Who's an Ambedkarite?

By - Dr. Manohar Jilthe

With plethora of dalit organizations coming up in the past few years, eyebrows are raised and a question is often asked: ‘who is an Ambedkarite?’ or ‘who is a true Ambedkarite?’

The question is asked in colleges and public places and even at home and debated as hotly as possible, no one giving way to another's view, and parting unconvinced, carrying with one ill-will unlikely to be mitigated. The political atmosphere in Maharashtra is surcharged with this atmosphere and distrust of organizations for one another has paved way for not only for misgivings but also to the creation of atmosphere, which is at once inimical.

While lay men have nothing to do with this problem for whom daily bread is important, it is the 'up-start-crows' who are mostly interested in this problem, claiming loyalties to different political and even religious groups.

Who is an Ambedkarite? or who is a true Ambedkarite?

To start with, what is Ambedkarism, Any "ism" is a coherent thought established on the strength of beliefs and principles expressed by a person or acted out, in the true light of his thought and principles expressed over the years. It is the construct of philosophy or systematic thought a man has lived for.

Are there any principles, which governed the life of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar? What is the sum total of the life of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar?

Firstly Dr. Ambedkar's life cannot be separated from the life of the people for whom he worked. He was an enlightened person, destined to enlighten the minds of his illiterate people, who had carried the burden of life with no happiness, no hope but to die as they had been born, die a death that was uneventful, like that of an animal.

What was the bond between Dr. Ambedkar and his people? The bond was that of compassion. He was pained at heart to see his people suffering. Liberating them was the mission - a religious mission - for Dr. Ambedkar. His compassion was not born out of superficial sympathy for these people. It was the same feeling a mother has for her suffering child. The first thing that characterizes the life of Dr. Ambedkar is the compassion he had for his suffering people. It was not for personal glory that he raised himself high but for the liberation of the masses who languished in misery and suffering not of their own making but of the making of people at the highest rung of society. Dr. Ambedkar's every effort has been directed towards this end. He neglected his family to give more time to the cause of these people, who in a way formed a larger part of his family. From a small deed - he gave his blanket to Mr. B.H. Varale on a cold night and spent the night with nothing to protect him from cold - to the writing of India's constitution and then converting himself to Buddhism - It is all an act of compassion. He often wept to think that he could not do anything for his people living in villages.

Do today's so-called Ambedkarites have this compassion?

Dr. Ambedkar was a bibliophile, who was never found without books. How many so-called Ambedkarites are pursuing this passion for books? Books gave Dr. Ambedkar a new vision. They widened the horizon of his knowledge. He revered Buddha or Mahatma Phule or Kabir knowledge or Pradnya and compassion formed a combination, which helped him to see the things on two levels but for dealing they complemented one another.

In politics, he stood for truth. Ethics was his forte. In no way he tried to profit by sacrificing virtue. Hypocrisy never touched his brain or heart. Even in the political battle with Gandhi, he stuck to his guns, obeying his conscience. He never joined Congress Party for he felt that the party consisted of people who on the problems of untouchable had only a lip-sympathy. Even in Politics he followed ethics. In whoever was lacking this he dissociated himself from him. He had often pronounced that he could occupy highest position in political or social life - he had such good relationships with the British Viceroys or other British dignitaries. He never used this relationship for his personal gain. Fame and self were at his doors, but he shunned these. He earned honestly. He did not spend public money for his personal good. His dealings were transparent.

Do there so called Ambedkarites follow Ambedkar in this?

Republican Party is in shambles. We talk about Joining Shiv-Sena or BJP whose ideologies are harmful to us. Instead of ordering our party we run after the parties, which make use of us and throw us away when their aims are achieved.

Does one become an Ambedkar by repeatedly pronouncing the name of Dr. Ambedkar?

If it is so, then all are Ambedkarites. Even the other caste people are Ambedkarites. Not a single day passes when the Leaders of different parties do not refer to the name of Dr. Ambedkar.

Even dalit Leaders are not exception to this. Dr. Ambedkar stood for unity and not for fragmentation of society. 'Educate, agitate and organize was his mantra'. We have education, but what is its quality? We agitate for the name of Dr. Ambedkar but not for the unity of his community and organizing is a distant dream.

True Ambedkarism is in the following of the religion, which climaxed the life of Dr. Ambedkar. There is no political Ambedkarism, nor is their social Ambedkarism. There is an essential Ambedkarism, which combines political, social and religious aspects into ethical code. Liberty, equality and fraternity are the things, which Ambedkar stood for. They all have religious overtone. Ambedkar is nothing of not religious. His achievement is nothing if not ethical.

Therefore, Ambedkarism is not parochial but universal in appeal. In essence it is a spiritual force, which can never be bargained for or sold off. From this view point Bheemshakti and Shivashakti can never come together.

Buddhism, Phuleism and Ambedkarism merge into one for their ultimate goal is to see human beings, to have the same right to live and progress, as any other human being.

It is wrong to say that one is an Ambedkarite because he is born into his community. It is not by birth that one becomes an Ambedkarite but by following Dr. Ambedkar's principles.

In introspect; considering all these things, very few can claim that they are Ambedkarites. Ambedkarism is a word today used to divide some and bring together others without following what Ambedkarism is.

Dr. M.F. Jilthe

Aurangabad