BABASAHEB
AMBEDKAR – A TRIBUTE
By Ramesh
Chander - A retired diplomat
India is witnessing the
dance of democracy in the run up to the parliamentary
elections. It is just a co-incident that Dr. B.R.
Ambedkar’s birth anniversary (April 14) falls in the
months of parliamentary elections (April –May) for the
last so many years. Every time one thinks or writes
about the functioning of parliamentary democracy in
India, it is natural to remember Dr. Ambedkar. During
the debates of the Constituent Assembly and subsequently
in his wide spread interaction with the intelligentsia
and the public, Dr. Ambedkar spoke about the future of
parliamentary democracy in India. It is gratifying to
note that the views of Dr. Ambedkar on the subject are
as relevant today as these were then. If the political
parties, the politicians and the common voters during
the elections, the festival of democracy, take note and
consider the views and advice of the father of the
Indian constitution seriously, the outcome and the
resultant product in the form of a good parliament and
also government will of course be befitting to the needs
of the country. It will be a correct and wholesome
tribute to Babasaheb Ambedkar.
“A democratic form of
government presupposes democratic form of society”, said
Dr. Ambedkar. It is a matter of regret and concern that
the Indian society at large is still dogmatic and
stratified on the basis of caste and religion.
Criminalization of politics in India is yet another bane
of parliamentary democracy. Dr. Ambedkar’s views on the
qualifications of the MPs stipulate that ‘Education can
hardly be the sole qualification for membership of
parliament. If I may use the words of Buddha, he said
that man requires two things. One is ‘Gyan’ and the
other is ‘Sheel’. Gyan without Sheel is very dangerous.
It must be accompanied by Sheel by which we mean
character, moral courage, ability to be independent of
any kind of temptations, truthful to ones ideals. I am
very keen to see that no member enters this august
assembly who does not possess ‘Sheel’ in adequate
degree’. Dr. Ambedkar was against the use of money
power and funds raised from unscrupulous sources. While
speaking to the students of DAV College in Jalandhar on
the future of parliamentary democracy in 1951, Babasaheb
Ambedkar referring to the problem said,
“I would like to refer
to the Mahabharat. During the battle between the Pandvas
and the Kaurvas, Bhishma and Drona were on the side of
the Kaurvas. The Pandvas were in the right and the
Kaurvas were in the wrong. Bhishma admitted this. When
somebody asked Bhishma as to why he was supporting the
Kaurvas if he found the Pandvas to be in the right.
Bhishma replied in the memorable sentence. I must be
loyal to the salt if I eat the food of the Kaurvas. I
must take their side even if they might be in the
wrong”.
Dr. Ambedkar said a lot
more on the subject. If we Indians take note of only a
few of these views, things will change for the better.
As a tribute to Babasaheb Ambedkar on his birth
anniversary, I endorse Arundhati Roy, “We need Ambedkar
– now urgently”.
