Hidayatullah National Law University, Raipur,

Chhattisgarh

Political Thought Project

B. R. Ambedkar’s Contribution to
Indian Political Thought

Submitted To: Submitted By:

Mr. Kamal Narayan Atul Kumar Agrawal

Assistant Professor, political science Sem. II {sec-A}

HNLU, Raipur Roll no. - 37

Date of submission –6th March, 2018

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

It gives me immense pleasure to write this project “ B.R. Ambedkar’s Contribution to Indian
Political Thought ”.

Firstly, thanks to the Almighty who gave me the strength and determination to put all my
endeavors into this work.

Secondly, I’d like to thank our political science assistant professor, Mr Kamal Narayan for
allotting such an enlightening topic and for all the help and co-operation extended by her in
helping scrutinize the same.

Thirdly, I’d like to thank my parents , friends for all their constant support without which this
venture would not have been possible.

Last but not the least, I would like to thank the institution, the Library staff and my respected
seniors for extending their help in finding the relevant books and articles required for the work.

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 Index

Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………….. 4

Objectives ……………………………………………………………………………….. 5

Research Methodology …………………………………………………………………... 5

Ambedkar’s Life & Times ………………………………………………………………. 6-7

Ambedkar’s Idea of Democracy ………………………………………………………… 8-9

Ambedkar’s thought on Economic Democracy ……………………………………….. 10-11

Ambedkar on Capitalism ………………………………………………………………... 12

Ambedkar on State Socialism ………………………………………………………….. 13-14

Social Justice ……………………………………………………………………………. 15

i) Ambedkar & Social Justice ……………………………………………….. 15-18

Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………………... 19

References ………………………………………………………………………………. 20

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Introduction:
Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (1891 – 1956) was a noted jurist, an exceptional constitutionalist,
a profound scholar, a fearless leader of the masses, the hero of the downtrodden and the greatest
pioneer of Buddhist revival in India. “His personality combines thought and action. His deeds
were rooted in personal experience, so he appealed to the depressed classes to forge ahead on the
basis of self-dependence, self-dignity and self-help .” 1His foremost objective was to emancipate
the depressed classes and to empower them to lead respectable lives. He passionately fought for
the rights of the oppressed classes. It was his conviction and relentless hard work that
transformed the depressed classes’ movement into a revolutionary movement. Moreover, he was
a nationalist, a democrat and a patriot. Dr. Ambedkar was a pragmatist par excellence and wasn’t
swayed by abstract ideologies.

Dr Ambedkar was influenced by Lord Buddha and his teachings. Buddhist outlook of life
influenced Dr. Ambedkar to a great extent. Buddhist doctrines of Annicca (transitoriness) and
Annatta (egolessness) made Dr. Ambedkar adopt a scientific and humanitarian outlook. He
believed in the Buddhist teaching that man was the master of his own destiny. One could
overcome suffering and pain by continuous action. Dr. Ambedkar penned down the book
“Buddha and his Dhamma” highlighting the Buddhist ideology.

John Dewey, Dr. Ambedkar’s mentor at Columbia University, moulded Ambedkar’s thought
processes. It was Dewey who encouraged a pragmatic approach to life. Dewey’s emphasis on
activist epistemology and concept of instrumentalism appealed to Dr. Ambedkar. The Deweyian
idea of democracy as “associated life2” greatly influenced Ambedkar’s writings on society and
caste.

Dr. Ambedkar was also influenced by Karl Marx and his theory of class struggle. However, he
differed with Marx on the nature of exploitation to which the struggling classes are subjected.
According to Ambedkar, apart from economic exploitation, the struggling classes were also
subjected to social exploitation. Moreover, Ambedkar tried to distinguish between class and
caste.

Justice Ranade too had an impact on Dr. Ambedkar’s thinking. Ranade’s philosophy taught Dr.
Ambedkar to abandon the imaginary. It taught him to pursue those ideals that were pragmatic. In
politics, one must give equal importance to sentiments and temperament of people as compared
to intellect and theory. Lastly, in political negotiations one must proceed with the thinking of
what is possible. One must not compromise on one’s principles.

1
Shabbir, M. B.R. Ambedkar (Study in Law & Society), Rawat Publications (New Delhi), Published: 1997, pg 15.
2 http://www.infed.org/biblio/b-dem.htm

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Objective :

o To understand the contribution made by BR Ambedkar to the Indian political thought.

o To understand Ambedkar’s Idea of Democracy .
o To know Ambedkar’s Thought on Economic Democracy.
o To examine Ambedkar’s view on Capitalism.
o To observe Ambedkar’s view on Socialism.

