Ambedkar's Appropriation by RSS: E Digest

Dr Ram Puniyani has made a great contribution in the fight against spread of lies by Hindutva gang regarding Dr. Ambedkar by editing and producing this e-digest titled "Ambedkar's Appropriation by Hindutva Ideology". It is very timely and must read and needs to be circulated widely as a resource material against Hindutva camp's gimmicks. It also needs to be translated into different Indian languages. Thanks to him

S. Islam

Link

 

https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.documentcloud.org/documents/2093720/e-digest-ambedkars-appropriation-by-hindutva.pdf

 

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Ambedkar's Appropriation by Hindutva Ideology

 

An E-Digest

(for private circulation)

Many a debates are raging in various circles related to Ambedkar's ideology. On one hand the RSS combine has been very active to prove that RSS ideology is close to Ambedkar's ideology. In this direction RSS mouth pieces Organizer (English) and Panchjanya (Hindi) brought out special supplements on the occasion of anniversary of Ambedkar, praising him. This is very surprising as RSS is for Hindu nation while Ambedkar has pointed out that Hindu Raj will be the biggest calamity for dalits. The second debate is about Ambedkar-Gandhi. This came to forefront with Arundhati Roy's introduction to Ambedkar's 'Annihilation of Caste' published by Navayana. In her introduction 'Doctor and the Saint' Roy is critical of Gandhi's various ideas.

This digest brings together some of the essays and articles by various scholars-activists on the theme. Hope this will help us clarify the underlying issues.

 

 

Ram Puniyani

(All India Secular Forum)

Mumbai

June 2015 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contents

 

Page No.

Section A

                               Ambedkar's Legacy and RSS Combine

1.     Idolatry versus Ideology                                                                   05

      By Divya Trivedi

 

2.     Top RSS leader misquotes Ambedkar on Untouchability                          09

        By Vikas Pathak

 

3.     RSS going the whole hog in appropriating Ambedkar                      10

      By Piyush Srivastava

 

4.     RSS rewrites history: Dalits 'created' by invaders                                     11

 By D.K. Singh

 

 

 Section B

Ambedkar: Indian Nationalism versus Hindu Nationalism

 

5.     Legacy of Dr.B.R. Ambedkar stands irreconcilably                          13

     opposed to Hindutva

      By B. Sivaraman

 

6.     Deconstructing Ambedkar                                                                 19

By Anand Teltumde

 

7.     The Highjacking of Babasaheb                                                                   22

By Shamsul Islam

 

8.     Whose Raj is it anyway                                                                     25

By Shamsul Islam

 

9.     Ambedkar and RSS                                                                           27

By Ram Puniyani

 

10. Ambedkar Ideology: Religion, Nationalism and Indian                    28

Constitution

      By Ram Puniyani

 

11. Claiming Ambedkar, Trashing the Constitution                                31

 By Praful Bidwai

 

 

 

Section C

Ambedkar  - Gandhi Debate

12.  The Ambedkar Gandhi Debate: Reply to Arundhati Roy                          33

  By Rajmohan Gandhi

 

13. They were rivals, but with the same mission                                              51

By Ramachandra Guha

 

14. Sea of Lies – Response to Arundhati Roy                                        53

 

15. Comments by Niloufer Bhagwat                                                       58

 

Section D

          Interviews

 

16. Time to reinterpret his contribution – Interview with                       59

Prof. Bhalachandra Munkegar

By T.K. Rajalakshmi

 

17. Dalits are not definitely a block, and there is an intellectual             64

Blossom – Interview with Kancha Ilaiah

By Ajmal Khan and Anish

 

18.  The RSS won't be able to internalize Ambedkar – Interview                    71

With Raosaheb Kasbe

By Makrand Gadgil