AMBEDKAR: ARCHITECT OF MODERN INDIA
- Bhagwan Das
(Mr. Bhagwan Das is by profession
an Advocate practising in the Supreme Court of India. He is President, World
Conference on Religion and Peace (India) and Moderator President, Dalit
Solidarity Programme. He is associated with many Human Rights and Buddhist
organisations. His contribution towards Ambedkarian Movement is appreciated
throughout the world.)
India is a land of paradoxes. It
has produced many great men and modern men also contributed in many ways
towards civilisation beside the development of science, mathematics, philosophy
and ethics. Yet it cannot be denied that it has, also created and propagated
the abominable system of caste and untouchability. Caste is an integral part of
Hinduism which has sustained this religion and ruined India. Caste has
influenced other religions and cultures also. Untouchability, a practice
peculiar to India, is the natural product of caste system. Unfortunately,
untouchability has the sanction of Hindu religion. Owing to the harmful effect
of this social system, many people in different parts of India rose and worked
to destroy it but miserably failed. Pundit Jawahar Lal Nehru, who once raised
the slogan of forming a classless and casteless India, had better understanding
of caste system and its effects than Mahatma Gandhi who considered it as divine
order having the sanction of Hinduism. In the words of Nehru:
" It is curious and
significant that throughout the long span of Indian history there have been
repeated warnings given by great men against priestcraft and the rigidity of
the caste system, and powerful movements have risen against them; yet slowly,
imperceptibly, almost, it seems, as if it were the inevitable course of
destiny, caste has grown and spread and seized every aspect of Indian life in
its strangling grip. Rebels against caste have drawn many followers, and yet in
course of time their group has itself become a caste. Jainism, a rebel against
the parent religion in many ways utterly different from it, was yet tolerant to
caste and adapted itself to it; and so it survives and continues in India,
almost as an offshoot of Hinduism. Buddhism, not adopting itself to caste, and
more independent in its thought and outlook, ultimately passes away from India
though it influences India and Hinduism profoundly. Christianity comes here
eighteen hundred years ago and settles down and gradually develops its own castes.
The Moslem social structure in India, in spite of its vigorous denunciation of
all such barriers within the community, is also partly affected."
(Nehru J.L. Discovery of India:
P.91)
Because of
"Untouchability" having divine sanction and approval of the society
millions of people were subjected to humiliations and oppression, subjugation
and denial of basic human rights. Education was denied to them. In many parts
of India, they were not even allowed to eat wholesome food or wear decent
clothes; live in decent houses or have the liberty to choose any occupation of
one's liking. Men of the dominating groups could and often did, sexually abuse'
the women without any qualms of conscience and also appropriate their property.
An Untouchable with money could be dangerous. They were not allowed to bear
arms nor could they unite and rebel against their oppressors for it was deeply
inculcated in their minds that they were born in the lower castes and despised
castes as punishment for the sins committed against upper caste people in the
previous births. If they perform their duties diligently and earnestly, they
could aspire to be born in higher caste in next birth.
Mahatma Gandhi who is often erroneously given
credit for abolition of untouchability by the Hindu scholars and some of their
American friends, supported these views and considered the Varnashrama Dharma
and caste an ideal system.
"The
law of Varna is nothing but the law of conservation of energy. Why should my
son not be a scavenger, if I am one?
…………………….
