The Role of Saints in the Empowerment of Scheduled Castes – International Conference

 

The Role of Saints in the Empowerment of Scheduled Castes – International Conference

I participated, as an invited delegate, in the International Conference on “The Role of Saints in the Empowerment of Scheduled Castes” at Ahmedabad on December 21. The Conference was organized and hosted by BAPS Swaminarayan Research Institute in collaboration with Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya  Bilaspur and Gujarat University Ahmedabad in connection with centenary celebrations of His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj.  It was a rewarding experience to listen and discuss an important and relevant subject for the socio-economic development of the marginalized sections of the country and the society at large. It was not only a well organized event by the premier academic, educational and research agencies of the country but also the participation in the Conference and their contribution was a sheer delight and thought provoking.  On getting the invitation from Dr. Jyotindra Dave, Director of BAPS Swaminarayan Research Institute to participate in the Conference, I wondered as to how come they had picked me up, a non-academic, for this intellectual exercise. Nevertheless, I accepted the kind invitation and appreciated the gesture with pleasure. It was an educative and rewarding experience to participate in the Conference

and interact with some of who’s who of the academic and intellectual circles and also renowned personalities from public and spiritual life namely; Milind Kamle, Tarun Vijay, Bizay Sonkar Shastri, Ravindra Kirkole, Alok Chakarwal, Himanshu Pandya, Guru Prakash Paswan, Ramesh Pandav, Sanjeev Dangi, Jyotitendra Dave and also many of the great Saints of His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj outfits. The Press Release on the Conference issued by BAPS Swaminarayan Research Institute rightly gave an overview of the proceedings of the Conference, “During the conference, eminent scholars from around the world presented original research that discovered, reflected upon, and recognized the efforts undertaken by India’s great saints to empower scheduled castes. Attending scholars explored the relevance of their research to contemporary social issues and the role of saints in reforming modern society. The conference also highlighted Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s significant contribution to promoting social empowerment and harmony.” It further stated, “The delegates found the conference to be an engaging platform that promoted essential conversations on social empowerment and eliminating social disparities. Attendees also felt the conference encouraged interdisciplinary and diverse perspectives and emphasized the need and means to transcend all forms of social division.”

While presiding over one of the Paper Presentation Sessions of the Conference, I registered my humble presence and said, “I am personally touched and appreciative of the organisers who thought of inviting a non-academic, like me, to this highly academic, intellectual and contemplative event. I am fully conscious of this and would try my best to justify their choice as thinking and alert

observer of contemporary history and my diverse experience as a career diplomat and a social activist. I hope that the intellectual delegates and the discerning audience would bear with me.” and added that as a believer in Guruvani, I will stand to gain from the elite participants as “Tum Chandan Hum Rind Baapre; Sang Tumhare Vasa: Neech Rukh Te Unch Bhao Hain Gandh Suganadh Niwasa” Referring to the theme of the Conference I said in my submissions, “The Saints of ancient and medieval times did their job in reforming the society and empowering the weaker sections of the society including our Matri Shakti. Their contribution in the process is a chequered history and will remain so. Reform and Change is an unending process. The contemporary Saints steped into the shoes of our worthy forefathers – Narayana Guru, Mahatma Jyotirao Phule, Chatrapati Sahu, Swami Daya Nand, Swami Vivekanand, Rama Krishna Param Hans, and Maharishi Arvindo among others carried the agenda forward in empowering the socially and educationally weaker sections of the society. In this unending process, and rightly so, the next generation of reformists and saviors of the depressed and oppressed segments of the society emerged in the form of modern Saints; Mahatma Gandhi, Babasaheb B.R. Ambedkar, Swaminarayan, Rabindernath Tagore, Achutananda among others to name a few. In the more recent times HH Pramukh Swami Maharaj and many more did their best and contributed immensely to the ongoing process of ‘Removing Tears’

