Today, April 14, is Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s birth anniversary.
Over the last few decades, public events associated with the remembrance of Dr B. R. Ambedkar have captivated many and frequently exposed the intriguing contradictions inherent in Indian society.
Although the entrenched presence of caste in various social, political, and cultural institutions demonstrates the strength of caste privileges in modern times, there are also oppositional forces that actively resist them, which are prominently visible in the public domain.
In this context, Ambedkar emerges as a key figure in developing a structured approach to criticising caste and promoting a political ethos and cultural vocabulary that challenges the normative nature of caste privileges.
Therefore, unlike other national icons, the celebratory events associated with B.R. Ambedkar’s life and legacy never become a ritualistic exercise limited to ceremonialism and bureaucratic protocols. Instead, they become one of the few public moments to engage with the question of caste and associated social realities often avoided in public discussions. Therefore, the posthumous reminiscing of Ambedkar through public posturing has consistently disrupted the prevailing notions of hierarchies that are otherwise reinforced in society. The kind of response that such events receive only reflects the growing relevance of these concerns in the changed times.
In this regard, it is essential to note that the nationalist engagements with caste have crucially set the tone of public discussion in a particular direction since the early 20th century. As a result, caste is usually understood as a remnant of a long-lasting tradition associated with distinct culture and heritage. On the other hand, it is also considered a divisive category that can potentially disrupt the nation’s unity.
Therefore, anti-caste movements were often characterised by nationalist politics in the 20th century as sectarian and divisive movements. This contradictory invocation of caste has helped to perpetuate and prolong its affectability in society.
However, Ambedkarite politics has been considerably attentive to the contradictions articulated through caste. Despite facing challenges in effectively engaging with electoral politics, the Ambedkarite critique has cultivated a cultural lexicon that opposes caste’s dual and duplicitous life in modern times.
Also read: In Maharashtra, ‘Upper’ Caste Men Kill Youth Who Ensured Village Celebrated Ambedkar Jayanti
Ambedkar’s critique does not just focus on the untouchability and subordination of the dis-privileged lot. It also pertinently highlights the cultural power mobilised by caste elites to reproduce the system of caste privileges.
Taking a cue from Jotiba Phule and other anti-caste voices, Ambedkar’s critique moves forward to hit where it matters the most by highlighting the cultural operations of the caste, leading to the perpetual reproduction of hierarchy. While the caste question was often relegated to the question of untouchability, thanks to the 20th-century legacy of anti-colonial nationalism, the Ambedkarite critique, on the other hand, actively resisted such parochial representation. Instead, it reiterated the significance of caste by reinforcing the socio-political and cultural power that it upholds.
In this context, Ambedkar becomes a turbulent figure even in contemporary times due to his sheer capacity to disturb the social equilibrium by using political and cultural tools to engage caste in a multifaceted manner.
Thus, the significance of the Ambedkarite movement does not just lie in intellectually conceptualising the struggle against caste but also in mobilising the masses and setting the tone of anti-caste critique in a variegated political and cultural milieu. Ambedkar’s public life is instructive, which sets him apart from his contemporaries. For example, Bahishkrit Hitkarni Sabha, the organisation that Ambedkar founded hundred years ago on March 9, 1924, initiated distinctive discourse and praxis of political involvement among the marginalised communities by invoking the catchy motto borrowed from the Fabian Society, ‘educate, agitate, and organise.’
Thus, even after a century, Ambedkar’s political ideas and the politics he preached continue to resonate and significantly impact contemporary society. In essence, Ambedkar’s movement was a movement of action driven by a commitment to effecting tangible change in the lives of those it sought to represent.
On the other hand, since his engagement with important questions such as class, religion, and nationalism were not confined to stagnant ideological postulations, he was pushed to take up many of these questions creatively. Indeed, there were instances where his limitations were evident, yet efforts were made to explore alternative approaches to understanding society.
All these elements have played a role in highlighting the Ambedkarite perspective, notably in the post-independence era. Despite its evident shortcomings, Ambedkarite politics effectively raises these issues in the public discourse. It has also exposed the caste biases within liberal politics, thereby creating a strained relationship within the progressive milieu. It tends to ask sharp questions that can potentially cause discomfort.
Therefore, the contemporary Ambedkarite voice is not merely a result of blind admiration for its heroes like Phule and Ambedkar. Neither is it a manifestation of crude political miscalculation. It only reveals unexpressed contradictions that are inherent in society. Hence, it would prove exceedingly challenging for any political and social forces to curb or completely suppress these voices. Therefore, it is not blind hero worship or supposed lack of political understanding that has mobilized the contemporary Ambedkarite voices distinctly.
The history of anti-caste politics and, more importantly, the legacy of Ambedkar has distinctively shaped Dalit-Bahujan assertion in contemporary times – and it is here to stay for a while.
Prabodhan Pol currently teaches at Manipal Centre for Humanities, MAHE, Manipal, Karnataka.