Research Methodology :

The project takes a broad view, dealing with all contribution made by BR Ambedkar to Indian
Political thought . It includes a discussion of : literature reviews and data sources; and overall
design of a research project - aims, philosophy and methods, evaluating existing research, and
writing up and disseminating findings. The following project is Descriptive in nature & is
“aimed at casting light on current issues or problems through a process of data collection that
enables to describe the situation more completely than was possible without employing this
method.” In its essence, descriptive studies are used to describe various aspects of the
phenomenon. Books & other references (including various websites) as guided by faculty of
Political Science were primarily helpful for the completion of this project.

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Dr. B.R. Ambedkar: Life and Times:

Dr. Ambedkar was born on 14th April, 1891 in Mhow, Madhya Pradesh. Born as Bhimrao Ramji
Ambedkar, he belonged to the ‘untouchable’ Mahar caste. His father, Ramji Ambedkar, served
in the military. Many from the Mahar community had joined the Bombay army of the East India
Company. Bhim’s mother passed away when he was six years old. His father, a follower of
Kabir and a strict vegetarian, retired after fourteen years of military service. The Ramji family
moved to Konkan and then to Satara. Bhimrao Ambedkar completed his primary schooling in
Satara.

Education opened new vistas for young Bhim. However, it came at a cost. Young Ambedkar
came across harsh realities of his birth in a lowly caste. In classrooms he was made to sit aloof in
a corner. Teachers refused to touch his notebooks. Ambedkar was denied access to common
drinking water in school. Only when a high caste person poured water in Bhim’s mouth could he
quench his thirst. Once instigated by uncontrollable fit of thirst, Ambedkar dared, and drank
water from the common drinking water source. Higher caste Hindus beat him up. Such social
atrocities were inflicted upon Ambedkar.

Ambedkar was a bright student since his childhood. He fared well in his examinations. He
enrolled in Elphinstone High School in Mumbai. In high school he was not allowed to study
Sanskrit being an untouchable. In 1907 he passed his matriculation exam with flying colours and
later enrolled into Elphinstone College from where he acquired his B.A. in 1912. Thereafter,
Maharaja Sayaji Rao Gaekwad provided Ambedkar a scholarship which allowed him to pursue
higher studies in New York, America. It was in America that Babasaheb Ambedkar tasted
pure freedom. Here he could read, write, sit, stand, eat, sleep, bathe and breathe freely. He
wholeheartedly devoted himself to education.

In 1916, Ambedkar received his Master of Arts for his dissertation on “Administration and
Finance of the East India Company” and his Ph.D. on “National Dividend for India: A
Historical and Analytical Study” from Columbia University. Later, Dr. Ambedkar enrolled into
London School of Economics and Political Science for further studies. In 1920, Dr. Ambedkar
began a fortnightly newspaper called Mook Nayak (Leader of the Dumb) to promote the cause
of the depressed classes. In the same year he started the Depressed Classes Mission to promote
the welfare of the untouchables.

In 1947, Dr. Ambedkar was appointed as the first Law Minister of independent India as well as
the Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the constitution. His tenure as Law Minister
didn’t last long as he clashed with his colleagues on various issues. This happened even with
Jawaharlal Nehru on the issue of Hindu Code Bill. Finally Ambedkar resigned from the Nehru
cabinet in 1951. Gandhiji recommended Dr. Ambedkar’s name over Sir Ivor Jennings
(internationally renowned constitutional expert) for heading the drafting committee. Despite their
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differences, Gandhi saw in Ambedkar an outstanding legal and constitutional expert. This speaks
volumes about Dr. Ambedkar’s fortitude and qualifications. As chairman of the drafting
committee, Dr. Ambedkar worked his heart out. Drafting the Indian constitution was a
meticulous task which required vast subject domain knowledge as well as general knowledge of
polity, geography, economics, history and culture of India. It required statesmanship and
wisdom. Dr. Ambedkar is 3regarded by some political scientists such as Gilchrist as the world’s
best constitutionalist.

In 1951, Dr. Ambedkar founded the Bharatiya Buddha Jansangha and in 1955 the Bharatiya
Buddha Maharashtra Jansangha. In his later days, Dr. Ambedkar was frustrated by lukewarm
progress made in eliminating caste-based discrimination from society. Dr. Ambedkar saw a link
between caste-based discrimination and religion. According to him, Hindu religion validated
caste-based discrimination. He became extremely critical of Hindu religion and concluded that
the untouchables would remain where they are as long as they follow Hindu religion. Thus, he
decided to leave Hindu religion and convert to Buddhism. On 14th October, 1956 Dr.
Ambedkar with over three lakh of his followers converted to Buddhism in Nagpur,
Maharashtra. Dr. Ambedkar formulated a new code of ethics called Dhamma Diksha. This
vehicle of Buddhism came to be known as “Navayana” and Dr. Ambedkar’s followers came to
be known as Neo-Buddhists.