What I mean
is, one born a scavenger must earn his livelihood by being a scavenger, and
then do whatever else he likes. For a scavenger is as worthy of hire as a
lawyer or your President. That according to me is Hinduism. "
(The
Harijan March 6, 1937)
Mahatma
Gandhi was against the Untouchables giving up their traditional occupations
like scavenging, latrine cleaning, tanning, flaying etc.,
" I do
not advise the "Untouchables" to give up their trades end
professions."(The Harijan My Soul’s agony (1039 p.42)
Owing to
horizontal and vertical divisions, deprivation and destitution the people
condemned to live as 'untouchables, ’unseeable ‘and 'unapproachable' outside
the villages near garbage heaps, or cremation grounds in the company of pigs,
dogs, donkeys and scavenger birds, they could not think of any change. They had
lost all hope. Yet in spite of these restrictions imposed by the dominating
groups who had a vested interest in perpetuating this system, Untouchables in
all parts of India have thrown up many outstanding thinkers, warriors, saints,
poets, philosophers, artists and engineers even before the advent of British
Raj. Nobody is certain about Valmiki the legendary author of the Ramayana Yog
Vashist, whether he was a Brahmin or Shudra but Thiruvulavar, Nandnar, Ravidas,
Kabir, Supach, Sunita, Khusroshah were certainly born in untouchable families.
Bhimrao Ambedkar was the most outstanding among all the great men and women of
Untouchable origin born in the 19th century.
Among all
the political leaders of his time Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was the most highly educated
man in all respects and possessed degrees awarded by prestigious universities
of India, United States of America, Great Britain and Germany. In spite of his
ability, character and high academic qualifications he was humiliated and
insulted by his subordinates and lowly menials in Baroda Durbar where he was
employed as Military Advisor to His Highness the Gaekwad of Baroda. Dr.
Ambedkar decided to resign and to study law to enter the legal profession.
After obtaining the law degree he returned to India and set up his practice in
the High Court of Bombay. Later on, he was appointed as Principal Law College,
Bombay. Like Moses of Israel, Babasaheb
Ambedkar struggled to awaken his own people, namely the Untouchables, impressed
on their minds the necessity of organising themselves, made them conscious of
their power and exhorted them to assert their right to live with dignity. He
gave the slogan "Educate, Agitate and Organise. He did not develop new theories of education like
Mahatma Gandhi, C. Rajagopalachari, Rabinder Nath Tagore, Dr. Zakir Hussain and
other less known people, nor did he waste time in abusing and criticising
Macaulay who introduced English education and which according to Indian
patriots produced only ‘Babus’. Dr. Ambedkar tried to make use of the existing
education system and motivated his people to send their sons and daughters to
schools and colleges. His programme for promoting education was not restricted
only to the deprived sections of society who were denied education by Hindu
religion but he took steps to provide facilities to all those who wanted to go
in for higher education. He founded People's Education Society in Bombay and
set up a college in Bombay where all irrespective of religion or caste could
join and improve their educational status. Keeping in view the needs of the
common people the College held classes in the morning as well as in the evening
so that poor man's son, if he wanted to work to earn his livelihood could work
during the day and attend college in the morning and evening, Thousands of
young men and women benefited from this experiment launched by Babasaheb
Ambedkar. Babasaheb Ambedkar did not want to commit the mistake which the
Afro-Americans had committed immediately after the abolition of slavery. If the
educated people do not find opportunities for employment and they gradually
lose incentive for education. Babasaheb Ambedkar also, struggled to provide
opportunities for employment to secure a reserve quota for the Scheduled Castes
people in administration like the Muslims and other minorities.
He knew British had no permanent friends and
no permanent enemies. They had only permanent interests. Untouchables were
doubly discriminated people and could not support the movements launched by the
upper caste people for power.
Like the great Maharashtrian leader Justice
Mahadev Govind Ranade, Babasaheb Ambedkar was in favour of using the British
rule as a "Dry Dock" as a shelter for the period of her refitting.
