Nationalism and Ambedkar

Context: Ambedkar’s vision of Nationalism and his philosophy of “Bahujan hitaya bahujana sukhaya” and his belief in equality and justice is relevant today and will remain so in the future.

Ambedkar’s views and vision on Nationalism

• Focus on social democracy: He had categorically said that the caste system and democracy cannot coexist. Therefore, the Indian Constitution barred discrimination based on caste and language.
  • The fundamental rights provided by the Constitution enshrine the right to equality through Articles 14 to 18, the right to freedom through Articles 19 to 22, and the right against exploitation (Articles 23 and 24).
  • On Women’s education and jobs: He was probably the first scholar who tried to understand the position of women in the caste structure.
    • He believed that the progress of a community ought to be measured “by the degree of progress which women had achieved”.
• Nation as the supreme: While the Constitution gave voice to the traditions, faith, and beliefs of the country, but in his vision, all the citizens of the country were Indians first.
  • In the Constituent Assembly, he explained the decision to call India a “Union of States” and not a “Federation of States”.
• Defining Nationalism in terms of equality and fraternity: His sense of Nationalism is in which there is no distinction among individuals, irrespective of their caste and religion. That is why the Preamble of the Constitution lays stress on equality and fraternity among citizens.
  • Sense of fraternity: He described nationality as “consciousness of kind, awareness of the existence of that tie of kinship”.
  • Sense of equality: He constantly emphasized on making society classless.
  • Therefore, Nationalism has no place for parochialism.
• Nation is not a physical entity: Giving importance to the land, its society, and the best traditions for nation-building, he stressed that the nation is not a physical entity but a result of continuous efforts, sacrifice, and patriotism.
• Pioneer in his thinking on women’s education and jobs: He was probably the first scholar who tried to understand the position of women in the caste structure.

Conclusion: Ambedkar’s dream for India was that equality should be established at all levels in the society. It is intellectual poverty to associate him only with a particular class or caste. He belonged to all.