Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar statue |
“Abhi ek fashion ho gaya hai – Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar. Itna naam agar bhagwan ka lete to saat janmon tak swarg mil jata (It has become a fashion to say ‘Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar’. If they took god’s name so many times, they would have got a place in heaven),” said Home Minister Amit Shah in his Rajya Sabha speech.
This remark sparked a controversy that spread like a wildfire. It raised many eyebrows and gave rise to the question if Ambedkar is the current Nehru/Gandhi and/or is being used by many — politician and non-politicians — for their own benefit.
“I am of the opinion that the current controversy is something very unfortunate. Amit Shah’s statement should be seen in the context of what he said,” sides Neelam Gorhe, Shiv Sena Deputy Chairperson, Maharashtra Legislative Council.
Flavour of the season
There is no denying that Dr. BR Ambedkar is the flavour of the season, with everyone jumping on to the bandwagon. Recently, Professor YS Alone in his lecture on ‘Curating Ambedkarian Aesthetics: Representation, Praxis, and the Public Sphere’ at Columbia Global Center, Mumbai, spoke about the contradictions that Ambedkar has given rise to. He mentioned that Dr Ambedkar believed that if we make the oppressed realise that they are oppressed they will wake up. He also talked about important photographic documentation and paintings made on the topic of Dalits and Ambedkar philosophy.
When asked about the relevance in today’s time Alone says, “Ambedkar had said it long ago in the Constitution of India that we are entering into contradictions. We are still maintaining the contradictions and not reducing it. They are not limited to social, economic, and political.”
According to Alone, Ambedkar is more relevant than he ever was today. He says that Dr Ambedkar represents modern democracy, “Politics in India are Ambedkar and anti-Ambedkar. Ambedkar represents transformation.”
Author Anand Teltumbde feels that politicians are just using his name. “Political class treating Ambedkar as an icon basically to manipulate Dalits so that they could be exploited, dispossessed of their possession, land and even life. The society has already reached the depths of degeneration that it appears difficult to extricate itself from these depths. As for Dalits until they realise where they stand, there is no future for them as a community.”
Youth icon
Ambedkar philosophy has followers in the youth as well. Jency, a first-year law student, and a firm believer in Ambedkar’s philosophy says, “In today’s time, fraternity is even more critical because, at higher levels, some people use divisions like caste, religion, and pride to serve their personal interests, leaving ordinary people to suffer and fight among themselves.”
She talks about how his philosophy is changed and adapted in today’s time, “While the idea of fraternity remains the same, its context has changed. Dr. Ambedkar introduced it to address India’s caste and communal issues, but today it extends to global challenges, promoting unity across nations and cultures. Movements for gender equality, LGBTQ+ rights, and racial justice have further broadened its meaning, emphasizing inclusion for all marginalized groups.”
Misunderstood leader
What strikes odd is that Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar was against idol worship and today in his name we see one of the tallest statues in India. The statue of equality being made at defunct Indu Mills is said to be of Rs 1089-crore project on 4.84 hectares. The statue will be 450 feet high. While the land was donated for facilities, it is being used to create one more memorial near the already existing one.
Teltumbde says, “Statues per se are not the culprit but the excess of them is. When they are installed by the community, they may be considered as the symbol of community’s emotive respect. When they are installed with intervention of the state or political class, they become instruments of manipulation of the community. As could be seen, the cumulative resources that have gone into statues could have built a couple of universities for Dalits.”
Some look into symbolism says Neelam Gorhe, “When I meet thousands of people at Chaityabhoomi Dadar and even Deeksha Bhoomi in Nagpur, I come across many men and women who apart from understanding the philosophy, they also worshipped him with flowers. There are villages where they sing songs for the whole night on Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. If it’s only murti puja then we can oppose it but if it is along with understanding the thinking of this particular leader, I think there are always limitations to all the individuals. Everybody may not be that rational to the level that he must have been.”
Jency agrees that it is ironical. “The focus should be on their purpose. If these monuments help spread his ideas and inspire positive change, they serve his vision. Ultimately, the best way to honour Ambedkar is not just through statues but by working to achieve the ideals he fought for in our everyday lives,” she concludes.