Ranade a great scholar and patriot had observed:
"Both
Hindus and Mohammedans lack many of those virtues represented by the love of
order and regulated authority. Both are wanting in the love of municipal
freedom, in the exercise of virtues necessary for civic life and inaptitude for
mechanical skill, in the love of science and research in the love of and daring
of adventurous discovery, the resolution to master difficulties and in
chivalrous respect for womankind. Neither the old Hindus nor the old
Mohammedans civilization was in a condition to train these virtues in a way to
bring up the races of India on a level with those of Western Europe and so the
work of education had to be renewed and it has now been going on for the past
century and more under the PAX BRITTANICA with results - which all of us are
witnesses to in ourselves." (Ranade, Gandhi and Jinnah) 233 W.S. Vol.1
There were
many people in India who held similar views in regard to the British rule but
there were many who held different views and wanted immediate transfer of
power. Anybody who had the courage to stand and oppose these views was
immediately branded as a stooge of the British,
Babasaheb
Ambedkar contributed towards nation building and reconstruction of society in
many ways. He loved his country and her people and worked earnestly and
devotedly for their liberation, progress and advancement.
After the
end of the Second World War British had decided to gradually transfer power to
Indian people. Indian civil service was now mostly manned by Indians because
the British were finding it difficult to find recruits in the British society.
Nobody wanted to live in exile for long periods and the opportunities for
employment in Britain, Canada and United States attracted the people.
British
Government had invited Dr. Ambedkar and Rao Bahadur R Srinivasan as
representatives of the Depressed Classes to participate in the Round Table
Conferences held in London in 19 30 and 1932 to discuss the new Constitution of
India. Dr. Ambedkar spoke not only as a
representative' of the Untouchables of India but also -as a responsible Indian
leader interested in the freedom of his motherland. Without mincing worlds, he
told the British Government that British cannot take Indians for granted in the
matter of constitution. He said,
" I am
afraid it is not sufficiently realised that in the present temper of the
country, no Constitution will be workable which is not acceptable to the
majority of the people.
Speaking as a leader of the Untouchables,
having knowledge, wisdom and courage Ambedkar expressed his disappointment and
anguish in the following words:
" We
have judged of the existing situation solely in the light of our own
circumstances end we have found it wanting in some of the most essential
elements of a good Government. When we compare our present position with the
one which it was our lot to bear in Indian society of the pre-British days, we
find that instead of marching on, we are only marking time. Before the British
we were in the loathsome condition due to our untouchability. Has the British
Government done anything to remove it?
We do not
accuse the British of indifference or want of sympathy., we do now find is that
they are quite incompetent to tackle our problem. The Depressed Classes find
that the British Government in India suffers from two serious limitations There
is, first of all, an internal limitation which arises from the character,
motives end interests of those who are in power, which prevents them from
appreciating the living forces operating in our society, makes them indifferent
and inimical to its aspirations and apathetic to our education. It is not
because they cannot help us in these things but because it is against their character,
motives and interests to do so.
We must
have a government in which men in power, knowing where obedience will end and
resistance will begin, will not be afraid to amend the social and economic code
of life which the dictates of justice and expediency so urgently call for. This
role, the British Government will never be able to play. It is only a
government which is of the people, for the people and by the people that will
make this possible."
(Round
Table Conference London 12.11.1930 to 19.1.1931 Proceedings. Pages.123 -129.)
Beside
championing the cause of the Dalits and promoting education he is remembered
for other services rendered by him towards-the deprived, disadvantaged and
discriminated against people.
1. He
founded Independent Labour Party in 1936 and contested elections under its
banner. This Organisation championed the cause of the labour and made proposals
for their advancement.
He desired
labour not to remain content with having better wages and living and working.
Condition but to demand share in power also.
2. He tried to promote birth control with a
view to persuading people, especially the women to have smaller families. A
bill to this effect was moved in the Bombay Legislative Assembly in 194O.
3. He
organised the Scheduled Castes Federation in 1942 and for the first time in
Dalit history, women belonging to the Scheduled Castes also held an all-India
Conference. He wanted women to fight for liberty and equal rights and also to
promote prohibition. "Do not serve food to your husbands if they come home
drunks,”was his advice.
