dr Ambedkar’s thoughts, Dr Narendra Jadhav was Special Guest at the function organised at Sirifort Auditorium.

Applauding the initiative taken by Organiser and Panchjanya to bring in light the hitherto neglected facts about Dr Ambedkar, Shri Bhaiyaji Joshi said it is the collective responsibility of the society to address the issues raised by Babasaheb, as they are still relevant and a section of the society still faces those challenges in day-to-day life. “Dr Ambedkar’s was a multifarious personality and the people perhaps did not understand him in right perspective. Whatever was understood only narrowed down his contribution. What is needed is comprehensive study of his life and work. It is also need of the hour that the nation follows his views on various issues,” he said.
“Despite facing many kinds of injustices from birth to death, having love for the society is not an easy task. Anybody could have revolted after undergoing those injustices. But the life of Babasaheb has been of a reformer and not of a rebel. He faced enormous indifference from the society—even indifference in granting Bharat Ratna,” Bhaiyaji said.
The RSS Sarkaryavah further said negativity had no place in the life of Babasaheb. “He always had positive attitude. Sometimes he might be seen using strong words against the society, but a mother too uses strong words for the children. Therefore, his strong words should be taken with the ‘Matribhaav’ only. He complains against the attitude of Hindu society, which despite being the best in the world in many senses acts differently with its own people. Why the society, which believes in the concept of atmavatsarvabhuteshu… acts in opposite manner with some people? We need to understand the questions raised by him in proper manner. Because those questions still persist in the society at certain places. We get the strength to fight against those questions from Babasaheb. His struggle was for eradicating social evils and not for creating conflicts. He could have led the society to conflicts because of the injustices meted out to him, and if he had done so we had no right to blame him,” Bhaiyaji added.
Drawing similarities between Babasaheb and RSS founder Dr Hedgewar, Bhaiyaji said both were born around the same time and both worked for curing the social health. “Dr Hedgewar and Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar were born around the same time—one in 1889 and the second in 1891. Both were doctors and used those skills to cure the social ills. They sacrificed their lives for improving the health of the nation. Dr Ambedkar started his work in 1924, while Dr Hedgewar formed the RSS in 1925. I don’t know whether both met in their life, but the objectives of both were same—uplift of the nation, eradication of social ills, awakening the society and restoring pristine glory of Bharat,” Bhaiyaji said.
Dr Ambedkar spoke about entry into the temples. He raised a valid question when he said if all people worship the same God, why puja is denied to some. Similarly, he raised the question of right to drinking water. If water resources can easily be shared with Muslims, Christians without any hesitation, then why can’t they be open for some sections of the Hindu society? What an irony it was, the animals of so-called untouchables could drink water from the ponds but not the people of those castes! The questions that Babasaheb raised, exhort the society to think in right direction. Any sensitive person would feel pain over it.
Bhaiyaji said Babasaheb just expected equality. “He said if we have to eradicate inequality we all should be identified with only one word i.e. ‘Hindu’. This word will vanish all types of discrimination. Dr Hedgewar also said the same thing. This shows similarities in thinking of both the great personalities. The RSS since inception has been following the same line,” he said adding that Babasaheb gave sufficient time to the Hindu society to think over this question. “He declared in 1935 to not to die as Hindu, but embraced Buddhism in 1956. He gave 21 years to the society to think over his concerns. But we still to address those question properly,” he said.
Dr Narendra Jadhav said Dr Ambedkar has not been properly understood by the Indian society. He was a great son of Bharatmata. His entire life is inspiring. Born in a so-called untouchable family, he faced insult at every step of life and despite facing so much humiliations he received education from the then best institutions of the world like Columbia University, London School of Economics, etc. Many people in our country do not know that Babasaheb was the most literate economist of his time. Apart from being the principal framer of the Indian Constitution, he was a leading economist, social scientist, educationist, journalist, policy maker, administrator and MP, Dr Jadhav said.
Referring to the present debate on Centre-State relations, Dr Jadhav pointed out that the Ph.D thesis of Babasaheb in 1925 was on the very same topic and his work is still widely quoted. “The topic for his degree of Doctor of Science was ‘The Problem of Rupee: Its origin and its Solutions’. That work is still relevant. He played a key role in setting up of the Reserve Bank of India in 1935. In Viceroy’s Council he held the responsibility of labour, employment, coal, minerals and water resources. The Employment Exchanges that we see today were set-up by Babasaheb,” Dr Jadhav said.
He said the training of skill development was started at government level by Babasaheb only. “The foundation for tripartite mechanism for labour was also started by Babasaheb. Even the proposal of interlinking rivers was him. When we talk about gender equality, we do not mention Ambedkar, whereas the fact is that this issue was seriously taken up in independent India by Babasaheb only as the Law Minister. His three and half years fight for Hindu Code Bill was for the same objective. When he realised that Hindu Code Bill was not going to be passed, he resigned from the cabinet. Babasaheb strongly opposed reconstitution of states on linguistic basis. The State Reorganisation Commission constituted in 1955 recommended ‘One Language One State’ formula, which resulted in creation of big states in north and smaller states in the south. At that time Babasaheb suggested ‘One State One Language formula’ which is still relevant,” Dr Jadhav pointed out.­
“Despite all these facts, our thinking about Dr Ambedkar is narrow. We see him just as a Dalit leader. After knowing about his multifarious personality calling him just a Dalit leader is an insult to that patriot. He was truly a national leader and his nationalism was not confined to just transfer of power from British to Indians, but permanent reconstruction of the nation. He dedicated his entire life for awakening the nation for that cause,” Dr Jadhav added.
Organiser editor Shri Prafulla Ketkar introduced the glorious tradition of Organiser and Panchjanya started in 1946. He said Babasaheb was a great journalist and his journalism career from Mooknayak to Prabuddha Bharat was dedicated to the national cause. Panchjanya editor Shri Hitesh Shankar said the special issues of both the newspapers carry articles highlighting various aspects of Ambedkar’s life. The prominent authors include RSS Sahsarkaryavah Dr Krishna Gopal, senior columnist Shri Ramesh Patange, Veteran Sangh Pracharaks Shri Madhubhai Kulkarni and Shri Bhagaiyaji, noted economist Dr Narendra Jadhav, Dr Savarna Rawal, Dr Sushma Yadav, RSS Akhil Bharatiya Sah Prachar Pramukh Shri J Nandakumar, Dada Idate, Dr Ashok Modak, etc. Bharat Prakashan Managing Director Shri Vijay Kumar proposed a vote of thanks. Prominent among those who were present on the occasion included Union Ministers Shri Nitin Gadkari, Dr Harsh Vardhan, RSS Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh Dr Manmohan Vaidya, Sah Prachar Pramukh Shri J Nandakumar, senior Pracharak Shri Madhubhai Kulkarni, BJP general secretary Shri Ram Madhav, former Chief Minister of Uttarakhand and MP Shri Bhagat Singh Koshiyari, National Book Trust Chairman Shri Baldevbhai Sharma, etc.                               — Pramod Kumar