Soon after on 6th December, 1956 Dr. Ambedkar died. His death was mourned by millions.
Dr. Ambedkar left behind a complex body of thought backed by voluminous writings which
advocated radical change in political life as well as a plan for an economic structure and cultural
and social reconstruction. To quote R.K. Misra “Can a strong nation be built if a quarter of its
population is left behind? Till this population is left behind, Ambedkar and his vision will remain
relevant. Finally, Babasaheb Ambedkar has more ideological followers than any other leader
born in the last 1000 years. There are more statues and busts of Ambedkar than any individual
born after Lord Buddha and Jesus Christ4”
Dr. Ambedkar is fondly remembered by many as “The Father of the Constitution” as well as
“The Maker of Modern India.” India conferred the highest award, the Bharat Ratna, on Dr.
B.R. Ambedkar, posthumously in 1990. His birth centenary year was celebrated as “the year of
social justice.”

3
http://www.livemint.com/Opinion/rMImvbuYNDk4RvWGfcMtQO/Ambedkar-rupee-and-our-current-
troubles.html
4 Misra, R. An Introduction to Political Thought, Pearson (Delhi), Published: 2012, pg 186.

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Dr Ambedkar’s Idea of Democracy:

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s description of a democracy is multi-dimensional. Democracy, in

common usage is often related to political democracy. The principle on which political
democracy operates is one man one vote. However, Dr. Ambedkar’s perception of democracy is
different, formed after a penetrative analysis of the political, social and economic conditions
prevailing in India during his life and times.

Dr. Ambedkar opined that a political democracy was an extension of the society for which the
political democracy is established. For instance, in India itself, birth of a person in a particular
caste decided his/ her status rather than the person’s ability. Distinctions of high status and low
status in society create a social hierarchy based on birth. Social equality in India was disturbed
due to emergence of the caste system. Indian social structure was based on the caste system.
“Brahmins” sat at the top of the hierarchal social system. They were followed by “kshatriyas”
and “vaishyas”. At bottom of the social pyramid were “shudras” and the untouchables. Each slot
in the social pyramid had a definite set of functions pre-determined for the members of that
particular slot to perform. Performance of these pre-determined functions or duties was
imperative to ensure the smooth running of the Indian (or more specifically the Hindu) social
order. However, here’s the catch, each slot in the pyramid did not enjoy similar status.
“Brahmins” were considered to be knowledgeable and were held in high esteem. High status was
accorded to “Brahmins.” Whereas “Shudras” and the untouchables were expected to perform
menial jobs (such as sweeping the streets, scavenging etc). Thus, low social status was accorded
to “shudras” and the untouchables. Shudras were held in servitude. The Hindu social order
resulted in social inequalities in the society. With time these inequalities got magnified. The
social position of shudras degraded. They were suppressed and discriminated against. To cap it
up, social life in India had its own distinct spill over effects on its political life. Brahmins, the
dominant caste, enjoyed several privileges and wielded political power. Historically, they
enjoyed a say in the administration whereas the Shudras and the Untouchables were not allowed
to enjoy even civil and political rights. Thus, in the Indian society, glaring inequalities existed.
There was a clear link between the social and political lives of people in India.

Dr. Ambedkar foresaw what many missed. Several illustrious freedom fighters, social
reformers and constitutionalists assumed that establishing political democracy in India would be
panacea to all ills plaguing the society. Dr. Ambedkar just put forward these questions: How
would political equality translate into social equality? Did one man one vote necessarily
imply one man one value? Did political democracy solve the socio-economic problems
embedded in the Indian society? Dr. Ambedkar foresaw that the vehicle called democracy ran
on three wheels i.e. Political democracy was one such wheel whereas the other two were
social democracy and economic democracy.

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 “By ‘democracy’ Ambedkar refers to fundamental changes in the social and economic life
of the people and acceptance of those changes by the people without resorting to disputes
and bloodshed” Thus, he denounced the caste system and called for the annihilation of caste.
Dr. Ambedkar believed that society as an entity was not just an organism. It is something based
on human attitudes. Society doesn’t merely imply a summation of several close knit groups of
men living together. It means sharing of customs, traditions, beliefs and thoughts amongst these
groups. Dr. Ambedkar shared Dewey’s idea of democracy as associated living who observed
society as “Society is the process of associating in such ways that experience, ideas, emotions,
values are transmitted and made common5” Thus, there ought to be smooth communication and
exchange of ideas and experiences for the establishment and entrenchment of an egalitarian
society. However, the caste system acts as blockade in establishing a society based on equality in
India. Thus, according to Ambedkar, a caste based society should be done away with and there
must be social endosmosis. What would be the alternative to a caste ridden society? According
to Ambedkar, a society based on the trinity of liberty, equality and fraternity should be
foundation of a democratic society.