4. Under the Communal Award as amended under the
coercive fast of Mahatma Gandhi Hindus had promised to give share in
administration out of their own quota to the Dalits. r This promise was however
never fulfilled. While serving as a member of the Viceroy’s Executive Council,
Babasaheb Ambedkar submitted a memorandum to the Secretary of State through the
Viceroy and for the first time the Scheduled Castes were granted reservation in
public services like the Muslims and other religious minorities.
5. Along with the Conference of the Scheduled
Castes a conference of Samata Sainik Dal was also held in 1942 at Nagpur. This
organisation was founded some time in 1926 by Babasaheb Ambedkar to provide
security in the Conferences which were often disturbed by the followers of
Mahatma Gandhi and other Hindu organisations. The purpose was to organise the
youth and inculcate discipline and impart training in management of
conferences, security of Leaders and self-protection.
Babasaheb’s
service as the principal architect of the Constitution of Independent India is
widely recognised and appreciated even by his opponents. His role in the matter
of codification of Hindu law and equal rights to women by removing the conflict
between the Constitution Art.14 which guarantees equality and Art.25 which
guarantees religious freedom will be remembered for long. In view of the
elections scheduled to take place in 1952, the great supporters of Hindu Code
Bill changed their mind and withdrew their support. Babasaheb Ambedkar resigned
in protest.
But the most constructive role which he played
in laying dawn the foundation of modernisation and industrialisation of India
has been purposely blacked out by the historians and scholars.
Babasaheb
Ambedkar was inducted into the Viceroy's Executive Council in 1942 and was
given the charge of the Department of Labour. Labour had under it the Labour. Labour legislation, Coal mines, Printing and
Stationery Department, and Public Works Department.
Babasaheb
Ambedkar had lived in Chawls and was conversant with the problems of the
working classes. A large number of Untouchables, Mahars, Mengs, Mehtars had
migrated to the city of Bombay and found employment under the fast-growing
industries, Municipal Corporations, railways, tramways and dock yards.
Many labour organisations worked under his
guidance and were affiliated to the Independent Labour Party which he founded
in 1936 and contested election under its banner. Babasaheb Ambedkar had
organised the sanitary workers in Bombay and also had plans to organise the
sanitary workers of India. During his tenure as Labour Member, he deputed Mr. R.R.
Bhole (later Judge in Bombay High Court and Member Rajya Sabha) and Mr. P.T. Borale
(retired as Principal, Law College, Bombay) to tour India and collect
information about the living and working conditions of sweepers and other
sanitary workers.
Babasaheb
Ambedkar introduced legislation for the benefit of the working classes -
amendment of Indian Trade Union Act, Industrial Disputes Act, Compensation
etc., Some laws were initiated by him but were put on the statute book after
his resignation, by his successors.
Despite protest by the British officers, he
prohibited the employment of women in the lower seams of coa1 mines. His advice
to the labour was, “You should I not remain content only with better living and
working conditions or higher wages. You should strive to have share in power.”
Babasaheb
Ambedkar presented the view point of the Dalits which quite naturally differed
from that of the dominating groups or classes.
Babasaheb's
services as the principal architect of the Constitution of Independent India
are widely recognised and appreciated even by his opponents.
Democracy
is not the best system of Government. The only good point is that people can
change the government in a democracy.
There are two forms of Government under democracy namely Presidential
form and the Parliamentary form. Dr. Ambedkar explaining the difference and his
preference stated in the constituent Assembly:
"Both
systems of Government are of course democratic and the choice between the two
is not very easy. A democratic executive must satisfy two conditions:
(1) It must be a stable Executive and
(2)
It must be responsible Executive.
Unfortunately, it has not been possible so far
to devise a system which can ensure both in equal degree. You can have a system
which can give you more stability but less responsibility or you can have a
system which can give you more responsibility but less stability.
In
England where the parliamentary system prevails, the assessment of
responsibility of the Executive is both daily and periodic. The daily
assessment is done by members of Parliament through questions, resolutions, 'no
confidence motions', adjournment motions and debates on 'addresses'. Periodic
assessment is done by the electorate at the time of the election which may take
place every five years or earlier. The daily assessment of responsibility which
is not available under the American system is, it is felt, far more effective
than the periodic assessment and far more necessary in a country like India.
