Ambedkar And Social Justice

Email

Whatsapp

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

Copy link

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar is one of the leading spokesmen of the depressed classes in India. Certainly he was not the originator of social emancipation movement and political mobilisation of these 'Harijan' people, but he was more effective in highlighting social injustice to which they are subjected in the Hindu society. He concerntrated the force of his protestant and reformist spirit on the age-old abuses and disabilities of the untouchables in our society. - The present title is a comprehensive and analytical study of Ambedkar's philosophy of social justice and its impact on Hindu socio-economic structure.

The author of the book, Dr. A.K. Majumdar is M.A. (Political Science), LLB, Ph. D. from Rabindra Bharati University, Calcutta. Presently, he is attached with several legal and academic institutions in Calcutta. He has 25 years experience of producing several research papers on South Asian Politics.

Dr. B. R. Ambedkar is one of the leading spokesmen of the depressed classes in India. Certainly he was not the originator of social emancipation movement and political mobilisation of the sixty million people of the opressed strata, but he was perhaps more effective in highlighting social injustice to which they are subjected in the Hindu society. He concentrated the force of his protestant and reformist spirit on the age-old abuses and disabilities of the untouchables in our society. His thinking as a social reformer was influenced by the philosophy of Kabir and Phule. Kabir's teaching made him aware of the weaknesses of the Hindu religion and Phule was considered by him as 'the greatest shudra of modern India".

Ambedkar criticised the popular notion of Hindu religion and the criminal indifference of the people towards the dangerous effects of the social institutions of Hinduism. He did not believe in fixed norm of the society. Neither society nor individual can survive without norm, but norm must be changed with time and circumstances. He firmly believed that a radical change was necessary in the Hindu social structure and Hindu's outlook. Without it, there could be no real reform in the social system.

Infact, Ambedkar did not achieve the object of inculcating the consciousness of civil right in his community. But emergence of this conciousness stands as an isolated phenomenon marked by an attitude of confirmation rather than cooperation. The untouchables in the rural areas constitute the overwhelming majority of the have-nots. He also visualised basic socio- economic changes in the rural economy as a prerequisite for the uplift of the depressed classes. But he could hardly achieve this goal by working separately from the other depressed sections and progressive leaders belonging to different communities and castes. This point is reinforced by the fact that irrespective of the constitutional and legal safeguards, the lot of the scheduled castes has not in general improved although certain benefits and concessions have reached to some of them.

Proposed title is a comprehensive and analytical study of Ambedkar's philosophy of social justice and its impact on the Hindu socio-economic structure described in all nine chapters. First chapter deals with the concept of individual society, and social justice while second chapter throws light on origin, sources and status of untouchables in Hindu society and religion. Social structure and social justice has been described in third chapter. Ambedkar and Gandhi's approach for 'Harijan' upliftment and the struggle of abolition of casteism and social awareness has been described vividly in fourth and fifth chapters respectively. Sixth chapter gives critical analysis of eradication of untouchability and enslavement of women. Untouchables and national destiny has been described in seventh chapter. Eighth chapter deals with the minorities and nationalism while last chapter of this book throws light on the politics of social justice.

Book's Contents and Sample Pages