For him, political democracy could be sourced only from a democratic society. A
democratic society required the elimination of socio-economic inequalities existing in the
society. It called for social equality. In other words, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar was keen to ensure that
the principle of one man one vote meant one man one value not only in the political life of a
person but also in his/ her economic and social life .

Dr Ambedkar opined “We must make our political democracy a social democracy as well.
Political democracy cannot last unless there lies at the base of it social democracy ”
Moreover, economic liberty must follow or walk along political liberty since political liberty by
itself is meaningless if people are half-starved and ill-clad. “Dr. Ambedkar goes a step further
and suggests that political and economic rights should be supported and sustained by social
equality 6” Keeping in mind the Hindu social structure, Dr. Ambedkar was assured that it was
essential to link political constitution to social institutions of India if democracy was to become
real and meaningful.

5
Shabbir, M. B.R. Ambedkar (Study in Law & Society), Rawat Publications (New Delhi), Published: 1997, pg 18
6 Lokhande, G.S. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, Sterling Publication Pvt Ltd. (Delhi), Published: 1977, pg 52

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Dr. Ambedkar’s thoughts on Economic Democracy:

Dr. Ambedkar found close connection between social and economic life of a person. His
theory on the importance of economic democracy is both an eye opener and enlightening. Dr.
Ambedkar differentiates between the life of an animal and that of a man.
An animal is concerned with satiating its physical wants/ desires such as nutritive wants,
reproductive desires and the like. Man, too, looks for the fulfilment of his physical appetite. But
man is a greater species than any other animal due to the virtue of reason. Reason allows him to
think, to question, to observe and analyse life and all that which constitutes it. Thus the ultimate
goal of an animal’s existence is to satiate its physical appetite whereas “the ultimate goal of
man is culture7” Culture is crucial for the progress of mankind. Dr. Ambedkar says “The aim of
human society must be to enable every person to lead a life of culture, which means civilization
of mind as distinguished from the satisfaction of mere physical wants Satisfaction of mere
physical wants means to live life whereas to lead a life of culture means to live life worthily. To
live life is to prepare vanilla ice cream – it is plain and simple. But to live life worthily implies
adding chocolate syrup to the vanilla ice cream may be even sprinkling almonds and cashews on
the vanilla ice cream laced with chocolate syrup – it means to add value and meaning to life.
However, majority or actually all of the time and energy that humans possess is spent on
securing a plain and simple life. Adding value to it becomes difficult. Living life worthily
becomes difficult. A life of culture becomes difficult because in order to live life worthily one
must live it first.

Let’s just deviate for the moment. Dr. Ambedkar, in his theory, doesn’t clarify whether politics
belongs to the domain of human culture when he tries to expound his thoughts on leisure.
Politics, in common discourse, is defined as struggle for power. The desire for power is a raw
desire similar to the physical wants. However, it can also be argued that in the hierarchy of basic
physical wants power would not come first since survival and whatever it requires forms the first
few wants of human life. Thus, this pushes power much into the cultural domain. Aristotle, in his
political thought, allowed a person to participate in the affairs of state provided he had leisure.
Leisure, according to Aristotle, could be derived by owning property and slaves. Logically
speaking, ownership of property ensures financial stability whereas having slaves at one’s
disposal ensured that they looked after the day-to-day affairs of the household saving precious
time for their master. Thus, in Aristotle’s theory too, leisure allowed an individual to pursue
higher ends rather than being stuck in the routine rut. Unlike Aristotle, Ambedkar never
promoted slavery (though the term had quite different connotation during the times of each of
these thinkers) for the provision of leisure.

7 Lokhande, G.S. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, Sterling Publication Pvt Ltd. (Delhi), Published: 1977, pg 37

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Dr. Ambedkar tried to answer the question of how leisure can be made possible. In this context,
Dr. Ambedkar understood the importance of production of certain goods necessary for basic
human needs. The effort that went into the production of these goods took up most of man’s time
and energy. Leisure can only be provided if the effort that went into the production of these basic
goods is reduced. This leads us to an even more important question: What can provide leisure?
To quote Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, “Only when machine takes place of man (then leisure is
produced). There is no other means of producing leisure. Machinery and modern civilization are
thus indispensible for emancipating a man from leading the life of a brute and for providing him
with leisure and for making a life of culture possible’’.

While analysing Ambedkar’s thought on economic democracy it becomes essential to study his
view on leisure. A common perception is formed in our minds that Dr. Ambedkar was concerned
with fulfilment of minimum bare necessities of life. To adore this perception is to err. For Dr.
Ambedkar accomplishment of these necessities meant that one could devote his self to finer
aspects of life. Dr. Ambedkar held economic democracy in high esteem. For him economic
democracy was equally important as compared to political democracy. “The constitution wishes
to lay down an ideal before those who would be forming the Government. That ideal is
economic democracy8” To Ambedkar economic democracy meant just one thing: one man one
value. It was on this principle that he wish to lay down the foundation of economic democracy.