The draft constitution in recommending the parliamentary system of Executive
has preferences more responsibility to more stability.
(Thus
Spoke Ambedkar Vol I p. 144-145.)
Legislature can enact the laws.
Courts, if approached can and do interpret the laws and if found contrary to
the spirit of the Constitution, can declare them ultra vires.
But laws have to be administered by
the Administration. Much depends on the composition and the character of the
person or persons entrusted with this work of enforcing laws or administering
laws. Babasaheb Ambedkar, had wide experience both as a Dalit leader, scholar
and as a legislator. Justifying the incorporation of certain provisions in the
Constitution in regard to administration, Babasaheb Ambedkar said,
"While everybody recognises
the necessity of the diffusion of constitutional morality for the peaceful
working of a democratic constitution, there are two things interconnected with
it, which are not unfortunately, generally re-cognized. One is that the form of
administration has a close connection with the form of the Constitution. The
form of the administration must be appropriate to and in the same sense as the
form of the Constitution. The other is that it is perfectly possible to pervert
the Constitution without changing its form by merely changing the form of the
administration and to make it inconsistent and opposed to the spirit of the
Constitution. It follows that it is only where people are saturated, by Grote
the historian, that one can take the risk of omitting from the Constitution,
details of administration and leaving it for the legislature to prescribe them.
The question is, can we presume such a diffusion of constitutional morality?
Constitutional morality is not a natural sentiment. It has to be cultivated. We
must realize that our people have yet to learn it. Democracy in India is only a
top-dressing on an Indian soil, which is essentially undemocratic.” (Thus Spoke Ambedkar Vol I p. 158)
India has a large number of
religious ethnics, linguistic, regional, and artificially created minorities
like the Scheduled Castes and other discriminated and disadvantaged groups.
Some safeguards have been provided to protect the interests of the minorities.
Speaking about the safeguards Babasaheb Ambedkar said,
"Speaking
for myself I have no doubt that the Constituent Assembly has done wisely in
providing such safeguards for minorities as it has done. In this country, both
minorities and the majorities have followed a wrong path. It is wrong for the
majority to deny the existence of minorities. It is equally wrong for the
minorities to perpetuate themselves. A solution must be found which will serve
the double purpose. It must recognise the existence of the minorities to start
with. It must also be such that it will enable majorities and minorities to
merge someday into one.
They (minorities) have loyally
accepted the rule of the majority which is basically a communal majority and
not a political majority. It is for the majority to realise its duty not to
discriminate against minorities. Whether the minorities will continue or vanish
must depend upon this habit of the majority. The moment majority loses the
habit of discriminating against the minority, the minorities can have no ground
to exist. They will vanish." (Thus
Spoke Ambedkar Vol I p. 160-161)
Constitution was drafted, discussed
and adopted by the Constituent Assembly which had the best brains of
India. People who had knowledge, who
loved India and who wanted to make it a good, strong democratic country. Yet no
Constitution can be perfect for all times to come and to deal with kinds of
developments and situations, Babasaheb was aware of this fact and in his
concluding speech delivered in the Constituent Assembly on the eve of first
reading of the draft Constitution in 1948. Dr. Ambedkar said,
"No
Constitution is perfect and the drafting committee itself is suggesting certain
amendments to improve the Draft Constitution. But the debates in the provincial
assemblies give me courage to say that the Constitution as settled by the
Drafting Committee is good enough to make in this a country a start with.
