REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Transcription

1 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE Ramadas V. Dr. B.R Ambedkar as an educational and social reformer Thesis. Department of Adult education and extension services, University of Calicut, 2002

2 Chapter 3 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE Cl CT Works on social thoughts Works on educational ideals

3 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE Though the literature on Ambedkar is enormously available, particularly after the celebration of his birth centenary, an exhaustive study concerning his educational thoughts is lacking. Despite there are doctoral studies on his social democratic ideology and the Dalit movement led by him the academic world has not yet attempted to inquire into his educational ideals in the context of development of modernity in India,It is based on this observation that the investigator surveyed the related literature and presented a review of Ambedkar's social and educational thoughts as construed by different scholars. Work on Social Thoughts Eleanor 2elliot1 submitted her Ph.D thesis entitled "Dr. Ambedkar and the Mahar Movement" to the University of Pennsylvania in In this pioneering study Zelliot establishes that it was the early Mahar movement which provided support for Ambedkar as a Dalit leader of national stature and importance. She has tried to establish that Ambedkar's effort in the beginning was to gain for the dalits a respectable place within the Hindu 'great tradition'. When that proved to be impossible, he turned to the tradition of other religions to which his people might convert. Here, Ambedkar's conversion to Buddhism is attributed to his personal attachment to it and his conviction that Buddhism is a model as well as a religion of equality The doctoral study by ~okhande~ was aimed at discerning Ambedkar's role as a social democrat. According to him Ambedkar endeavored to erradicate sorrow from the lives of men through reconstruction of the social 3 5

4 and economic order which rendered the majority of men impotent sufferers of variable servitude. Lokhande observes that as a pragmatist to the core, Ambedkar believed that in the absence of economic and social justice, political independence would not bring about either social solidarity or national integration. The first step towards attainment of this goal according to him, was the liquidation of the hierarchical structuring of society on the basis of Chaturvarnya. Further, the investigator has argued that as a humanist Ambedkar was concerned about the fate of not only the greatest number of men but of all. Chentharassery ' in his work attempts to assess Ambedkar's activities and philosophy. According to him Ambedkar was a man who devoted his life to annihilate the cancer of caste and untouchability from the body of Indian society. He further remarks that Ambedkar viewed Indian society which got degenerated due to castes and untouchability as incapable to carry out the responsibilities of an independent nation. Hence, before attempting to resolve the political questions India has to find out solution to the social problems. It was this contention, according to the author, that forced Ambedkar to put emphasis on the freedom of Dalits than on Swaraj. The biography by Dhanjay ~ ee? describes how Ambedkar raised from the lowest rung of society to reach the apex of glory by identifying himself with the ideology of the Dalit movement in India. It gives an account of Ambedkar's search for knowledge and his heroic struggle for the liberation of the Dalit masses from the elite domination. The work illustrates Arnbedkar's contribution to Indian thought, history and literature as well as the formulation

5 of the Constitution of India. It also gives an introduction to Ambedkar's various works containing his social, political and religious thoughts. rye?, in his book, surveys the problems of the Dalits in India. Apart from a summary of the current thinking on the subject the author describes the condition of the untouchables in India and the remarkable work done by Ambedkar for their uplift. He also discusses the contributions of Ambedkar to Indian social, political and constitutional thoughts. Mowli in his work presents the life of Ambedkar in the back ground of the social conditions of his time. His economic ideology, social vision, political aims and views on national and international issues of his time have been discussed by profbsely quoting his own words. ~ajasekhariah' endeavours to determine the role of Ambedkar as an emancipator and a champion of the downtrodden people of India. He attempts to explain and evaluate the prominent aspects of the thinking and approach of Ambedkar with regard to the political and constitutional issues. Ambedkar as the architect of the Indian constitution and as one who had deep concern for the sufferings of the Dalits in general and for social justice in particular have also been discussed in this work. His political and social ideals are also presented and examined. ada am^ in his book "Dr. Babasahab Arnbedkar and Significance of His Movements" deals with Ambedkar's socio political movements aimed at the liberation of the Dalit masses from their age old social slavery. The book is a chronology of events related to Ambedkar's life. Datta analyses the universal elements of Ambedkar's social philosophy