However, Ambedkar was aware of the fact that the doctrine of one man one vote was whole
heartedly implemented in the political field where it displayed positive results. But at the same
time this political doctrine failed to translate into the much imagined “one man one value” in the
economic sphere. Dr. Ambedkar opined that theory wise one man one vote ought to
translate into one man one value. In reality it didn’t.

Dr. Ambedkar blamed the age-old perception that constitutional lawyers had with respect to
making of the constitution. For these constitutional lawyers, formulating a responsible
Government and preventing tyranny by Government was the sole object of the constitution. Such
old-time constitutional lawyers never looked ahead of adult suffrage and fundamental rights.
They failed to gauge that times had changed and the reach of the constitution had to be
widened. It was within the ambit of the constitution to prescribe the shape and form of not only
the political structure but also the economic structure of the society. Dr. Ambedkar realized that
it was about time that a constitution constructed a framework for the political as well as
economic system to operate. The constitution shouldn’t shy away from describing a particular
form of economic structure it wishes to adopt or the economic ideal it wishes the state to follow.
Moreover, Dr. Ambedkar felt that countries like India which were latecomers in the field of
constitution making should not copy the faults of other countries.

8Lokhande, G.S. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, Sterling Publication Pvt Ltd. (Delhi), Published: 1977, pg 39 –
48.

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Dr. Ambedkar on Capitalism:

Dr. Ambedkar had studied the system of social economy based on capitalism. According to him,
capitalism violated certain premises of political democracy. Political democracy functions on
various premises. However in this context two premises come to the fore. One, an individual
shall not quit any of his fundamental rights guaranteed by the constitution in lieu of a privilege.
Two, the state shall not trust private individuals with governing powers. Dr. Ambedkar was sure
that capitalism, which inspired individuals to pursue personal goals and gains, did undermine if
not violate the abovementioned two premises on which political democracy functions. “How
many have to relinquish their constitutional rights in order to gain their living? How many
have to subject themselves to be governed by private individuals?9”

It wrongly assumed that state intervention in private affairs (economic and social life) ought to
be minimal to ensure that the fruits of individual liberty are available to the society. This
thinking reminds one of John Maynard Keynes’ economic thought. Post the Great Depression
(1929), Keynes denounced the classical school of thought which believed that state intervention
in the economic sphere should be minimal. Keynes felt that the classical school of thought was
topsy-turvy and he set it straight. Keynes was for state intervention in critical economic aspects
of life. Coming back to Dr. Ambedkar’s proposition that the state refrains from intervention to
protect individual liberty. But he raises a serious question: To whom and for who is this
liberty? Which members of the society benefit from minimal state intervention in the
economic sphere? “Obviously, this liberty is liberty to the landlords to increase rents, for
capitalists to increase the hours of work and reduce the rate of wages. In other words, what is
called liberty from the control of the state is another name for the dictatorship of the private
employer.”

According to him, minimal state intervention in the economic sphere allows private employers to
make the rules of the game thereby employing workers on terms and conditions which are
exploitative in nature. This ensures mass production of goods at fixed intervals and smooth
functioning of the industry but at the cost of the workers’ plight.

9
Shabbir, M. B.R. Ambedkar (Study in Law & Society), Rawat Publications (New Delhi), Published: 1997, pg 25 – 41.

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Dr. Ambedkar on State Socialism :

Dr. Ambedkar was aware of the fact that individual liberty was closely linked to the shape and
structure of economic aspect of social life. According to him, this link becomes real or operative
only when state socialism is established. However, he faced a dilemma on the subject of how
to establish state socialism. If state socialism is activated through political democracy, the
majority in the legislature might suspend or abrogate it. If state socialism is entrenched through a
dictatorship there is a full and definite possibility of curtailment of individual liberty. On one
hand the rule of majority bothered him whereas on the other the rule of one individual scared
him. To solve this dilemma, Dr. Ambedkar advocated a system of parliamentary democracy
based on state socialism i.e. state socialism would be supported by constitutional law which
would be unalterable.

(i) In this way, he wished to achieve three objectives:

(a) Establishment of socialism. (b) Retention of parliamentary democracy.
(c) Avoidance of dictatorship.

