With India celebrating the 76th Republic Day in 2025, marking the completion of 75 years since the adoption of the Constitution, it is an opportune moment to reflect on the invaluable contributions of the framers of this document.
Among them, Dr B.R. Ambedkar, Chairman of the Drafting Committee, stands tall for leading the exhaustive exercise that produced a remarkable Constitution guiding the nation since its inception.
Remembering Ambedkar, however, must transcend government ceremonies and political rhetoric aimed at securing the Dalit vote bank.
Vivek Kumar’s Decoding Ambedkar, published by Manohar Publishers (Delhi), provides a compelling analysis of Ambedkar’s multifaceted legacy and his significant contributions to social justice, democracy, and nation-building.
Kumar critiques the reductionist and exclusionary tendencies in the representation of Ambedkar’s ideas and persona while shedding light on the depth and scope of his intellectual contributions.
Through a series of essays, which draws from his lectures in several universities abroad, Kumar delves into Ambedkar’s multifaceted legacy in social justice, democracy, and nation-building. The strong theme of the book is how Ambedkar has been subjected to “reductionism” and “erasure” across various domains, be it academia, popular culture, historians, or even the media.
The reductionist approach, Kumar argues, simplifies Ambedkar’s legacy by narrowly confining him to the roles of a Dalit leader or the chief architect of the Indian Constitution, while ignoring his broader contributions to political philosophy, sociology, and human rights.
Kumar outlines other dimensions of this reductionism, including failure by the academia to engage with the diverse shades of his thought and media and intellectual circles overlooking the stages and dynamics of his movements.
He refers to Arun Shourie’s book on Ambedkar, which doubted the latter’s contribution in framing the Constitution, terming him only as a rapporteur. The author says many literary personalities, including Arundhati Roy, could not see beyond Ambedkar’s Annihilation of Caste as his most valuable contribution. The book also cites the “erasure” of Ambedkar from the influential history text by Bipan Chandra, as Ambedkar is referred to sparingly.
The “erasure” of Ambedkar extends to literary, sociological, and artistic representations. Kumar provides examples, such as his absence in Mulk Raj Anand’s Untouchable (1935), which glorifies Gandhi’s role as the saviour of untouchables, and the omission of Ambedkar in Richard Attenborough’s Oscar-winning film Gandhi. “Is there a deliberate attempt to erase Ambedkar in the film on Gandhi?”
In contrast, Gandhi is prominently featured in Jabbar Patel’s film Ambedkar (2000), raising questions about “selective” representation.
Kumar, who teaches sociology at Jawaharlal Nehru University, highlights five essential features of Ambedkar’s theory of social justice: the development of individuals as free and independent agents; society rooted in equality, liberty, and fraternity; establishment of true democracy based on social, economic, and political equality; constitutional measures as the means to achieve democratic ideals; breaking the monopoly of the upper strata over political power.
These principles, according to Kumar, underscore Ambedkar’s commitment to dismantling entrenched inequalities in Indian society and his pragmatic approach to securing justice for the marginalised. Kumar explores Ambedkar’s nuanced understanding of nationhood - India is not a nation in itself but a “nation in the making.” Ambedkar proposed that fraternity, equality, and liberty are interconnected, with fraternity as the cornerstone of nation-building.
Ambedkar may have been reduced to a Dalit leader in the Indian context, but he is hailed globally. Kumar situates Ambedkar as a figure who transcends national boundaries and is celebrated globally as his busts have been installed in various universities in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, Japan, and Vietnam, which proves the point that his life and mission are being celebrated in those countries.
The Dalit diaspora’s efforts have amplified his visibility on the international stage, highlighting his universal relevance.
Prof. Vivek Kumar’s Decoding Ambedkar is an essential critique of the historical and contemporary marginalisation of Ambedkar’s legacy. It confronts the reductionist narratives that have confined Ambedkar to narrow roles and underscores his broader contributions to social justice, democracy, and the intellectual discourse on nation-building.
The book is a valuable resource for understanding Ambedkar as a complex, global thinker whose ideas remain profoundly relevant in contemporary times. It will be particularly helpful for the students and researchers who study Ambedkar and India.
Decoding Ambedkar: Ideas of Nation and Nation Building
Author: Vivek Kumar
Publisher: Manohar Publishers and Distributors
Pages: 142
Price: Rs 895