I feel it
is workable, it is flexible and it is strong enough to hold the country
together both in peace-time and in war time. Indeed, if I may say so, if things
go wrong under the new Constitution, the reason will not be that we had a bad
constitution. What we will have to say is that MAN was vile."(Thus Spoke
Ambedkar Vol I p. 172)
WOMEN
Women have been given equal rights
under the constitution. Constitution grants them rights for which women in
European countries had to launch struggles even in the middle of twentieth
century. Yet there was a contradiction arising from a conflict between the
provisions made under Article 14 and Article 25 of the Constitution. Article 13
dealt with the laws inconsistent with or in
derogation of the fundamental
rights. A provision was made in the constitution to have a uniform civil code.
Art.44: The State shall endeavour to secure for the
citizens a uniform civil code throughout the territory of India.
Hindus were governed by many
different laws in different parts of India.
If Constitution guaranteed equality in all spheres of life, religion
denied equal rights to women. Codification of Hindu law had been discussed for
a long time starting during the early decades of the century. After completing
the work of drafting the Constitution of India Dr. Ambedkar set about finishing
codification of Hindu law. It was a
difficult task, more so, because of the loud and vociferous opposition from
orthodox Hindus who had a vested interest in maintaining the status quo.
Babasaheb Ambedkar dug up the Hindu Code
Bill, revised it and keeping in view the provisions made in the Constitution
made amendments so as to give Hindu women rights in the matter of marriage,
divorce, succession, adoption, etc., The revised draft bill was printed on
17.7.1948 and circulated for inviting public comments. Dr. Ambedkar moved the
Bill to amend and codify certain branches of Hindu law as reported by the
Select Committee be taken into consideration
Constituent Assembly Debates VoI. VI, Pt.II Pp.675).
Dr. Ambedkar declined to make any speech at
this stage in view of the pressure of urgent work. Further discussion was
adjourned and taken up on 1.4.1949. Babasaheb Ambedkar circulated a booklet to
educate the masses in regard to the provisions of the Code and also invited the
learned Hindu scholars to participate in a conference held at Delhi. The main
objections of the orthodox Hindu leaders and members of the Constituent
Assembly were:
1. To lay the
axe at the very root of Hindu religion and culture and structure of Hindu
society.
2. Hinduism and Hindu society
will be destroyed if the Bill is passed.
3. Neither Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru, Prime Minister of India nor Dr. B.R.
Ambedkar, Minister of Law have
knowledge of the Hindu Shastras and Hindu Law. One is an agnostic and the other
is anti-Hinduism.
4. Present-government has no mandate to amend
the Hindu personal law.
5. Government should have taken the
cause of cow protection instead of the protection of the Hindu women. Hindu
women have no grievances and there is no demand from Hindu women to amend the
law excepting from some westernised women in Congress.
Babasaheb Ambedkar tried to allay the fears of
the orthodox Hindus. He had studied the subject and had thorough knowledge of
the Hindu law. He tried to explain the reasons for codification:
"It is not just to say that the revision
in the present Bill bore no relation to any of the Shastras and the Hindu
religion. The Hindu Code Bill was neither revolutionary nor radical. The
purpose of the Bill was to fulfill the three indispensable requirements of the
Hindu raw, namely certainty, uniformity and accessibility. A common denominator
must be found on which the Civil Code must be based. And Hindu law being the
law of the majority should be modified first so as to make it uniform in all
aspects.
Dr.
Rajendra Prasad, an Orthodox Hindu and President of the Constituent Assembly
was against the Bill and so was Mr. Anathasaaynam Ayyangar, Speaker of the
Constituent Assembly. Even Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru became lukewarm as the time
passed mainly because of the stiff opposition from the members of Congress and
the ensuing elections scheduled to take place in 1952. In desperation Dr.
Ambedkar resigned, Hindu Code Bill died a natural death. Later on, laws
concerning marriage, adoption, maintenance, divorce etc., were passed in 1955.
WAR, FAMINE, FLOOD AND POVERTY.
Wars unite people and also
stimulate the creative urges to face the enemy. Floods and famine result in
devastation and displacement of persons.
India in 1943 was facing three enemies - Japanese, famine in Bengal and
floods which are a perennial feature.
