Until I started reading history of Indian independence outside of the academic history text books, little did I know about a struggle that happened parallel to the struggle for political independence - the struggle for social freedom. The struggle for Indian Independence is taught in schools and is well-known to the students. Similarly, the struggle for social freedom in India has a long history. This struggle against the social structure of caste needs to be reiterated in the history books.
When our freedom fighters were fighting against the British rule in India, there were leaders who led the struggle against the caste discrimination in India. This article is in remembrance of Dr. Ambedkar, the face of social justice in India on his birth anniversary (14th April).
One news or the other surfaces everyday about the discrimination of lower castes by the hierarchically dominant castes in India. The restless and tense situation that engulfs the society in such happenings stems out of the unnecessary pride that the dominant castes hold, the unjust and unfair privileges they get from the caste system and the feeling of inferiority that the oppressed take upon themselves yielding to the age old beliefs and practices.
The ignorance and preconceived notion around reservation needs to be cleared. The thought of taking pride in one's caste needs to be deemed unjust and how this pride impacts the mental health of fellow human beings from lower castes needs to be pointed out. The tense situation whenever there is a caste feud has its roots in ignorance and the unnecessary pride.
Social freedom has remained a necessity in Indian societies for long and attaining that can be achieved only with the relentless upholding of Dr. Ambedkar’s principles and writings.
Dr. Ambedkar’s principles and writings teaches us to stand not just against the caste based discrimination but also against any form of discrimination - be it gender based or class based or racial discrimination. Any discrimination across the world should be dealt with uncompromisingly forthright arguments and relentless protests and campaigns.
Even today, we have his statues put behind bars at many places in India. This is the respect the society gives for the man who stood for social justice and the freedom of the oppressed. This arises from the grudge due to the unjust caste hierarchy deep-rooted in our society.
One can pelt stones at his statues and confine them behind bars. But, there is no confinement for his principles and writings. There might be attempts to rob his revolutionary theory of its substance and convert him into a harmless icon, every attempt at it should be curtailed by propagating his principles and educating the masses about what he stood against.
Let us celebrate Dr. Ambedkar as the leader of the masses. Hereafter, let only the bars around his statues be broken, not his statues.