(ii) Plan for Introducing State Socialism

1) State ownership and state management of key industries in critical sectors of the economy.
2) State ownership of basic industries. Management of such industries can be carried out by the
state or by corporations set up by the state.
3) State monopoly in the Insurance sector. Dr. Ambedkar promoted active role of state in the
insurance sector. According to him, the state should force every individual in the country to take
out a life insurance policy in his/ her name. Such a policy would not be uniform for all. It would
depend upon the of the policy buyer i.e. an insurance policy relative to the income of the policy
buyer. Thus, he demanded nationalization of insurance sector.
5) Role of state in agriculture: Dr. Ambedkar promoted state ownership in agriculture. He
vouched for collective method of cultivation. State would acquire land for agriculture. Land
acquired would be later divided into standard farms. These standard farms would be let out by
state to residents of a village (tenants) who would then cultivate the farm on a collective basis.
a) The state shall form rules regarding cultivation of farms. It may even regulate the method of
cultivation.
b) The produce belonged to all the tenants who worked on a particular farm. After deducting
basic charges, these tenants could share the produce among themselves.
c) The standard farms would be let out to tenants for cultivation without any discrimination on
the basis of caste or creed.
d) Cultivation of farms would be such that there would be no landlord, no tenant or no landless
labourer. 16
f) State revenue through agriculture: The state might levy charges on the produce of the farm.
It can charge the farmer for the capital goods supplied. It can charge the farmer a portion of the

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produce to recover the rent of letting out the land, thereby securing land revenue. It can charge
the farmer for payment to debenture holder.
g) Lastly, the state can impose penalties on those who violate the agricultural contract. It can
even impose fines on those who fail to make efficient use of resources provided by the state or
on those who operate against the practise of collective farming.
6) Lastly, this scheme of state socialism would operate only for a period of ten years starting
from the very day when the Constitution would come into force.
It must be borne in mind that Dr. B.R. Ambedkar had no orientation for lucrative ideologies. His
only concern was welfare and progress of the downtrodden masses. His vague assertion of
democratic values and outright denunciation of dictatorship ensured that he was in the bad books
of certain Communists who supported world revolution.

(iii) In reality, Dr. Ambedkar’s programme of socialism was never adopted. Initially, Dr.
Ambedkar wished to include his programme of socialism in the Fundamental Rights chapter
(Part III of the Indian Constitution). However, Sardar Patel and J.B. Kripalani (who were in-
charge of preparing the chapter on Fundamental Rights) rejected Amdekar’s idea of state
socialism. Later he approached Rajendra Prasad and Jawaharlal Nehru to include his plan for
state socialism in the Fundamental Rights section of the constitution. However, both of them
turned down Ambedkar’s request. Moreover, he was upset with Nehru’s Objectives Resolution
which he considered to be a departure from the idea of state socialism. He felt that the Resolution
which failed to advocate nationalization of land might not ensure social, political and economic
justice.

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Social Justice
What is social justice? It is crucial to comprehend this concept before moving ahead. The term
“social” widely means societal i.e. relating to human society and its members. It means
something related to the structure and organization of society. It also includes economic and
political arrangements in a society. It is equally imperative to understand the term “justice” so as
to satisfactorily understand social justice. Plato’s conception of justice was duties oriented i.e.
each individual should perform his/ her duty in a society whereas Aristotle’s conception of
justice was rights oriented. Aristotle propounded the concept of distributive justice. He added
“injustice arises when equals are treated unequally and unequals are treated equally.” Over time
the concept of justice has evolved. In modern times, Robert Nozick, John Rawls and David
Miller have added their perspective to the concept of justice.

Broadly speaking, social justice relates to the balance between an individual’s rights and social
control ensuring the fulfilment of the legitimate expectations of the individual under the existing
laws and to ensure him benefits and protection against any encroachment on his rights. Social
justice strives to strike a balance between individual rights and the rights of a society as a
whole. It basically implies provision of equal opportunities to all without any sort of
discrimination amongst them. It aims to secure the interest of the larger section of society rather
than the interests of few handful individuals.

Thus, social justice tries to secure the physical, mental and spiritual well being of all members of
society and a fair distribution of rights. There is no consensus to what degree the state can
intervene and curtail individual liberty for greater social good. However, it is clear that
social justice is a dynamic term which complements and provides sustenance to “rule of law”
and aims at eliminating social or economic inequalities plaguing the social structure. Its ideal
end is establishment of a just society.

Dr. Ambedkar and Social Justice:

India, a democratic state adopted a mixed economy post-independence. It wished to walk the
path of a welfare state. Dr. Ambedkar, fondly known as the “the champion of social justice”, was
the pioneer of social justice in India. He added fresh perspective to the concept of social justice
and set out to codify his idea of social justice by playing a crucial role in drafting the constitution
of India.
For Dr. Ambedkar social justice was incidental to the ideals of liberty, equality and
fraternity. For him social justice was similar to mutual respect, equal dignity, human equality,
equal and just distribution of public goods, mutual sympathy and a fair and just society without
any form of discrimination. As mentioned earlier, for Dr. Ambedkar political democracy was to
be based on social democracy.