Bengal was not the only state which was affected by the shortage of
food. Famine conditions were prevailing in Madras, Orissa, Travancore Cochin
and Malabar. These however did not
attract much attention of the Government.
It was the proximity of Bengal to Japanese controlled Burma that
disturbed the British rulers.
Lord Casey, Governor of Bengal
wrote to the Viceroy showing his concern and anxiety about the situation in
Bengal. Urgent action was called for. The matter was referred to the Labour
Department.
Government of India was also
thinking of reconstruction progranme to be launched after the war which
involved rehabilitation of demobilised soldiers, employment, and other problems
affecting the country. Several Reconstruction committees were formed and they
were assigned the job of planning for peace. Dr. Ambedkar had very clear ideas
about the Reconstruction in India as is evident from his speech delivered at
the first Meeting of Reconstruction Policy Committee, on Public Works and
Electric Power held in New Delhi on October 25, 1943.
Another problem which Babasaheb
Ambedkar faced was that Electricity was a state subject under the Government of
India Act, 1935. Beside this there were the princely states who had their own
laws and policies. For any major project their cooperation was necessary.
Government of India did not have any water policy and that was also creating
problems in tackling the problem of floods, construction of dams etc.
Dr. Ambedkar had very clear ideas
of the problems which India was facing.
In the meeting on Reconstruction he said, *Population in India grows
because by decade in geometrical progression.
As against this unlimited growth of population what is available for
cultivation is not merely a limited amount of lard but a limited amount of land
whose fertility is diminishing year by year. India is caught between two sides
of a pincer, the one side of which is progressive increase in population and
the other is a progressive increase in the deterioration of the soil. ..... At
every decade this meager balance between population and production is
increasing in an alarming degree, leaving India with the inheritance of
poverty, more poverty and chronic poverty. A rot has set in. This rot I feel
sure, is not going to be stopped by organising agricultural exhibitions or
animal shows or by propaganda in favour of better manuring. It can stop only
when agriculture is made profitable. Nothing can open possibilities of making agriculture
in India profitable except a serious drive-in favour of industrialisation. For
it is industrialisation alone which can drain away the excess of population
which is exerting such enormous pressure on land into gainful occupations other
than agriculture.
The problem of reconstruction in
India, as I see it is a problem mainly of industrialization of India as
distinguished from the rehabilitation of Indian industry and industrialisation
but in the ultimate sense the removal of chronic poverty. (Indian Information,
Dece15, 1943.)
For industrialisation India needed
electricity. Electricity could be generated either by using water power or
thermal power. In some states Hydro-electric projects were launched.
Dr. Ambedkar was keen not only on
having electricity but cheap electricity to promote industrialisation in India.
Addressing the engineers and officers attending the meeting he posed a a
question," why do you want cheap and abundant electricity in India? The
answer is that without cheap and abundant electricity no effort for the
industrialisation of India can succeed."
Damodar a rain fed river flowing
through Bihar and Bengal had created a national problem. A minor breach which
rapidly developed into a major breach measuring more than 1000 meters had not
only devastated thousands of villages but also jeopardised the security of the
region. Railways ha to take a AvIress4 contour of more than three miles to
reach Calcutta which was the base for supply of equipment and troops to the
Eastern theatre of War.
Orissa a neighbouring state was the
worst victim of floods and poverty and general backwardness. Dr. Ambedkar
visited these states and had consultation with the Engineers and
administrators. He resolved: " I shall convert the rivers of adversity into
the rivers of prosperity". Water was used for irrigation and for that
canal were dug. Punjab had prospered because the Government keeping in view the
needs of the rural population in the Punjab had constructed canals and
converted Punjab into grain-surplus state. Other states could not emulate
Punjab for various reasons. Water was also used for navigation but with the
promotion of Railway by the British owned companies, navigation, a cheap mode
of transportation was neglected. Dr. Ambedkar wanted to devote time and energy
for development of navigation also.
