With political atmosphere heating up in India ahead of the Lok Sabha election next year, a book on Dalit icon Bhim Rao Ambedkar’s life and his perspective of nationalism has hit the book stands this week.
The book, titled Dr Ambedkar and Nationalism, authored by Basant Kumar and published by Prabhat Prakashan was released by BJP Parliamentary Board member and former Union Minister Satyanarayan Jatiya at an event organised at Constitution Club in the national capital on Monday.
On this occasion, Bindeshwar Pathak who is spearheading Accessible Sanitation and Human Rights Movement in India; Devendra Saroj, a professor in London based University; Lal Singh Arya, BJP’s Scheduled Castes National Morcha President and other dignitaries were present.
The first edition of the book titled ‘ Dr. Ambedkar Aur Rashtravaad’ has already been published in Hindi.
After the immense success of the Hindi version of the book and due to increasing demand for the English version, this book was translated into English and released in both Hindi and English languages.
Throwing light on the book, BJP leader Jatiya said even though India got independence in 1947, Bhim Rao Ambedkar was one of the true sons of country.
Ambedkar, revered as Father of the Constitution of India, laid the foundation of a strong India many years before independence, the BJP leader said.
When on one hand the entire freedom movement was inclined towards the demand for political independence, at the same time the goal of Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar was to make India not only politically independent but also to make socially and financially independent and to make it capable of standing for centuries as a strong nation.
With this goal, Bhim Rao Ambedkar dedicated his his entire life to his journey.
Ambedkar was one of those intellectual leaders of the Indian society who understood during the freedom struggle itself that freedom from casteism, authoritarianism, and communalism was necessary to build a strong nation.
He was well aware of the toxic nature of socio-economic inequality that gripped the Indian society in such a way that even if India became politically independent, the termites of casteism, authoritarianism, and communalism would push it towards another partition.
Ambedkar’s nationalism was based on equality more than geographical boundaries. He was a leader who worked hard to overcome the apprehension of the future instead of focusing on the achievements of the present.
He understood very well the deep-rooted discontentment in Indian society. This is the reason why he raised his voice to eliminate that discontent in order to retain the nation.
For this, where on one hand he differed from Mahatma Gandhi, on the other hand, while addressing the meeting of the Constituent Assembly after independence, he proudly declared himself as the leader of the untouchables.
On this occasion, Bindeshwar Pathak, honored with Padma Bhushan, said, “Dr. Ambedkar and Nationalism’ is being published for self-motivation with the aim of making the public aware.”
The book is written in simple words, which can be easily understood, he said.
It is also to be understood here that Ambedkar ji’s politics was not to divide and rule but he was a leader who did positive and inclusive politics, he said.
“Dr. Ambedkar understood very well that any kind of discontentment cannot be suppressed for long. This is the reason why when Dr. Ambedkar joins the Constituent Assembly, all his attention remains on changing the existing unjust social system,” he said.
Pathak said Ambedkar considered socialism necessary for building a strong nation.
“Dr. Ambedkar’s socialism was not only economic socialism, it did not only talk about economic equality but also talked about cultural equality. Dr. Ambedkar talks about ending that imbalance, which had created a gap of inequality and discrimination in Indian society culturally for hundreds of years,” he added.