6 and its local characteristics. He remarks that while the nationalists of his time aimed at only political independence of India Ambedkar's life mission was to gain freedom for the outcastes from the clutches of the caste system. According to the writer, Ambedkar built up separate and independent organizations for the outcastes because he had realized that justice to the untouchables could only come through their organized strength and not as a gift from the upper castes. ~akwana" remarks that the main object of Ambedkar was to bring social revolution by breaking the system of varnas and castes so that everybody gets the opportunity of self development. He further states that the thinking of Ambedkar, who wanted to transform the political democracy into social democracy, was dominated by constitutional and democratic ideologies. parthasarathyl ' examines Ambedkar's views and solutions towards the upliftment of the weaker sections, from an anthropological perspective. He concludes that Ambedkar advocated an equality provision for underprivileged communities and provided constitutional safeguards to promote the desired interaction of the tribes with the national life of India. ~edd~'* analyses the Ambedkar - led Dalit movement with an anthropological perspective. He observes that the mission of Ambedkar was aimed at bringing about radical transformation in the living conditions of nlillions of his community who had been condemned for many centuries to live degraded and dehumanized lives. Sanajaoba 13 observes that Ambedkar perceived Hindu hegemonist

7 section as the governing class and the rest, particularly the Shudra and the Panchama as the subject race. Satish Chandra l4 in his paper, analyses the structure of the caste system in India. His analysis is to see if Arnbedkar's view of caste is adequate and his programme for its annihilation plausible. According to him, by rejecting socialism Ambedkar chose a reformist path rather than revolutionary path and never got to the problem of why caste stands in the way of the realization of class consciousness. ~rakeri'~ designates Arnbedkar as the greatest social reformer of the present era. He establishes that social reformers prior to Ambedkar could not touch the problem of untouchability because, being members of higher castes they were afraid of social boycott. He further observes that after the Buddha it was Ambedkar who could achieve a remarkable and reasonable victory in his endeavor to solve this problem and to guide the downtrodden masses in their effort to resolve the problem of untouchability. The work of chirakkarodui6 is an appraisal and exposition of Ambdekar's writings. His objective is to present a comprehensive study of Ambedkar's philosophy to the Malayalam readers. The author designates Ambedkar as a thinker who declared a new dimension of democracy in the characteristic milieu of India. ~ari~11'~ considers Arnbedkar as one of the great Indian leaders who sought and fought not only for the political independence but also for the social and economic freedom of the country. He observes that Ambedkar had to fight both the caste Hindus and the British Government for the political

8 rights of the depressed classes. Ambedkar considered it suicidal to imagine that political independence necessarily would guarantee real all sided freedom. Unity of the country - both social and political - appeared to him as more notable a task than mere conflict with the alien government. ore'' in his work studies the ideology that Ambedkar enunciated to register his protest against the inequalities of Hinduism and to promote the liberation of the untouchables of India. The author discusses Ambedkar's analysis of Hinduism and the Hindu society and the social and spiritual meaning he found in Buddhism. The work in its totality is an effort to understand and delineate Ambedkar's ideology and to relate it to the social context in which it was enunciated. ad am'^ in his essay attempts to highlight some of the guiding principles enunciated by Ambedkar. He observes that Ambedkar's object was to bring about a real, fundamental, revolutionary 'notional' change in man's outlook, if man has to live a full, peaceful and happy life here on the earth. Re-reading India's freedom movement from a Dalit perspective, amble^' contends that the struggle of the suppressed and the oppressed people in India should have constituted an epic chapter in the history of the Indian nation. He considers Ambedkar as a maker of modem India not only because he worked hard to emancipate the slaves of India from the age old bondage, but also because he put them on the political map of the nation. ~allik~' remarks that Ambedkar's demand for abolishing untouchability was not meant for the benefit of a community only. On the other hand he demanded the destruction of the caste system for the uplift of the Indian

