I can give only my impressions of them, for what they are worth. The first thing that strikes me is that it would be difficult to find two persons who would rival them for their colossal egotism, to whom personal ascendancy is everything and the cause of the country a mere counter on the table. They have made Indian politics a matter of personal feud. Consequences have no terror for them ; indeed they do not occur to them until they happen. When they do happen they either forget the cause, or if they remember it, they overlook it with a complacency which saves them from any remorse. They choose to stand on a pedestal of splendid isolation. They wall themselves off from their equals. They prefer to open themselves to their inferiors. They are very unhappy at and impatient of criticism, but are very happy to be fawned upon by flunkeys. Both have developed a wonderful stagecraft and arrange things in such a way that they are always in the limelight wherever they go. Each of course claims to be supreme. If supremacy was their only claim, it would be a small wonder. In addition to supremacy each claims infallibility for himself. Pius IX during whose sacred regime as Pope the issue of infallibility was raging said— ” Before I was Pope I believed in Papal infallibility, now I feel it.” This is exactly the attitude of the two leaders whom Providence—may I say in his unguarded moments—has appointed to lead us.-from AmbedkarQuotes
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6 replies on “Dr.Ambedkar on Gandhi and Jinnah”
Dr.B R Ambedkar was also not saint. He created a rift among various castes in Hindu societies and destroyed Hinduism. What he did to the Marathi societies in the name of social engineering is known to all. It is because of this fellow alone that the Upper Caste Hindus are being exploited till date in Independent India, though the contribution from their side in the freedom struggle was paramount.
The Maharashtra government few years back published 14 volumes of the speeches and writings of Ambedkar.
In his book, Worshiping False Gods, Arun Shourie challenges Dr Ambedkar’s contribution to Indian Independence. Many “Dalits” could not digest the bitter truth and several “Dalit” organisations in Maharashtra want it banned–fortunately it did not happen though.
Dr.Arun Shourie writes: The Maharashtra government has published 14 volumes of the speeches and writings of Ambedkar. These cover 9,996 pages. Volumes up to the 12th contain his speeches and writing up to 1946. These extend to 7,371 pages. You would be hard put to find one article, one speech, one passage in which Ambedkar can be seen even by inference to be arguing for India’s Independence. Quite the contrary.
Pause for a minute and read the following:
All me to say that the British have a moral responsibility towards the scheduled castes. They may have moral responsibilities towards all minorities. But it can never transcend the moral responsibility which rests on them in respect of the untouchables. It is a pity how few Britishers are aware of it and how fewer are prepared to discharge it. British rule in India owes its very existence to the help rendered by the untouchables. Many Britishers think that India was conquered by the Clives, Hastings, Coots and so on. Nothing can be a greater mistake. India was conquered by an army of Indians and the Indians who formed the army were all untouchables. British rule in India would have been impossible if the untouchables had not helped the British to conquer India. Take the Battle of Plassey which laid the beginning of British rule or the battle of Kirkee which completed the conquest of India. In both these fateful battles the soldiers who fought for the British were all untouchables…
Who is pleading thus to whom? It is B R Ambedkar writing on 14 May 1946 to a member of the (British) Cabinet Mission, A V Alexander.
IF THIS WHAT IS AMBEDKAR, THEN HE DOES NOT DESERVE MUCH RESPECT FROM THE KNOWLEDGEABLE INDIANS, INSPITE OF HIM BAGGING THE PRESTIGIOUS “Bharat Ratna”.
Thanks!!
I too have read Arun Shouries’ book.You have to understand Dr.Ambedkar’s letters and speeches in the context of the times he lived in.If you were a Dalit in those times, you would certainly fear the return of Brahmins to power.
Nobody knows the exact situations in his days except from some books which are only the view point of authors instead of actuals.
Many of the guys who agitated for social reforms in those days are from upper castes.
If Dr. Ambedkar sees the atrocities done in present days in his name & his ideologies by some of his followers he would have felt down (the same way Nehru family is using Gandhi’s name)
I fully endorse ,what Suman said.
No once seems to understand the miseries the lower casts had to go through in those days (and even earlier). Dr. Amberdkar in spite of his education and brilliance had to endure a lot of insults from the upper casts during his time. Somehow upper cast Hindu’s seem to continue living in some La-La land where they have done no wrong and they were always the victims. If only VHP, Bajrang Dal and all other right wingers could could put their mite behind cleaning up the very dirty Hindu backyard first before pointing their fingers elsewhere. Will do us all a world of good. BTW I am ‘high cast Hindu’ too. But unlike some folks I am willing to accept all that is wrong in our Hindu way of life.
As a matter of fact the comparison done by Dr Ambedkar between Gandhiji and Jinnah is a part of his lecture on Gandhi,Ranade and Jinnah in which the noble character and public life of Justice Ranade ,a brahman was praised and admired by Dr Ambedkar.Mr Suman and others need to search their own souls .