The Ambedkar We Don’t Know

Context: To grasp the gravity of Ambedkar’s ideas, it is important to understand how he worked to strengthen India’s social fabric and build a just society and stronger nation.

Role of Ambedkar in building the strong nation and strengthening the social fabric:

• Pioneer as an institution builder:
  • The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), conceptualized from the Hilton Young Commission’s recommendation, considered Ambedkar’s guidelines in The Problem of the Rupee: Its Origin and Its Solution.
  • Establishing The Central Water Commission (CWC): As a labour member in Viceroy’s Executive Council (1942-46), he evolved numerous policies in the water, power and labour welfare sectors.
    • The Inter-State Water Dispute Act, 1956, and the River Board Act, 1956 emanate from his vision.
• Voice of the Depressed Classes: As the representative of depressed classes at the Round Table Conference, he championed the cause of labour and improving the condition of peasants.
  • Improved the state of Peasants:
    • Bill to abolish the Khoti system of land tenure in Konkan: Introduced during the Bombay Assembly’s Poona session in 1937
    • He was the first legislator in the country to introduce a bill for abolishing the serfdom of agricultural tenants.
    • His essay titled ‘Small Holdings in India and their Remedies’ (1918) proposed industrialization as the answer to India’s agricultural problem, which is still relevant.
  • Laid out the basic structure of the labour policy:
    • Ambedkar opposed the introduction of the Industrial Disputes Bill, 1937, as it removed workers’ right to strike.
    • As a labour member, he advocated for “fair condition of life of labour” instead of securing “fair condition of work.”
    • He contributed to the reduction of working hours to 48 hours/week, lifting the ban on the employment of women in coal mines, introduced the provisions of overtime, paid leave, and minimum wage.
    • Helped to establish the principle of “equal pay for equal work” irrespective of sex and maternity benefits.
    • He outrightly opposed the communist labour movements, their extraterritorial loyalties, and their Marxian approach of controlling all means of production.
• Society through liberty, equality, and fraternity: As chairman of the Constitution’s drafting committee:
  • Advocated for universal adult franchise ensured that women had the right to vote immediately after Independence.
  • Advocated the Hindu Code Bill as a revolutionary measure towards ameliorating women’s plight by conferring on them the right to adopt and inherit.
  • Contributed to developing federal finance.

Way forward: Ensuring the legacy of Ambedkar -

• The development of Panchteerth — Janam Bhumi (Mhow), Shiksha Bhumi (London), Chaitya Bhumi (Mumbai), Diksha Bhumi (Nagpur), Mahaparinirvan Bhumi (Delhi) in honour of B R Ambedkar.
• The successful implementation of the Mudra Scheme for availing loans, Stand-up India for promoting entrepreneurship in the SC and ST community, the expansion of the merit-cum-means scholarship, the Ayushman Bharat scheme, PM Awas Yojana, Ujjwala Yojana, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gram Jyoti Yojna, Saubhagya Yojana, the simplification of labour laws are among the several measures.