SAQ : Discuss the debate between Gandhiji and Ambedkar on Dalit Rights

Answer

Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar had different views on Dalit rights, and their debate on this issue is a significant part of Indian history. The following points can help to understand their debate:

1. Ambedkar argued that Dalits needed political power to be able to achieve their rights, while Gandhi believed that social reform was more important than political reform.
2. Ambedkar also criticized Gandhi’s advocacy of “Harijanism,” which he saw as an attempt to reinforce the caste system by creating a new caste of Dalits.
3. Ambedkar saw the Hindu religion as the root cause of Dalit oppression and argued that a separate electorate for Dalits was necessary to ensure their political representation.
4. Gandhi opposed the separate electorate and fasted in protest against it. He believed that political representation should be based on merit rather than caste.
5. Gandhi suggested the idea of inter-caste marriage as a means to eliminate caste discrimination, while Ambedkar rejected this idea, stating that it did not address the core issue of social inequality.
6. Ambedkar called for the abolition of the caste system, while Gandhi believed that the caste system could be reformed from within and made more democratic.
7. In 1932, the British government announced the Communal Award, which granted separate electorates for Dalits. Gandhi went on a fast unto death to protest against this decision, and eventually, Ambedkar agreed to abandon the separate electorate in exchange for reserved seats for Dalits in the general electorate.
8. While Gandhi and Ambedkar had different approaches to the issue of Dalit rights, both of them played a significant role in advancing the cause of social justice and equality in India.