Arjun Ram Meghwal*
We are at Amrit Kaal's doorstep that lies ahead for the next 25 years
when the Nation will witness the independence century. The ongoing Amrit
Mahotsava provides the blueprint for the trajectory of the Nation. The
forefathers laid down their concrete vision that resulted in our progress so
far. In this Mammoth exercise of Building New India, the inspiration
farsighted& meticulous approach of Dr. BR Ambedkar in multiple domains
will always remain as a guiding light. His 131st Birth Anniversary is an apt
moment to recall his holistic role as a nation builder and take reaffirmation
and inspiration to adhere to his ideal in our individualist & collective sphere.
Dr. Ambedkar greatly pioneered as an institution builder, and the
present-day constitutional setupreverberateshiswisdom. He was the most
valuable speaker in constitution Assembly debates with the highest share of
7.5 %-of wordcount, whereas Nehru stood with only 2.14 %. The RBI found
its genesis in his thesis “The Problem of Rupee-Its Origin & Solution". As a
labor member of Viceroy’s Executive Council, he was instrumental in
shaping the water, power & Labour welfare policies. The management of
water resources through institutions in the form of the central water
commission, Central Technical Power Board, and Integrated water resources
Management through establishing river valley authorities, among others, are
vital interventions that shaped the will for optimally utilizing the available
pool of natural resource. He majorly contributed to developing a federal
finance system among the centre& states for progressively raising their
economic level & without jeopardizing their interest.
He was a reasoned voice of the depressed class and staunched
advocates of labor rights. As a labor leader, he advocated for ‘fair condition
of life of labor’ instead of ‘Fair Condition of Work. ’Other welfare measures
such as reduction in working hours to 48 hours per week, provisions of
overtime & paid leave, Fixation & protection of Minimum wage, labor welfare
fund, and acknowledgment of trade unions were taken spiritedly. The
abolition of serfdom of agricultural tenants, abolition of theKhoti System in
land tenure, and strong opposition tothe Industrial Dispute Bill 1938 for
ensuring workers’ rights to strike were prompt measures during his role as a
legislator in the Bombay assembly.
Dr. Ambedkar was very much conscious of the progressive role of
women in modern society and advocated for ensuring voting rights for
women immediately after independence as part of universal adult suffrage.
It is pertinent to note that the US, UK & other western countries took more
than a century to extend voting rights to women.In Hindu Code Bill, He
advocated for conferring adoption & inheritance rights to women. For
facilitating their active participation inthe economic workforce, he ensured
the provisions of ‘equal pay for equal work’ irrespective of sex& intervened
in liftingthe ban on women working underground in coal mines. He remains
an instrumental figure in institutionalizing these strong fundamentals that
now women are leaving no stone unturned and making the Nation proud on
every possible front.
During the concluding speech in the constitution assembly on
25th November 1949, Dr. Ambedkar felt a sense of satisfaction on
obtaining political equality through one man, one vote & one value.
Still, he cautioned about the upcoming contradiction due to existing
differences in values onsocial & economic fronts. However, in the past
eight years, the initiative taken by the Modi government is eliminating
those contradictions, and the Nation is moving closer to the vision of
Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar. The Mantra of “SabkaSaath-SabkaVikas-
SabkaVishwas&SabkaPrayas’ ensures the inclusivity of people standing
in the last mile and convergence of the government’s multi-directional
efforts for uplifting and nurturing their unbound potential.
The Nehru government's delay from the one-year deadline for
constituting the OBC commission &indifferent attitude towards this in-
action was among the four reasons that led to the Nehru Cabinet's
resignation in 1951.The Modi government’s intervention to extend
Constitutional status to OBC Commission in 2018 & Subsequent 105th
Constitutional Amendment for allowing states to identify the socially &
educationally backward class are steps toward building a just society.
The historical records clearlyshow the difference between Ambedkar &
Nehru on various accounts. Ambedkar opposed foreign policy regarding
taking the J&K matter to UNO, Mismanagement of affairs with Pakistan, the
plight of Hindus of eastern Bengal,& high military expenditure. On 26
August 1954 during his speech in Rajysabha, Ambedkar criticised the
Fundamental flaw in Nehruvian foreign policy which was obliging other
nation and putting nationalist concerns at stake. He was particularly
aggrieved by the government’s silence that lead to china’s invasion in
Lhasa, Tibet and atrocities against Buddhist. India had lost its buffer state &
china’s threat looming large on India territories Ambedkar, from Planning
Stage itself, opposed the special status provision to J&K. The Nation had to
pay a heavy toll to these mismanagements in the forms of subsequent war
with the neighbouring country and deprivation of innocent people of J&K
from the mainstream development programs. The abrogation of article 370&
35A of the constitution paved the way for sharing the fruits of development
with the people J&K. He criticized the extra-territorial loyalty of the
communist and cautioned their duality in the cause of national progress.
The idea to observe “Samajik Nayay Pakhwada” from the BJP
foundation day express symbiotic allegiance to the ideals of Ambedkar. The
government programs are resulting towards bringing positive changes and
facilitating ease of lives of everyone &disadvantaged and downtrodden
section particularly. The development of Panch Tirtha, Dr. Ambedkar
International Centre & Implementation of pro-poor welfare schemes such as
standup, Start-up, Mudra & Venture Capital Fund, Building Eklavya Modal
residential school, PM Awas Yojana, Swachh Bharat Yojana, PM Kisan,
PMFBY, PM Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana, Ujjwala Aushmaan Bharat among
others are increasing people's living standards. The revamped Post Metric
scholarship scheme facilitates higher education for four crores SC
students.The four labor codes - the Code on Wages, Industrial Relations
Code, Social Security Code, and the Occupational Safety, Health, and
Working Conditions Code have been formulated, focusing on the fair
condition of life of workers. The National Research Laboratory for
Conservation of Cultural Property, Lucknow, under the Ministry of culture,
is undertaking a project to preserve the personal belonging of Baba Saheb
Dr. Ambedkar. These belonging will be showcased at the proposed Research
centre& Museum at Chincholi in Nagpur, Maharashtra.
Now,the 131st Birth Anniversary of Dr. Ambedkar, let's mark this
moment by immersing ourselves in the realm of the imagination framed by
our forefathers and unsung heroes. Let our action tread towards building a
just society and scale new heights for the Nation so that outcome resonates
globally with the symphony of our beloved Nation.
*Union Minister of State for Culture
& Parliamentary Affairs and Member of
Parliament, Bikaner
