After constant efforts of three year, the Drafting committee wound up its proceedings on 25 November 1949, wherein Dr B R Ambedkar made a moving address to the constituent Assembly which outlined certain norms and standards to be followed for India to garnish its soil with Democracy.
Today it becomes very important for us to reiterate his words, rather warnings, as the Nation is witnessing unfortunate mayhem over the recently passed farm laws. Let us try to bracket his words with today’s scenario.
Implementation plays the key role.
He marked that the working of the constitution depends on those who called to implement it.
“..However good a Constitution may be, it is sure to turn out bad because those who are called to work it happen to be a bad lot. Similarly, however bad a Constitution may be, it can turn out to be good if those who are called to work it happen to be a good lot.”
If we carefully examine the farm bills, legislative aspects are drafted and designed in an appropriate manner which is favorable for both the farmers and the traders. But the success of those depends upon how well the implementation takes place. Turmoil of the farmers today is mostly regarding corporate domination. Recently, I communicated with a few farmers in Maharashtra who said that they were in favor of the reforms but wished that the government should take more firm steps to ensure that corporate giants don’t manipulate them through unethical means.
This means instead of creating unnecessary havoc by imagining hypothetical situations wherein the farmers are getting exploited by market giants, the opposing parties and farmers unions should cooperate and communicate with the government to reduce implementation errors to the minimal extent. This can be done by appointing a committee for regulation of agreements, educating farmers regarding trade operations, etc. So that tomorrow, even if something illegitimate happens with some farmer, he will have a fair place to get assistance.
Nation First
Referring to historical events Dr. Ambedkar had noted that,
“…not only India has once before lost her independence, but she lost it by the infidelity and treachery of some of her own people. Will history repeat itself? It is this thought which fills me with anxiety. This anxiety is deepened by the realization of the fact that in addition to our old enemies in the form of castes and creeds we are going to have many political parties with diverse and opposing political creeds.
Will Indians place the country above their creed, or will they place creed above country?
I do not know. But this much is certain that if the parties place creed above country, our independence will be put in jeopardy a second time and probably will be lost forever. This eventuality we must all resolutely guard against. We must be determined to defend our independence with the last drop of our blood.”
Placing creed, sub national identities and political agendas above national interest is something that we all witnessed when paid mouthpieces of some anti national elements questioned India’s democracy. Greta Thunberg, Rihanna, Mia Khalifa was openly supported by some peanut brains even after they got to read the anti-India toolkit which missed. ‘How dare you’ accidently posted. Their interference in Indian matters was labelled so prudent and humane by a lobby that the Government of India had to come up with a campaign against this propaganda and to show up our unity. And some political parties like Congress, Shivsena and NCP tried to cook their political broth here as well, by ordering a probe against some eminent personalities who supported India Together campaign. This shows nothing but lack of Nationalistic sentiment.
Hero worship is sure path to Dictatorship
Ambedkar said, “There is nothing wrong in being grateful to great men who have rendered life-long services to the country. But there are limits to gratefulness, as has been well said by the Irish Patriot Daniel O’Connell, no man can be grateful at the cost of his honour, no woman can be grateful at the cost of her chastity and no nation can be grateful at the cost of its liberty. Bhakti in religion may be a road to the salvation of the soul. But in politics, Bhakti or hero- worship is a sure road to degradation and to eventual dictatorship.”
As aptly stated, we all have some sort of political bias based upon our studies, experiences, and ideological inclinations. But respecting a particular leader does not mean that we should not question any of his/her moves, similarly disliking someone doesn’t mean we have a license to condemn his/her every stand without analysing.
In this period, I saw many people either supporting or condemning Agri reform laws based upon their political idol’s stance, without understanding them in a proper fashion. Some oppose the reforms because they hate Modi and some support them because they love Modi. But this is not the way to react when such crucial steps are taken. As a responsible citizen of this country it is our prime duty to first examine the bills passed and then to question the misleading party.
Grammar of Anarchy
Last but not the least I would like to quote Ambedkar on Grammar of Anarchy, “If we wish to maintain democracy not merely in form, but also in fact, what must we do?
The first thing in my judgment we must do is to hold fast to constitutional methods of achieving our social and economic objectives. It means we must abandon the bloody methods of revolution. It means that we must abandon the method of civil disobedience, non-cooperation, and Satyagraha.
When there was no way left for constitutional methods for achieving economic and social objectives, there was a great deal of justification for unconstitutional methods. But where constitutional methods are open, there can be no justification for these unconstitutional methods. These methods are nothing but the Grammar of Anarchy and the sooner they are abandoned, the better for us.”
The farmers have constitutional right to express themselves and protest peacefully. Every issue must be resolved within the contours of constitutional standards, indulging in rampant violence with swords, vandalizing property, breaking police barricades under tags of peaceful protest is unjustifiable. Indulging in such activity that too on Republic day highlights a clear intent to disturb the functioning of the government and to vandalize the international image of the Country. And this cannot be a method to demand repel of any law.
Prudent action must be taken by the Government against the culprits after investing into the matter properly. It is time to show the tougher side of India to the world. It should not be so that any Tom, Dick, or Harry will come and hold India’s Capital to ransom on the day of its National importance.
