AMBEDKAR'S BBC INTERVIEW ... 1
Ambedkar's repudiation of Gandhiji's moral status in a BBC interview given in 1955 is a damning declaration that ought to be objectively studied and inferences drawn thereon. What were the reasons for such a diatribe? What psychological compulsions could have prompted the Dalit leader to have entered into this level of vitriol against the preeminent leader of India before a foreign radio network? Was Gandhiji a person who hid behind the mask of a mahatma while waiting to dig his fangs into his political opponents as Ambedkar claimed? Was he misread by his devotees and admirers as a saint when he, in Ambedkar's words, was merely a shrewd politician who used every political ploy in the book to get his deal done while posing to be on a moral and spiritual pedestal to which he in real never belonged? How far is Ambedkar accurate in his rather damaging assessment of a man who is adored the world over as one of the greatest moral personalities humanity has ever seen? Did Ambedkar nurse any particular ill-feeling against Gandhiji owing, perhaps, to political disappointments caused by the Mahatma's intervention or was he being merely historically true to the facts of the case which determined the outcome of his assessment?
That Netaji's role in undermining the loyalty of the British Indian armed forces was crucial to India winning independence the way she did was also aired by Ambedkar eloquently in this interview and one can only thank him for his frank avowal of this historical truth which the Nehruvian dispensation downplayed for decades. But was Ambedkar being historically fair to Gandhiji as well or was he being plain prompted by some sort of an aversion of the pleader from Porbandar turned politician turned sage of Sabarmati? How far can we trust Ambedkar's assessment? Ought we not to study Gandhiji in greater detail to confirm or debunk the truth or falsity of Ambedkar's allegations? Must we be gullible enough to admit these assertions as gospel truth without probing for their veracity or otherwise through our self-study? As honest academics, as conscientious citizens, as perceptive readers into the history of our times, where do our responsibilities lie?
Written by Sugata Bose
No comments:
Post a Comment