Why Ambedkar's ideologies are relevant today

If you have wondered what was going through Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkarrsquos mind when he was drafting the Constitution what influenced him his primary concerns and what he wanted to achieve Anurag Bhaskarrsquos The Foresighted Ambedkar is the book to turn toIn it Bhaskar argues that Indiarsquos Constitution was drafted not just between 1946 and 1950 but over the course of four decades and that the jurist economist and social reformer was the only person to have been involved at all stages since 1919Bhaskar is a legal scholar who pursued law from Harvard Law School and seeks to focus on Dr Ambedkarrsquos influence on the constitutional discourse from when he entered public life until the actual writing of the Constitution and even beyond Ahead of BR Ambedkar Remembrance 2024 we spoke to Bhaskar about why Dr Ambedkar and his ideologies are relevant todayExcerpts from an interviewWhy did you choose to write about Dr AmbedkarHe stands out as a formidable figure of the 20th century shaping history profoundly Not only did he play a pivotal role in determining Indiarsquos trajectory as the worldrsquos largest democracy but he also imparted profound insights into notions of humanity fraternity and justice resonating deeply in global dialogue It is imperative for the world to turn towards Dr Ambedkar not just for his groundbreaking contributions but also to garner a more nuanced understanding of contemporary challenges many of which he predictedMoreover Dr Ambedkar laid the groundwork for numerous theoretical frameworks that have since emerged For instance his analysis of ancient Indian history highlighting the cyclical nature of revolutions and counterrevolutions finds resonance in contemporary critical race theory which underscores the nonlinear progression of the civil rights movements His justifications for affirmative action are relevant even todayAnurag BhaksarYou ask How did Dr Ambedkar become Dr Ambedkar What was the turning point in his lifeThere were several influences or turning points In the book I rely on the previous works of a couple of scholars as well as on new material These can be summarised as follows The backdrop of social reform movements in Maharashtra particularly those led by Jyotiba Phule His familyrsquos association with the military which led to his initial education His lived experience as a Dalit and the discrimination he faced The support from two princely rulers Maharaja of Baroda Sayajirao Gaekwad III and Maharaja of Kolahapur Chhatrapati Shahuji The exposure he gained at Columbia University London School of Economics and Grayrsquos Inn His wide reading of global history Negotiations with Indian political leaders and British administration And experiences from social movements he ledWhatrsquos Dr Ambedkarrsquos most important contribution to the cause of Dalitsmdashpolitically or sociallyTo ensure that their rights were incorporated into the Constitution that India was going to adopt He argued that Constitutionallyentrenched rights would develop political and social consciousness in the community and we see it happen after independence Today Dalits are politically conscious and socially aware Their presence and that of Adivasis in educational institutions and government jobs is a direct result of the affirmative action provisions in the Constitution for which Dr Ambedkar vehemently foughtMooknayak the Marathi newspaper was an important step in giving the community a language How did Ambedkarrsquos editorials make a dent in the psyche of those reading themDr Ambedkarrsquos vision behind launching Mooknayak was to give voice to the voiceless the Untouchables He used the publication for two main aims To highlight the injustices perpetrated on them and to raise their demands and to expose the narrative of Indian political leaders who were silent on issues ofsocial equalityMooknayak became a platform for the disenfranchised class to share concerns and experiences directly as it generated social consciousness among them The newspaper included a regular section of open letters drawing attention to cases of caste oppression and violence It was probably the first time that common Untouchables could even share and complain about their grievances The editorials written by Dr Ambedkar raised questions of social justice as a facet of the demand for independenceWhat did Dr Ambedkar take most from the Constitutions of other nationsHe read the Constitutions of the world to identify which provisions can be adopted and adapted in the Indian context and which provisions to not keep at all After all Constitutions work on certain wellaccepted principlesAt the same time if any provision had proved ineffective in history Dr Ambedkar was not keen on adopting it For instance he read American history and concluded that affirmative action and provisions of equality need to be incorporated into our Constitution at any cost He said Dalits could not forget the fate of the AfricanAmerican whose rights were not included when the American Constitution was draftedWhat are Dr Ambedkarrsquos most important contributions to the ConstitutionThe most important contribution is that he was involved in all stages of the drafting processmdashwhich I argue began in 1919 For instance he normalized the discourse of equality and justice in colonial India so much that it became easier for it to be adopted in the Constitution Dr Ambedkarrsquos role in drafting the Government of India Act 1935 was significant which eventually led to the establishment of several institutions including the Supreme Court of India earlier called the Federal Court His emphasis on the written rights of citizens was accompanied by his demand for constitutional remedies He called Article 32 which provides a citizen the right to approach the Supreme Court in case of violation of rights as the soul and the heart of the Constitution Furthermore he ensured that provisions relating to administration are written in as much detail as possible to leave very little room for misuse of power Equal voting rights for everyonemdasha demand he made since 1919 Lastly the crucial pursuit of fraternity which was especially incorporated into the Preamble of the Constitution