In a Historic First, UN Observes Two-Day Ambedkar Jayanti: Is Heroizing Babasaheb Enough?

New Delhi: The United Nations (UN) dedicated two full days, for the first time in its history, to celebrate the 133rd birth anniversary of Dr B R Ambedkar with global leaders on April 18 and April 23 at its headquarters in New York.

Surprisingly, India’s ambassador to the United States was absent at the event. The reason cited behind his absence was the ongoing general elections in India. However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Deelip Mhaske, the organizer of the event.

According to a press statement, leaders and representatives from 195 countries took part in the event, which was organized by the Foundation for Human Horizon.

The participants held discussions on two themes — empowering indigenous youth leading the charge for resilient mountain agriculture and youth-led solutions for sustainable development goals (SDGs).

Based on the discussions, two policy papers were prepared to be presented at the United Nations General Assembly in September.

According to Harish S. Wankhede, assistant professor at the Centre for Political Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, School of Social Sciences, Dr Ambedkar has been proudly commemorated this year in the country and abroad as a hero and an advocate of lofty ideals.

The right-wing groups in the country, according to him, have also attempted to appropriate Babasaheb as a Hindu social reformer and accepted him as an essential component of Hindu cultural diversity.

He says the Left-liberal scholarly works on the other hand portray Ambedkar as a nationalist leader and seek to place his significant influence within the context of grand philosophy or intellectual heritage.

There is a widespread desire, Wankhede says, to propose that Dr Ambedkar be elevated to the status of a great thinker or included in the field of universal philosophy in order to free him from the restrictive ‘Dalit ghetto’.

Ambedkar, says the academician, was more than just a powerful voice in the politics of social justice or a Dalit leader. He was undoubtedly above such classifications as his critical engagement with Marxist-Socialist principles is vital and he has shown admirable leadership on important working-class issues.

He provided the labor classes with several privileges as a labor minister in the Viceroy’s Council in response to their demands for maternity leave, equal pay, and eight-hour workdays.

Furthermore, his services are highly regarded in boosting the women’s liberation battles in India. Least to mention, Ambedkar, a constitutionalist, used his extraordinary charm and political acumen to usher in India as a contemporary democratic republic. His visions are essential to comprehend important political ideas like citizenship, liberty, equality, and justice since he is an organic intellectual.

There is little chance of dispute with the offered proposition because it is appealing. However, there is also a subtle anxiety — which is unavoidable. The discourse around Ambedkar’s status as a political philosopher or national hero frequently veers away from the key social and political causes he championed throughout his lifetime. His political and intellectual image has been shaped by his battle to free the Dalits from the clutches of untouchability and his opposition to the repressive Brahmanical caste system.

He was deeply committed to rectifying the harsh realities of caste society and transforming it into a better human world, surpassing even the concerns of normative philosophy, nation-building, and constitutionalism.

Therefore, according to the professor, celebrating Ambedkar as an abstract national hero, ignoring the central issues of caste and untouchability, will be disrespectful to him and his works.