9 society as a whole. Further, Ambedkar's liberalism was combined with a radical nationalism. His ethics were utilitarian; his scale of value was determined by the usefulness of an action for the establishment of equality in the social order. prakash'sz2 analysis of Ambedkar's role in Indian politics establishes that during the national movement he wanted to bring the depressed classes on an equal footing in every walk of life in India. He wanted them to fight simultaneously against the Hindu social imperialism as well as against the British political domination. It was this conviction that led him to propound the thesis that the untouchables is a distinct and separate element in the national life of India. In a revealing analysis prasadz3 expounds why Ambedkar turned to Buddhism, became so aggressively militant and hlly devoted his life to the annihilation of castes and to the attainment of the rights of the Dalits. He designates Ambedkar as a social reformer who was non-conformist and hostile to the establishment. According to ~haki?~ Ambedkar's main achievement lies in his positive contributions to the radical reformist theory and practice in Maharashtra. Critically, he views Ambedkar's faith in constitutionalism as a major limitation. He further remarks that Ambedkar had chosen to act within the framework of Hinduism and failed to go beyond the religious framework. He even designates Ambedkar's social reform movement as a separatist one. ~rnvedt~~ presents a historical account of Dalit movements during 1850-

10 1975 in the three states - Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karanataka with special reference to the impact of Ambedkar's ideology. The author observes that Ambedkar frequently criticised the hipocracy of non-brahmin leaders but never gave up attempts to have an alliance with them as he believed that the Brahmins were the dominant enemies. Batia et a126 evaluate Arnbedkar's perceptions of social justice, Indian freedom struggle and the problem faced by the women of India. They observe that Ambedkar's crusade was two faceted. On the one hand he fought the British who had enslaved India and on the other hand he waged a war against all those who for centuries denied equality and civil rights to the untouchables. He had not only to fight for the political emancipation of India but also to struggle relentlessly for achieving socio-economic freedom. hi?' provides a brief history of Ambedkar's encounters with the British colonial rule in India by presenting extracts fiorn Ambedkar ' S writings published in the multi volumes by the Maharashtra Government, Department Of Education. This collection gives not only an insight into the social, political and religious conditions that prevailed in India during the British rule, but also a picture of Ambedkar's dealings with the colonial administration for social, educational and political upliftrnent of the Dalit. Ambedkar indicted the British rule for its discriminating treatment towards the depressed classes. Even though the book is a simple reproduction from the writings already published, the thematic presentation of the material gives a total picture of Ambedkar's view on British rule in India. ~a;' in his debut work attempts to give a rejoinder to Amn Shourie's

11 'Worshipping false gods', The author observes that Shourie's work not only lacks adequate relevant facts but also seems to be tainted by a prejudiced mental outlook. To Shourie's 'theory' that Ambedkar lacked a sound ideological basis, the author replies that Ambedkar movement was carried out on a well thought out ideology of protest against political, social and economic prejudices against the untouchables. The basis of his movement was equality, liberty and fraternity. To Shourie's idea that it was B.N. Rau, the Constitutional Advisor, who wrote the draft Constitution, the author says that it was S.N. Mukherjee who developed the first draft. Ambedkar completely redrafted the 'sketchy document' prepared from the first draft by B.N. Rau. Thus the author puts his work across the histrocial perspective of Ambdekar's life and mission and decries the contentions of Arun Shourie. Arun ~hourie~~ in his book argues that the image of Ambedkar established in the present is a false case. He asserts that Ambedkar does not deserve the recognition given by the nation in various forms. The author describes that Ambedkar was not only against the independence of India but also serving the British along with M.N.Roy and others. According to him this was what completely cut him off from every nationalist as well as Harijan group and leaders. Shourie firmly believes that Ambedkar was an instrument of the British and that his demand for considering the scheduled castes as a minority and to give separate electorate for them was a colonial strategy to break the unity of the Hindu community and to make split in the freedom struggle. The author considers Ambedkar as neither a social reformer with a sound ideology nor as one who had authorship in the making of the Indian Constitution; rather he designates Ambedkar as a False God. Going through., 4 3

