'Bodhisatva' Babasaheb Ambedkar

India celebrates 131st birth anniversary of Babasaheb Dr Ambedkar on April 14 this year. Can we ever imagine how India would be like if he was not born? Mughals came, saw and conquered India. There was no perceptible change in the state of medieval social system. Britishers too came, saw and reigned over India. Colonial rule left the country reduced to more feudal and much poorer. But it was Dr Ambedkar who came, saw and transformed the face of India as never before with the authority of the Constitution.

Like Prometheus, Dr Ambedkar brought the fire of knowledge and the light of education in the dark lives of the downtrodden. Like Tantalus, he fetched the ambrosia of equal rights and privileges for the voiceless people. Like Atlas, he carried the globe of social responsibility on his shoulders to emancipate the hapless masses from the clutches of caste monster.

Without Dr Ambedkar, India would have remained compartmentalised rigidly and miserably in mutually hostile caste groups. Without him, we would have ignored enforcing fundamental human values like liberty, equality, fraternity, justice and dignity. Without him, the society would have been wailing in the tyrannical hands of self-styled autocratic rulers. Without him, women would still have been struggling in the sadistic grips of patriarchal male chauvinists.

Being a grateful son to the grateful motherland, Dr Ambedkar brought about radical metamorphosis in the entire socioeconomic, cultural, legal and political milieu, affecting the whole nation structurally in its moral fabric forever.

Dr Ambedkar's mind was a conglomerate of many ingenious traits. There was an unflinching spirit of Mahatma Phule in his conviction by virtue of which he sacrificed his whole life to establish an equal and just society. There was a glow of persevering wisdom of Marx in his approach which necessitated Indian social system to be casteless. There was a zest of Sartre's existential mettle in his vision as he exhorted people to live in freedom and pursue professions as per their choices. There was a force of Camusian intellect in his thinking for he enjoined the society to rebel against the human made absurdities of social insecurities and economic uncertainties. There was also Biko's youthful uprightness in his actions because he always stood daringly by the depressed classes to not let the oppressors oppress them.

Western Europe took nearly two centuries after renaissance to discover the ideals of Enlightenment which Buddha propagated way back in 6th century BC itself. And no wonder, there was part Buddha embedded in Dr Ambedkar's persona and that is the reason why he is hailed as 'Bodhisatva.'

It was only with the advent of the Constitution, drafted by Dr Ambedkar that the fear-stricken lower castes were able to breathe the fresh air of equality, fraternity, liberty and justice. Even though some unlawful social practices still continue to exist in certain pockets, a large chunk of the country has been able to wriggle out of caste-based evils. Thanks to Dr Ambedkar's vision and mission, modern India bears testimony to the fact that historical wrongs and injustices could be addressed effectively by the constitutional and legal interventions. The governments at the state and central levels need to be more sensitive and responsive to the sacred tenets of the Constitution in letter and spirit.

Caste phenomenon compels almost every Indian to assume its identity right from the time of birth. Every aspect of life, personality and career will change over a period of time but not that of caste identity. It will remain a certainty in India just like death and taxes. Algerian poet Mouloud Benzadi said, 'borders, nationalism and identity have always been the worst enemies of humanity.' That's why Dr Ambedkar advocated that unless the caste structure is annihilated, India will continue suffering from gradual ruination of its own. Therefore, he enunciated the formula of single identity of being an Indian on the basis of nationality alone but not on casteist, religious, linguistic or regional lines. He called upon all Indians reminding them, 'we are Indians, firstly and lastly.'

It is because of Dr Ambedkar's unfailing struggles and efforts for restoring faith and dignity in humanity that not only India but also all the nations across the world join together from time to time to pay respectful homage to him. His noble philosophy of socioeconomic and political equality will always inspire us to carry our nation forward, harmoniously and progressively, through the years ahead. (Prof Bhushi is a nonagenarian living legend of Dr Ambedkar's philosophy. He was one among the 6 lakh converts at Deekshabhoomi in Nagpur when Dr Ambedkar embraced Buddhism on October 14, 1956; Maria Kumar is a retired DGP of Madhya Pradesh)