of every eye.” Concluding my remarks, I urged the present day players to do more in empowering the marginalized sections of the society and added, “It is a matter of satisfaction that we are on track. We have, perhaps, arrived but we are yet to reach. Our social and cultural organizations like RSS, Bhagwan Swaminarayan Research Institute and SGPC among others are expected to do more in the process of India’s tryst with destiny which we started in 1947. The lofty ideals of our constitution; Equality, Liberty, Justice and Fraternity would be realized only by establishing Casteless Society, Equitable Social Order and Samarasta by carrying forward the agenda of our Holy Saints – Bahujan Hitai:Bahujan Sukhai. Giving my reflections on the deliberations, I noted with gratification that since morning I got a distinct and welcome feeling, by listening to the Saints and the battery of elite participants, that they all equated ‘empowerment’ with ‘Samrasta’ in the society and rightly so, the very need to bring about a ‘just social order’ – Der Ayae -Darust Ayae. I appreciated the views of Tarun Vijay, MP and   National Spokesperson of BJP who candidly said, “India would not be India without Samrasta.” Milind Kamle, Founder of Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry termed himself as a “Sipahi of Samrasta’ and added that ‘economic empowerment’ was as important as social empowerment. I fully endorsed this view and concluded with a poetic recital of Allma Iqbal:

Aao Ghairat Ke Parde Ik Baar Phir Utha Dein
Bichdon Ko Phir Mila Dein Naqsh-E-Dui Mita Den

Sooni Padi Hui Hai Muddat Se Dil Ki Basti
Aa Ik Naya Shiwaala Is Des Mein Bana Den

Dunia Ke Teerthon Se Ooncha Ho Apna Tirath
Daaman-E-Aasman Se Is Ka Kalas Mila Dein

This narration would not be complete if I don’t give briefly my impressions and reflections on the great deliberative event – International Conference on the theme “The Role of Saints in the Empowerment of Scheduled Caste”. Here I go:

·       All the dignitaries, right from the inaugural session to the valedictory session, underlined the importance and relevance of

‘empowering of Scheduled Castes’, and the need of establishing an ‘equitable society’ if India was to become a developed country and the ‘Vishava Guru’ as visualized.

·       It became clear and rightly so that ‘Empowerment’ and ‘Samrasta’ are synonymous and complementary to each other. Empowerment of the weaker sections of the society could be achieved by bring about Samrasta in the society and Empowerment would lead to Samarasta

·       One very important recently emerged trait came to fore in the deliberations. Many of the delegates; particularly MP Tarun Vijay, Guru Prakash Paswan, Milind Kamble and also the Saints of Swaminarayan mission were of the view that the main stream of the society should accept the fact that some ‘deformities’ had cropped in the social structures over the centuries resulting in social inequalities. There was no point in remaining in the ‘denial mode’ and keep on defending the indefensible and justifying the unjust. It was noted with satisfaction that, of late, it was observed that things were changing and well meaning socio-cultural organizations and also spiritual outfits were getting active and engaged in the process. It is a welcome development.

·       Some of the delegates also observed that such deliberations having ‘reform intent’ should be open to all segments of the society as it was seen in the Conference rather than limiting it to the concerned communities. Empowerment of the weaker sections pertained to the entire society at large; particularly the main stream of the society.

·       While listening to the deliberations, I felt that, perhaps, both the socio-cultural and also the spiritual leadership of the country have realized that Samrasta and Empowerment would put the country on rails to move forward to appropriate the lofty ideals of our forefathers like HH Pramukh Swami Maharaj who preached, “No one is great or modest by ones birth or caste. Any ones greatness is measured by ones values and work. Discrimination on the basis of caste is an ill intension born out of one’s ego.”

·       Last but not the least; I was much impressed by the presence of prominent Saints of Swami Narayan organizations in the Conference and their invaluable contribution to the deliberations which were ably steered by Swami Aksharvatsal, a highly revered personality.

I will be failing in my over all impressions and observations, if I don’t mention about the befitting and picturesque venue of the International Conference on the Role of Saints in the Empowerment of Scheduled Castes – Pramukh Swami Maharaj  Nagar – a specially

planned and artistically created complex or township spread over in 600 acres of land in the outskirts of Amedabad in connection with Pramukg Swami Maharaj’s Centenary Celebrations. The Nagar was formally declared open by PM Narendra Modi on December 14 as ‘Pramukh Swami Maharaj Satabdi Mahaotsav (1921-2021) – a befitting and an ‘awe-inspiring’ tribute to the mission and thought of Swaminarayan.