12 this commentary it is not difficult to see that the author is strongly prejudiced towards Dr. Ambedkar. Though he quotes the 'erased facts' to substantiate his arguments, he is silent on the facts that followed. ~ebste?' in his revised version of Ambedkars lectures delivered at the National Institute of Social Work and Social Sciences, Bubaneswar, Orisa, focuses on the religious strategies the Dalits have used during the course of their movement. Examining the scholarly perspective of Ambedkar and the experience of the Dalits, the author observes that the best known and the best researched case among the diverse Dalit movements is that of the Mahars led by Dr. Ambedkar, which tends to dominate on the subject. The author notes that Ambedkar put emphasis on universalization and spiritualization of social values and brought them to the mind of every individual. This he did because, he was certain that an individual can function as an efficient member of the society only if he/she recognises these values and infuse them in all hislher activities. According Ambedkar, religion is primarily an instrument for conditioning and controlling social activities. The author opines that Ambedkar's views provide an important and essential starting point for any consideration of the role of religion in the total struggle for Dalit liberation. Works on Educational Ideals ~uber)' traces Ambedkar's legacy to three institutions - The People's Education Society, The Buddhist Society of India and The Republican Party of India. He observes that Ambedkar tried to liberate Indian politics from parochialism, traditionalism and theology and in this attempt he gave India its legal frame and provided the people the basis of their fieedom.

13 ~hir's)~ work makes an overall assessment of Ambedkar's multidimensional personality, his achievements and the legacy left behind by him. The chapter set aside for analyzing Ambedkar as an educationist provides only a factual account of various educational institutions established by Ambedkar. Baisantry 33 attempts to deal with some aspects of Arnbedkar's life and work. The author surveys various activities undertaken by Ambedkar for the causes of the Dalits. The two chapters included in the book - 'Ambedkar's services to Education' and 'Ambedkar: The Social Revolutionary' provide brief accounts of what Ambedkar did for the educational and social uplihent of the downtrodden masses in India. ~uber)~ remarks that Ambedkar combined in himself the role of a social reformer, a political leader and a spiritual guide of the untouchables. He aroused in men and women the passion for right relation. His purpose was practical rather than speculative and his philosophy of life was essentially a development and evolution under the conditions and events that prevailed in the Indian society. Kuber observes that Ambedkar was against giving the same education to both boys and girls. Imparting education to girls on par with boys appeared to him waste of time, money and energy. He advised students not to take part in politics during their school days. He exhorted them to work for an ideal in life and to accomplish it through their own industry and perseverance. Thornas t at hew" narrates the major theoretical and political contributions of Ambedkar along with a summary of the practical struggles

14 which he waged at different periods. He analyses Ambedkar's position from a democratic standpoint. The author observes that Arnbedkar's philosophy of education aimed at creation of a liberating consciousness which is not formal education; but the conscientisation process of education, agitation and organization put together. ~ha~arde'~ observes that Arnbedkar did not visualize education merely as a means of livelihood but as a powerful weapon to liberate the Dalits from ignorance and to strengthen their fight against injustice and humiliation. In fact Ambedkar considered education as a pre- requisite for any kind of organization and movement of the depressed classes. According to ~ a o prajna ~ ~ (understanding), and karma (compassion), the Buddhist principles, are the basis of Ambedkar's philosophy of life as well as his perspective of education. ~atav'~ states that Ambedkar's philosophy is grounded in the three triads: Liberty, Equality, Fraternity; Education, Agitation, Organisation; Buddha, Dharma, Sangha. He remarks that Ambedakr did not entertain philosophy as a subject of metaphysics and ontology, but as a moral standard by which one could measure human conduct in relation to man and nothing else. It is also observed that for Ambedkar education alone could create a sense of new thinking and awakening among the oppressed people in India. He wanted it for all, and not restricted to a few classes of society. 39 Paranjpe notices that Ambedkar's place in the history of the untouchables is unique because he was not reconciled to his fateful existence. He did not wish to stay in the government job as a professor, for, he knew it

