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Why Is Next Ambedkar Needed?: A Time For Reflection

By Dr. Vivek Kumar Srivastava

14 April, 2015
Countercurrents.org

Today is 125th birth anniversary of B R Ambedkar. A long time has passed since his departure; in 1956 he had breathed his last. His major concern that untouchability be removed still remains a major concern of Indian society. Dalits have article 17 in constitution and political representation but upper castes still hold the system. They may be out of power but they are not without connections. They rule from behind. They have better organizational skill, connections and the result is that a large section of dalits still live the way as they used to live in the time of Ambedkar.

Most dalit girls still cannot find entry inside upper caste families as a bride. Most dalit boys cannot marry upper caste Hindu girl because it will be tantamount to profane a religion. In reality, dalit girls who are usually treated with anathema by the people, are major victims in rape cases. Sex knows no caste.

Why is it so? The answer lies in the well entrenched psychological system. Not the social system. Social system is product of psychological system. What a person feels, accordingly society constructs. There are mental knots in the mind of the people. For a lot of high caste people, lower castes have no values, so they must be crushed. This reflection has diluted to a certain degree in big cities but persists in villages and towns. India lives in its villages. Metros are few but villages determine the social structure.

Another factor is that after Ambedkar very few worked in the way as he had done. Main failure is observed in the unawareness of the dalits about their rights. We chant that Ambedkar was chairman of constituent assembly but we never let people of suppressed community to know what rights they have. I met many people, young students who had not known what facilities government had offered to them. A classical case was of Dhirendra Kumar Maurya, who had qualified NET examination (for appointment as Assistant Professor in degree and university level institutions) in 1999, did not get a permanent job because he did not have minimum marks in Graduate level B.A., 50%; he had about 47%. He was NET qualified but he had no job, he had reservation but was on street. No government undid the anomaly but when last Mulayam Singh government was approached, he made change the rule that SC students with 45% could apply for the job. But he is still without government job, in private college; he wastes his soul and body. Though he has completed his Phd but what with these qualifications mean for a poor lot.

A simple question to UGC, HRD minister; why is there limitation of minimum marks for NET and jobs? Allow all who can qualify the test. No restriction of marks for Phd, NET. When a student could write the research papers but had less than 55% in General category, could not apply for the Phd. There is great anomaly in university level copy checking system. In many universities, how the marks are awarded, are matter of suspicion and joke. Meritorious loose, weaker students walk out with cakes. UGC must dismantle its minimum marks criterion.

Dalits therefore were never aware. The intellectuals and governments made no efforts to undo so. SC leadership after Ambedkar also failed to look into grievances at the local level. Reservation is being utilized by the top Dalits, who are working in top government and corporate position and their children enjoying the fruits of IIT,IIM,JNU,DU now they compete for the reserved seats in UPSC and other government jobs but what about that girl who lives in down trodden condition, a rag picker, a maid servant what about that boy who is a son of marginal farmer, even those who goes in local schools , can ever find to compete with those who walks out from prestigious institutions with reservation too?There exists no competition between them. Once a family has got reservation, why is it transferred to unlimited times? Those who are at street , what about them?They cannot compete in real manner. The reservation facility is therefore asset for upper level Dalits. It is a dream for suppressed dalits.

All the leaders of dalit movements have faltered. They have not justified their leadership. The real fight is at the level of village, street but alas no Ambedkar is here. Political leadership of dalits have now been concentrated to earn the maximum votes from the community. They have not looked to their real problems. Ambedkar had worked over these micro issues. He was intellectual par excellence. His soul lived with these people inside their cottages. He worked at micro level. He discovered the cause of declined status of Hindus, the Manu Smriti. He had recognized that Hindu social system was made by those who enjoyed the life. A pertinent question is , who gave upper caste Hindus rights to frame the rules of society? How these social evils emerged as impoverished and exploited widowhood, sati system etc. there was no right and is still not a right to anyone to frame the social rules that too of the deprivation to many. Law of the land is supreme, no caste, no individual.

Ambedkar’s legacy is fragmented because it is now a tool in the hands of political parties . They garner support in his name. They get votes. And that is ITI SRI. Unka kam khatm. Their work is over.

So we need a new Ambedkar, who goes inside the real life of the dalits; Who lives like them, who makes them aware, who is not a vote catcher but a strength giver so that no new Dhirendra Kumar Maurya is born. Micro level work is must to remove these great issues of deprivation to dalit.

Dr. Vivek Kumar Srivastava is presently Assistant Professor in CSJM Kanpur University[affiliated college],Vice Chairman CSSP, email: [email protected]






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