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Equality, as an ideal, was dear to Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. As a child, Dr. Ambedkar (a Dalit by
birth) was a victim of social injustice – he was denied equal treatment in school. As he grew up,
in all walks of life he had to face discrimination on the basis of caste. Thus, it became his life
mission to ensure that his Dalit brothers and sisters as well as other backward and downtrodden
classes were treated equally in the society without any discrimination. “On the social plane, we
have in India a society based on the principle of graded inequality which means elevation for
some and degradation for others. How long shall we continue to live this life of contradictions?
How long shall we continue to deny equality in our social and political life? If we continue to
deny it for long, we will do so only by putting our political democracy in peril. We must remove
this contradiction at the earliest possible moment or else those who suffer from inequality will
blow the structure of political democracy...10”
Dr. Ambedkar’s method of seeking social justice underwent a striking transformation
during the course of his life. Initially he relied on active means of resistance such as forceful
entry into the temples, forceful use of public amenities etc. However, he realized that the
tentacles of the diabolic caste system had penetrated deep enough into the Hindu social order and
sporadic acts of resistance weren’t enough to even shake the rigid caste system. Hereon, he
concentrated on law as a tool of social transformation. He concentrated on securing
constitutional rights and guarantees for his community members. He concentrated on socio-
economic reform of his community. Thus, he wanted processes and institutions in place that
would keep on attacking the caste system unless it was demolished.

(i) Pursuit of Social Justice through Constitutionalism: Dr. Ambedkar was keen to put the
ideals of liberty, equality and fraternity in motion. He tried to entrench the concept of social
justice in India through constitutionalism. Dr. Ambedkar’s contribution to social justice is
evident in the philosophy, policy and ideals of the constitution.

1) Preamble to the Indian Constitution imagines a social order in which – justice (social,
economic and political), liberty (of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship), equality (of
status and opportunity) and fraternity (assuring dignity of the individual and unity and integrity
of the nation) – are the prime goals. According to Basu, “Social justice is the comprehensive
form to remove social imbalance by law harmonising the rival claims or the interests of the
different groups and sections in the social structure or individuals by means of which alone it
would be possible to build up a welfare state (Basu 2013).34” The preamble explicitly conveys
the philosophy of the constitution and the intention of the founding fathers of which Dr.
Ambedkar was the chief architect.

2) Fundamental Rights (Part III of the Indian Constitution): Social justice (by the virtue of
various articles in Part III) was identified as a fundamental right by the constitution.
Fundamental rights provide for an environment, conducive enough, to ensure social

10 Basu, D.D. Introduction to the Constitution of India, LexisNexis (Noida), 21st Edition (2013), pg 25.

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 reconstruction of society and to eliminate prevailing man-made inequalities of any form. Thus,
Part III of the constitution calls for a just and egalitarian social order.
i. Article 14 of the Indian constitution provides for “equality before law” and “equal protection
before law.” 19
ii. Dr. Ambedkar ensured that the constitution guaranteed “equality of opportunity” as a
Fundamental Right. Article 16 guarantees this fundamental right. But he did realize that
equality of opportunity would also mean undue benefit to those who were already at a
superior position on the social ladder. This compelled Dr. Ambedkar to introduce “equality
of condition” in the constitution. Equality of condition basically meant the scheme of
reservation for the weaker sections of society particularly the scheduled castes.
iii. Article 17 abolishes untouchability whereas Article 23 abolishes forced labour. These
articles were incorporated in the constitution to uplift the depressed classes (particularly the
untouchables) and to achieve the ideal of one man one value.
iv. Article 32 (consisting constitutional remedies) was identified by him as the cornerstone of
the entire constitution. To quote Dr. Ambedkar “If I was asked to name any particular article
of the constitution as the most important – an article without which this constitution would be
a nullity – I would not refer to any other article except this one. It is the very soul of the
constitution and the very heart of it (Basu 2013)35”

3) Directive Principles of State Policy (D.P.S.P) (Part IV of the Indian Constitution):

provide an ideal framework to the state to mould its policies in a particular manner. However,
these principles are non-justiciable in the court of law. The state is expected to follow these
principles in spirit. It may or may not implement them. Nevertheless, they are fundamental in the
governance of the country. Dr. Ambedkar called D.P.S.P as “Instrument of Instructions” to the
legislative bodies and the executive. He felt that D.P.S.P should not be merely treated as “pious
declarations.” Dr. Ambedkar hoped that in future these principles would be made the foundation
of all legislative and executive action. Dr. Ambedkar declared – “Every Government... shall...
even under hard and unpropitious circumstances, always strive in the fulfilment of these
directives.36”
i. Article 38 directs the state to further welfare of people by securing such a social order in
which social justice along with political and economic justice “shall inform all the
institutions of national life.37” This article is considered to be the main ingredient of the Part
IV of the constitution.
ii. Article 46 directs the state to look after (with special care) and further the educational and
economic interests of the weaker sections of society (particularly scheduled castes and
scheduled tribes).
Moreover, it directs the state to protect these weaker sections from all kinds of social
discrimination. Thus, through the Preamble, Part III and Part IV of the constitution Dr.
Ambedkar wished to establish an equal society where caste-based inequalities would be history
and human values of justice (securing human dignity) the only governing fundamental. 20