15 would hamper his freedom to work for his people, at times against the British government too. Further, the two tools Ambedkar realized for advancing his goals were the right to political power and the right to education. Knowledge, according to Arnbedkar, says punaleklo, is not for personal glorification or salvation, but it must lead to the understanding and resolution of issues like social inequality, injustice and subordination. Ambedkarism, observes the writer, essentially embodies a liberal democratic philosophy. It espouses the causes of socially and economically marginalized sections in the Indian society. ~ao's~' analysis of Ambedkar's life and thought provides a comprehensive interpretation and evaluation of his contribution to different domains of India's national life - social, political, legal, economic, religious and cultural. The author observes that Ambedkar regarded education as a crucial instrument for raising the overall level of the depressed classes. Ray 42 says that Ambedkar, though revolutionary in his social objectives, was always a moderate in politics; he had no taste for violence; like Phule he had great faith in education and law as instruments of change. Further, he had realized that without an intellectual and industrial revolution no structutal transformation of the Indian society is ever to be effected. Rasool and verma4) enumerate Arnbedakr's educational views under five heads - Equality of educational opportunity; higher education; education for untouchables; safeguards for scheduled castes; and reservation for scheduled castes. Education for him, observe the authors, is not just a preparation for living but a continuous process; and one should always be

16 prepared to 'learn to live, live to learn'. They fkther state that Ambedkar, advocating a democratic way of education, believed education as the birth right of every human being, and that he rebelled vehemently against all forms of elitist tendency in the field of education. Based on the literature surveyed, the following observations are made: 1. Ambedkar had a sustained thinking on educational matters. 2. He had a firm foundation of philosophy of life and a conscious, com- mitted articulation of his position on the means and ends of education. 3. He had visualized education as a mechanism helpful in facilitating the Dalit's liberation from their dominated position. The Dalits were subjects of a double domination. On the one hand they were subdued to the Hindu social slavery; they were denied knowledge, power and basic human rights and were forced to lead a life of supine servitude. On the other hand they were also the victims of the British colonialism. This forced them to fight simultaneously with the Hindu social imperialism and the British colonial supremacy. But the lack of education prevented them form realizing the reality and from entering the path of social struggle. Ambedkar having the right cognizance of the role of education in social change considered education as an instrument to awaken the Dalits and to prepare them for the liberation struggle. 4. A comprehensive study of Amnbedkar's educational thoughts has not come across by the investigator. It also seems that the authors have not given due in~portance to An~bedkar's conception of education so as to attempt an exhaustive analysis of his educational thoughts. 4 8

17 Therefore, a comprehensive study of Ambedkar's educational thoughts in conjunction with his social ideals has to be urgently taken up. Such a work will, no doubt, render to have a thorough understanding of the social and educational problems of the depressed classes in India. In this context, it has to be pointed out that the survey has given the investigator an insight into how Arnbedkar had been a product of the societal environment that surrounded him. It has helped also to see how he, as a peron with sensitivity and sensibility could react with the conditions that prevailed and also could influence the society with the profound impact of his reflections, analytical interpretations, ideas and unique action plans. This insight has been the foundation upon which the whole edifice of this work has been constructed. Note: 1. Cited in Webster, I.C.B., (1999). Religion and Dalit liberation: An examination of perspective, Delhi : Manohar. 2. Lokhande, G.S.,(1997). Bhimrao Ramji Arnbedkar: A study in social democracy, New Delhi : Intellectual. 3. Chentherassery, T.H.P., (1 990). Dr. Ambedkar : Thatwa chinthakalum pravarthanagalum (Malayalam), Thrinvananthapuram: Prabhat Book House. 4. Keer, D., (1990). Dr. Ambedkar - Life and mission, Bombay: Sangam. 5. Iyer,V.R.K., (1990). Dr. Ambedkar and dalit future, Delhi: B.R. Publishing Corporation. 6. Mowli. V.C., (1990). B.R. Artlbedknr: Man nl~d his vision, New Delhi: Sterling. 7. Rajasekliariah, A.M., (1 990). B. R. Anlberlkclr.: The quest for socialjustice, New Delhi: Uppal. 4 9.

