'WE ARE LOSING what we have achieved'

Babasaheb's granddaughter and Justice Nagamohan Das, on the occasion of Ambedkar's death anniversary urge citizens to save the Constitution from the hands of fascism

Rachana Ramesh | NT

Bengaluru: Save the Constitution from the hands of fascism. That was the clarion call sent out by none other than Ramabai Anand Teltumbde, granddaughter of the late Dr BR Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution, on Tuesday.

Speaking at Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Mahaparinirvana Day programme organised by various factions of the Dalit Sangharsha Samiti,Ramabai highlighted the need for unity in protests and said that it has been lacking in a nation where protesting is a right.

“We can see it especially with regard to the Bhima Koregaon case. There were no massive protests or mobilised crowds seeking justice. We must realise that protest is our fundamental right and we must do it unitedly to seek our rights,” she said.

Ramabai had gone through an agonising experience when her husband, Anand Teltumbde, 73, spent over two and a half years behind bars as an accused in the Bhima Koregaon case. The high court had observed that prima facie there was no evidence showing his involvement in any terrorist act and the Supreme Court recently rejected the National Investigation Agency’s (NIA) plea challenging his bail, allowing him to walk home.

Ramabai also felt her grandfather must be remembered for his writings and every individual must make an effort to read his works. Retired High Court judge Justice H N Nagamohan Das who headed a commission on reservation for SC/ST communities, recalled that Dr Ambedkar had resigned from the Union Cabinet when the Hindu Code Bill was rejected by Jawaharlal Nehru.

The Dalit icon was also responsible for laying a strong foundation for all women-centric policies which are now pursued by the union and state governments, he said. “On this same day (December 6), 30 years ago, the Babri Masjid demolition was carried out to erase the legacy of Babasaheb,” Justice Nagamohan Das said, adding that marginalised people are considered second class citizens.

“They increased the reservations for STs from 3% to 7% after we submitted the commission report. But how will this be of any use if public sector institutions are being turned into private entities? Even if the percentage is increased to 20, one cannot avail it in a private institution,” he said, highlighting that the contract worker system, appointment of guest lecturers and outsourcing have now become the norm.

He called for massive protests against privatisation holding the government accountable for this trend. “We are losing what we have achieved. A day will soon come where they will boycott your trade if we do not resist,” he concluded.

Other Dalit leaders present in the conference felt that Dalit protests should not restricted to just Dalits but should apply to all marginalised sections– women, farmers and the working class. They encouraged those present to exercise their right to vote and protest. They also noted that the funding provided to research forums in order to dive deep into the persecution caused by the caste system, which would provide statistics and proof of their discrimination, are now being diminished.

Hitting out at the BJP and the RSS, the Dalit leaders said these organisations swear by the ideals of Manusmriti which was once publicly set on fire by Babasaheb. “In the name of Ram Rajya, they are discriminating against minorities. We see news of crimes against Dalits every day,” they said.

Those attending the conference took an oath to abide by the ideals ingrained in the Constitution. They felt the best way to pay tribute to the architect of the Constitution, Babasaheb, was by by educating, organising and agitating for social justice, to save the Constitution from the grip of fascism.