An open letter to President Obama introducing him to Ambedkar
Martin Luther King Jr visited India when Dr Ambedkar was alive but met
only the then Prime Minister Nehru and seems to have been kept in the
dark about his civil rights counterpart in India and perhaps never
came to know about him.
CJ: Ravikiran Shinde Thu, Nov 04, 2010 13:09:00 IST
Views: 24 Comments: 1Rate: 4.0 / 1 votes DEAR MR President,
I hope you are doing great. I am delighted to hear that you are coming
to India. The last time I saw you at OSU rally in Ohio battling out
against belligerent Ms. Clinton. I have moved back to India since.
I witnessed jubilation back home among the Indians in general and the
downtrodden in particular seeing the highest office of the most
powerful country gained by someone lowest in the social strata – a
victory of sort for the civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr,
your mentor.
Climbing of the ladder as an African American (if not as a son of the
Muslim) was not just notional, but it was indicative of the changing
times and changing thoughts of the common working
class Americans (or whites to be overt). 'Yes, we can' was the slogan
for your campaign and you indeed could phenomenally transgress gender
and religion to convince the nation that they could be safe and sound
even under a black man.
The euphoria is over now and you are facing with challenges both
within and outside USA and you are facing them very well, one would
imagine. Iraq withdrawal was your most important promise that the
Americans are seeing getting fulfilled.
Today, India is agog with stories of your upcoming visit. Reportedly,
you would be attending the Indian parliament session during your
visit.
This has enthralled us all – although the speaker of the lower house,
Meira Kumar might be feeling edgy a la school principal during a
supervisors visit unsure about the unruly crowd in the house. Leader
of world's oldest democracy will be watching how the world's largest
democracy functions in one of its pillars.
While roaming in the premises of the parliament garden or Parliament
photo gallery (I hope you will spare some time) you might stumble upon
the effigy of a middle aged person with glasses raising his index
finger indicating the direction towards the building. Amid the
traditional Dhoti and Khadi clad effigies, this distinct coat and
trouser clad image will be easier to identify.
The statue or image belongs to none other than the Chief Architect of
India's constitution Dr. Babasaheb Bhimarao Ambedkar (1891 -1956). He
was not only a Columbia University alumnus like you but also that of
London School of Economics. He was perhaps the highest qualified
figure of his times despite belonging to the lowest strata of Indian
social order.
He is the greatest civil rights activists India has ever produced,
who not only built the democratic values respected by the world but is
revered even today by millions in India. An economist, a lawyer, a
social worker, a professor, a politician, a journalist and a
philosopher - Dr Ambekar was a versatile figure. He single handedly
lead non-violent movement to give the downtrodden their rights during
the time when even shadow of untouchables was considered unholy. He is
considered as the father of the affirmative action in India.
He attacked the inequality in the Hinduism vociferously and argued and
won the case against Gandhi during the round-table discussions over
political rights of Untouchables before Independence. He finally
embraced Buddhism along with millions of his followers reviving the
age-old religion that took birth in this very nation.
He even modeled the secular, socialist, republic, democratic structure
after the Buddha's Sangha (assembly).
Today, Dr Ambedkar statues, from the length and breadth of the
country, easily outnumber those of Gandhi or Nehru demonstrating that
his legacy has lasted more than that of the latter in modern day
India. Books and collection of his writings and speeches sell like hot
cakes the day they are launched. And now we have one such statue in
Columbia University Campus itself, in case you haven't noticed it.
Dr Ambedkar in being elevated from the lowest echelon of society
compelled me to introduce you to this giant personality, who still
faces a bias from the upper caste dominated government agencies and
media. That's why they would limit your exposure to the Gandhis and
the Nehrus of the country and not Dr Ambedkar.
To juxtapose, imagine what the Fox news does to the African American
community or its heroes. As a sedate ritual I am pretty sure India's
establishment comprising of descendents of Nehru - Gandhi family would
take you to the Rajghat (Gandhi's memorial) in Delhi but they would
not talk to you about Dr Ambedkar.
Martin Luther King Jr visited India when Dr Ambedkar was alive but met
only the then Prime Minister Nehru and seems to have been kept in the
dark about his civil rights counterpart in India and perhaps never
came to know about him.
Please do what MLK couldn't. Get introduced to Dr Ambedkar and his
thoughts and contribution to India's democratic system. This will
definitely make your trip a worthwhile in the long run
notwithstanding the result of other agenda on your priority i.e.
Nuclear Liability Bill or Indo-US relationship or the Kashmir issue.
If you get too overwhelmed by your first trip to India, just Google Dr
Ambedkar when time permits!
Truly,
Ravikiran Shinde
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