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 4) Special Safeguards for Scheduled Castes
i. Article 330, 332 and 334 provide for reservation of seats in legislative bodies, educational
institutions and Government jobs. This scheme of reservation or “positive discrimination” is
meant for Scheduled castes and Scheduled tribes. Its sole objective is social, political and
economic upliftment of these weaker sections that have faced centuries of social degradation
and discrimination. However, this scheme of reservation is a temporary provision.
ii. Article 338 provides for a National Commission for Scheduled Castes which shall
investigate matters related to special provisions (under the Indian constitution) for SCs. It is
duty bound to report its investigations to the President of India.

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Conclusion:

Often, Dr. Ambedkar is portrayed as a Dalit leader who fought for his community with
unmatched alacrity. Of course he did. He gave a section of population in India a worthwhile
identity. In doing so he fought for humanity. But in typifying his role as a Dalit leader we often
ignore the great person that he was. Despite facing social injustice and discrimination multiple
times in his life he never advocated a bloody revolution for overthrowing the prevailing social
system. He believed in democracy and constitutional means to achieve his end. His clout on the
social milieu during his times was such that thousands of supporters would have stood by his
course of action. But he chose his course of action wisely. We should be grateful to Dr.
Ambedkar for this.

Popular literature on Dr. Ambedkar is selective. We just know about the role played by him
in drafting the constitution or empowering the downtrodden masses. Nowhere do we find equal
mention in the role played by Dr. Ambedkar in setting up the Reserve Bank of India (R.B.I.). He
formulated the guidelines and conceptualized the code that would make the functioning of R.B.I
possible. Dr. Ambedkar was involved in formulating India’s Water Policy as well as planning a
“Grid System” for electrifying the nation. Moreover, Dr. Ambedkar played a prominent role in
projects of national importance such as the Damodar Valley and the Hirakund River Valley
project.

Sanjay Hegde, a Supreme Court judge, beautifully captures the position of Dr. Ambedkar in
history of modern India, “His status in the national pantheon, where he occupies a corner all
by himself, and slightly apart from the nationalist heroes of independence, is somewhat like
his status in school. He may not have been a hero of the war of Indian independence, but he is
the hero who built an independent India. It is time that we cease to keep him ‘slightly apart’.

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References:

1. Shabbir, M. B.R. Ambedkar (Study in Law & Society), Rawat Publications (New Delhi),
Published: 1997, pg 15.
2. Ambedkar and his Egalitarian Revolution – Struggle for Human Rights. Events starting from
March 1927 to 17 November 1956 in the chronological order; Ambedkar and his Egalitarian
Revolution – Socio-political and religious activities. Events starting from November 1929 to
8 May 1956 in the chronological order; Ambedkar and his Egalitarian Revolution –
Speeches.
3. The Buddha and His Dhamma by Br Ambedkar , 1957
4. http://www.infed.org/biblio/b-dem.htm
5. Keer, D. Dr. Ambedkar: Life and Mission, Popular Prakashan (Mumbai), 2nd Edition (1962),
pg 13.
6. Misra, R. An Introduction to Political Thought, Pearson (Delhi), Published: 2012, pg 182
7. Ibid, pg 182.
8. http://www.livemint.com/Opinion/rMImvbuYNDk4RvWGfcMtQO/Ambedkar-rupee-and-
our-current-troubles.html
9. http://www.legalservicesindia.com/article/article/dr-b-r-ambedkar-the-father-of-indian-
constitution-1609-1.html
10. Misra, R. An Introduction to Political Thought, Pearson (Delhi), Published: 2012, pg 186.
11. Lokhande, G.S. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, Sterling Publication Pvt Ltd. (Delhi), Published:
1977, pg 23.
12. Lokhande, G.S. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, Sterling Publication Pvt Ltd. (Delhi), Published:
1977, pg 5
13. http://www.youthforequality.com/our-agenda/default.aspx
14. Lokhande, G.S. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, Sterling Publication Pvt Ltd. (Delhi), Published:
1977, pg 24 – 28.
15. http://www.dailyo.in/politics/rajdeep-sardesai-dr-br-ambedkar-constitution-of-india-dalits-
up-farmers-nehru-gandhi/story/1/3144.html 26

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