18 Kadarn, K.N., (1991). Dr. Babasahab Ambedkar and the sigiiijicance of his movement, Bombay: Popular Prakashan. Datta, A., (1993). 'Rebal with a cause: Ambedkar's vision of India', in Grover, V (Ed.) B.R. Ambedkar, New Delhi: Deep Deep, pp Makwana, Y., (1992). 'Dr. Babasahab Arnbedkar: A crusader', in Ambedkar and social justice, Vol- I, New Delhi: Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Govt. of India, pp Parthasarathy, J. 'Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and tribal welfare', in Ambedkar and social justice Vol.- I.pp Reddy, K., ' Anthropological perspective on the vision of Ambedkar for the Uplifiment of Dalit', in Ambedkar and social justice, Vol- I, pp Sanajaoba, N., 'De- stabilizing Indian aparthied: Ambedkarian approach' in Ambedkar and social justice, Vol- pp Satish Chandra, A.V., 'The Annihilation of caste: The unfinished task of Dr. Ambedkar', in Ambedkar and social justice, Vol- I pp Arkari, S.S., 'Dr. B.R. Ambedkar : The greatest social reformer and educationist of the era,' in Gtover, V, Op. cit, pp Chirakkarodu, P., (1993). Ambedkar : Bouddhika vikshobhathinte agniwala (Malayalam), Thiruvalla: Dalit Books. Farigh, G., 'Dr. Ambedjkar : Scholar and politician', in Grover, V, Op.Cit, PP Gore, M.S., (1993). The social context of an ideology: Arnbedkar's political and social thoughts, New Delhi : Sage. Kadam, K.N., (1993) 'Dr Ambedkar : The rationalist and Humanist', in Kadam. K.N. (ed.) Dr. Ambedjkar: The emanipator of the oppressed, Bombay: Popular Prakshan.

19 20. Kamble, J.R. 'Arnbedkar's role : Missing page in history',in Grover, V. Op. Cit, PP. 21. Malik, B.K., 'Arnbedkar on Indian society and politics', in Grover,V., Op. Cit, pp Prakash, R., (1993). Ambedkar, politics and scheduled castes, New Delhi : Ashish. 23. Prasad, R.C., (1993). Preface to Ambedkarism, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidas. 24. Shakir, M., ' B.R. Ambedkar: A social reformer', in Grover V., Op. cit. pp Omvdet, G., (1994) Dalit and democratic revolution: Dr. Ambedkar and dalit movement in colonial India, New Delhi: Sage. 26. Batia, K.L., (1995). Hari, O.M. & Chowdhary, R., Socialjustice ofdr. B.R. Ambedkar, New Delhi: Deep and Deep. 27. Ahir, D.C., (1997). Dr. Ambedkar on the British Raj, Delhi : Blumoon Books. 28. Das, G., (1997) Who Worship False Gods, New Delhi : S,K, Associates. 29. Shourie, A, Op cit. 30. Webster, Op. cit Kuber, W.N., (1987). B.R. Ambedkar, New Delhi: Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Govt. of India. 3 2 Ahir, D.C., (1 990). The Legacy of Arnbedkar, New Delhi: B.R. Publishing corporation. 33. Baisantry, D.K., (1991). ~mbedkor : The total revolutionaq), New Delhi : Segment. 34. Kuber, W.N., (1 991). Ambedkar: A critical study, New Delhi: People's Publishing House. 35. Mathew, T., (1991) Ambedkar: Reform or. revolution, New Delhi: Segment. 36. Khaparade, S., 'Dr. Arnbedkar's concern for Dalit education' in Altzbedkarand social jlistice Vol. 11, pp Rao, J.V.R., 'Dr. Ambedkar and Education,' in Ambedakr and Social Justice, Vol - 11, pp

20 38. Jatav, D.R., (1993). The 'Philospohy of Dr. Ambedkar,' in Kadam, K..N. (Ed.) Dr. B.R. Ambedkar: The emanicipator of the oppressed., Bombay : Popular Prakashan, pp Paranjpe, A.C., 'The life history ofdr. B.R. Ambedkar: A social psychological view', in Grover, V. 0p.Cit. pp Punalekar,S.P., 'Ambedkar and the Dalit masses' in Grover, V., Op. Cit., pp Rao, K.R., (1993). Babasaheb Ambedkar,New Delhi: Sahitya Academy. 42. Ray. S, 'From Phule to Ambedkar: The unaccomplished Revolution,' in Grover. V. Op. Cit. pp Rasool, G.& Verma, L.K., (1994). Ambedkur as an eductionist,jamrnu; Jay Kay.