The ongoing race among political parties in India to win Assembly elections in states of Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and union territory of Puducherry is heading towards an exciting finish on May 19. Of all, the ruling BJP’s gambit to own, acclaim and applaud Dr BR Ambedkar, leader of the untouchables at this juncture looked opportunistic and funny. Because as per Historian Ram Guha, in the year 1949, the RSS (BJP’s Guide) held 79 meetings, in Delhi and burnt effigies of Nehru and Ambedkar, because of Hindu Code Bill aimed at codifying Hindu Personal Law that was denounced as an attack on Hindu culture and tradition. The same RSS recently took a U-turn and declared Ambedkar as a great admirer of Hindu culture and traditions.

 

Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar popularly known as Baba Sahib headed the constitution draft committee after Independence and came to be known as Architect of free India’s constitution. All through his life Ambedkar fought against Hindu egotism that ostracised the weakest sections of society and called them the untouchables He tried to turn the wheel of law towards social justice for all and deserves our esteems all the times and not merely around election season!

Why be kind to him now?

But BJP’s melodies sung in praise of Dr Ambedkar at so high a pitch during poll times look bizarre. It could be recalled while Mahatma Gandhi and Dr Ambedkar respectively led India’s freedom struggle and movement for uplift of the Dalits, RSS the forefather of India’s ruling BJP conspicuously kept themselves detached from such vital efforts made to liberate India from foreign rule and to uplift the broken and the oppressed in society.

BJP now claiming to be the real Nationalistic party or holding Ambedkar as their own on eve of election is nothing more than a political jugglery. Actually they want to outmaneuver Mayawati leader of BSP, known as India’s main Dalit Party or Mamta Bannerji West Bengal CM and political foe Rahul Gandhi whose Indian National Congress also had exploited the untouchables for political gains, to win polls.

Stakes high for BJP

Stakes are high for PM Narendra Modi because after losing Delhi and Bihar provincial elections miserably, his Party needs to win the ongoing polls. That is why BJP claiming to be the Hindu nationalist party is ready to embrace the low caste Buddhist Ambedkar, who all through his life fought against their caste system which after four Varna (Brahmin, Kshatriya Vaishya and Shudra) created the fifth one (untouchables) and put Dalits therein.

This April 14, on 125th birth anniversary of Ambedkar, PM theatrically led in paying glowing tributes to Baba Sahib in Madhya Pradesh followed by others who jostled to be seen as paying homages to the Dalit leader. Earlier, media had published scholarly articles, and Government TV Channel by its obligation held discussion about ‘relevance ‘of Ambedkar.

Ruling BJP’s effort to appropriate Baba Sahib has another reason too. Earlier it failed to gain anything from resurrecting Sardar Patel that in fact produced Hardik Patel as a big challenger to their rule in Gujarat. Then it shifted its attention to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, but that trick too, is not paying any dividends in this poll in West Bengal. Hence all salutes to Baba Sahib!

BJP Opportunism

let us give our brief look at the esteem that Dr. Ambedkar really enjoyed within hearts of BJP high ups. In 1997 Arun Shourie a leading BJP ideologue and later a minister in Vajpayee’s cabinet launched a vicious attack on Baba Sahib. In one of his books titled “Worshiping False Gods” Shourie mentioned Ambedkar as undeserving of any honour, leave alone national veneration.

Clarifying that he wrote, “Indeed, no one is idolised these days the way he is. His statue is one of the largest in the Parliament complex. His portrait in the Central Hall of Parliament is larger than life. The Bharat Ratna has been conferred on him posthumously, a national holiday has been decreed in his honour. Postage stamps have been issued in his honour. Universities have been named after him. His statues, dressed in garish blue, holding a copy of the Constitution have been put up in city after city: it is a fair guess that by now they far outnumber those of Gandhiji. Politicians, activists and other notables flock to these on several anniversaries of his — on the anniversary of his birth, on the anniversary of the day on which he converted to Buddhism, on the anniversary of his …death.”

Actually revulsion for the untouchables lies hidden deep under the cover that BJP leaders put on during election season. Interestingly its National President Amit Shah on Ambedkar’s birth day has criticized Congress for ignoring Baba sahib all through their rule.

Whom to Believe-Arun Shourie’s narration of post independence era that over honored Dr. BR Ambedkar or Amit Shah’s vocal chord releasing some vibrations eulogising Baba Sahib and criticizing opponents on the eve of election. Opportunism, thy name is BJP!

 

Ambedkar’s frustrations

Dr. Ambedkar himself a victim of atrocities of Hindu culture and its caste system in his life,  desired to begin afresh. That drove him to his conversion to Buddhism in 1956, days before he died. Eralier as per reports he established contacts with Sikh leader, Master Tara Singh and others who rejected his offer to get into Sikhs fold. Though Sikhism as per their gurus’ teachings is supposed to treat all humans as equal, yet caste system continues to dominate particularly in rural Sikh society. That is how, with the help of Badal clan, RSS is opening its branches in Sikh dominated villages of Punjab where this Manuvadi organization had never existed.

In the end

Over the last few years, the RSS has repeatedly described Ambedkar as a Hindu leader who had been proud of the country’s culture. But as BJP try to appropriate Ambedkar, historical inaccuracies creep in.

For example, in his famed work ‘The Annihilation of Caste’, he made a devastating attack on Hinduism, the Hindu nation and Indian culture. The salvation of untouchables like him, Ambedkar said, is not in Hinduism, but outside it. By converting to Buddhism a few months before he died, he made the most forceful statement against the Brahminical hold on Hindus that went beyond anything he ever wrote.

Such facts are very difficult for the Sangh Parivar to speak about, let alone cite kinship with Ambedkar. But with state polls dangling over their head, BJP faces criticism for the handling of the Rohit Vemula suicide crises and also the sedition cases against Kanahiya and others at JNU, that put together brought BJP to the altar of Baba Sahib more than anything else.