Dr. Ambedkar as Labour Member was
taking keen interest in expediting the action both as an Administrator and
Planner. British Government was
interested mainly because of the war and therefore Finance Department and other
concerned officers also cooperated.
Babasaheb addressing a meeting of
Technical Experts and officers in the Bengal Secretariat Calcutta on the 3rd
January 19 45 said, “Government of India wished to evolve a policy which would
utilize the water resources of the country to the best advantage of everybody
and put them to purposes which were made to serve in other countries. The Government of India have in mind Tennessee
Valley Scheme operating in the United States of America. They are studying the
Scheme and feel that something along that line can be done in India if the
provinces offer their cooperation and agree to overcome provincial barriers
which have held up so much of their progress and their prosperity. As a
preliminary step for securing the best use of the waterways of the country, the
Government of India have created a Central organisation called the Central
Technical Power Board and are contemplating to create the Central Water ways,
Irrigation and Navigation Commission.
The two organisations had been
established to advise the provinces as to how their water resources could best
be utilised and how a project could be made to serve the purpose other than
irrigation. Damodar river is the first project along that line."
Water beside irrigation and
navigation could also be used for generating electricity as was being done in
some European countries and United States of America and Canada.
A start was made with the project
to dam the river Damodar and to utilise the water to generate electricity and
for irrigation. Babasaheb Ambedkar usually studied all literature available on
a subject when he had to tackle any problem. This gave him better understanding
and many ideas to develop. Tennessee Valley Project of United States attracted
his attention because acv T.V.A. had to deal with similar problems. An Engineer Mr. William Lo Voorduin who was
not only an expert on dams, generation of electricity, multipurpose projects
but was also well versed in dealing with administrative problems peculiar to
such projects, was invited.
Since rivers flow through many
states, many states get involved. This gives rise to many problems of
sovereignty and laws. Technical problems can be tackled by Engineers and
Technicians but the legal and territorial problems have to be tackled by the
administrators and lawyers. Another difficulty was that there was no All-India
Policy for the development of water ways and generation of electricity. Dr. Ambedkar
ultimately succeeded in finding the solutions and his work has been very much
appreciated by O’Hart famous author of Rivers of India.
It was decided to establish a Central
Technical Power Board which was to act as a Central Planning 0rganisation. The
duties and responsibilities of this Board were detailed in the Government of
India Department of Labour Resolution dated 8th November 1944. Later on, a Commission known as Central Waterways,
Irrigation and Navigation Commission was established under Resolution of the
Government of India, Labour Department (No. DW 101(2) dated 5th
April, 1945).
Babasaheb Ambedkar was not in
favour of appointing any foreign engineer as head ger of this Commission. Rao
Bahadur A.N. Khosla, a renowned engineer was appointed as Chairman of the
Commission. This Commission was declared a permanent organisation.
Dr. Ambedkar resigned as Labour Member in 19
46 when interim government was formed. However, the work continued to progress
under the Ministership of Mr. N.V. Gadgil who took over the charge of Works,
Mines and Power a new Ministry created by dividing the work which was being
done by the Department of Labour under Babasaheb Ambedkar.
Dr. Ambedkar was appointed as
Chairman, Constitution Drafting Committee and first law Minister of Independent
India in 1947 with Pundit Jawahar Lal Nehru as Prime Minister. Keeping in mind
the problems arising from the provisions made in the Constitution in 1935 in
regard to river, waterways and subsequent difficulties which arose during
1942-1946 when he was Labour Member Babasaheb Ambedkar made provisions in the
Constitution in regard to the rivers, Waterways and generation of electricity.
The problems of distribution of water, control over rivers, constructions of
dams often give rise to problems but during his tenure he had laid down
precedents which still enlighten and guide people.
From the above it is clear that Dr.
Ambedkar was not only the chief architect of our constitution but was also the
maker of modern India. In fact, he laid the foundation of the modern India.