I take this opportunity to wish Happy New Year to all. Let us usher ourselves into fresh optimism in the new year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Uniform Civil Code (UCC): A cursory Analysis

 

Uniform Civil Code (UCC): A cursory Analysis    

The issue of UCC is again in the news with a private member’s bill introduced in the Rajya Sabha. With a view to make the things easy to understand for the common man, I thought of sharing a common man’s take on the subject. The bill, inter alia, seeks to “provide for the constitution of the

National Inspection and Investigation Committee for preparation of Uniform Civil Code and its implementation throughout the territory of India and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto”. The bill was supported by the ruling BJP and opposed by the opposition, as expected, on the respective party lines. UCC repeatedly remained on the agenda of the ruling BJP and other right wing Hindu outfits right from independence in 1947, framing of the constitution and thereafter. As such it remained a controversial issue. BJP and other proponents quote Article 44 of the Constitution which reads, “Shall endeavour to secure for the citizens a uniform civil code throughout the territory of India” and underline that it was the will of the majority of the constitution makers to have UCC that is why it was stipulated in the constitution under the Directive Principles of State Policy. On the other side the Congress Party and other parties in the opposition argued that time was not ripe to have UCC as it would tend to fragment the social fabric of the country which was   threat due to various factors. The opposition argued and said that the proposed legislation was against the principles enshrined in Article 26B and Article 29(1) of the Constitution, which allow people “to manage its own affairs in matters of religion” and the right to conserve distinct language, script or culture.

The Constituent Assembly discussed and debated the matter extensively and decided to insert the issue of UCC under the Directive Principles of State Policy. The Chief Architect of the Constitution, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was, prime facie, in favour of UCC as his personal motivation was to reform the

society of graded inequality of which the socially depressed classes and the women folk were suffering for centuries. He was of the view that the UCC aimed to provide protection to vulnerable sections including women and religious minorities, while also promoting nationalistic fervor through unity. BJP and proponents of UCC often tend to take shelter under Ambedkar while pursuing their agenda in this regard. Babasaheb Ambedkar was a visionary and pragmatic leader and a nationalist to the core. India is a multi-cultural and multi-racial society. The Hindu conservatives were interested in maintaining the Hindu traditions with regard to civil matters of marriage, divorce, inheritance and share of women folk on one hand and the Muslim minority were keen to retain the personal laws like Shariat as India was a secular state which guaranteed religious freedom. Dr. Ambedkar agreed to insert the UCC under the Directive Principles of State Policy, I think, against his own liking. The objective of Article 44 of the Directive Principles in the Indian Constitution was to address the discrimination against vulnerable groups and harmonize diverse cultural groups across the country. Dr. B R Ambedkar, while formulating the Constitution had said that a UCC is desirable but for the moment it should remain voluntary, and thus the Article 35 of the draft Constitution was added as a part of the Directive Principles of the State Policy in part IV of the Constitution of India as Article 44. It was incorporated in the Constitution as an aspect that would be fulfilled when the nation would be ready to accept it and the social acceptance to the UCC could be made. Babasaheb Ambedkar warned and said in the Constituent Assembly, "No one need be apprehensive that if the State has the power, the State will immediately proceed to execute…that power in a manner may be found to be objectionable by the Muslims or by the Christians or by any other community. I think it would be a mad government if it did so." It was a far-sighted and pragmatic approach. We need to build “consensus’ on the issue. The minority communities should also not adopt a hard attitude just for the heck of it as many of the Islamic states have opted for ‘Common Law System and Civil Law Systems. The legal systems of countries all over the world are divided into two categories: common law systems and civil law systems. There are around 150 nations with predominantly civil law systems, compared to approximately 80 countries with common law systems. A Uniform Civil Code means that all sections of the society irrespective of their religion shall be treated equally according to a national civil code, which shall be applicable to all uniformly. They cover areas like- Marriage, divorce, maintenance, inheritance, adoption and succession of the property.

India was not a nation. Under the post independence struggle, we are trying our best to make it a modern nation as a ‘Union of States’ with its diversity and individual freedoms. We are to maintain this under its ‘secular’ identity as many democratic and federal countries like the USA have done. In the United States of America, States are independent legal entities with their own Supreme Courts, which follow their own practices and legal conventions. Even though there are common principles that govern these civil laws in the States in a manner that is universal across the nation.

Ambedkar was not only a constitutional expert but also a great social reformer to make India a cohesive country. In the face of stiff opposition, he was interested in safeguarding the interest of women and depressed classes and proposed changes which later came as Hindu Code Bills - The Hindu code bills were several laws passed in the 1950s that aimed to codify and reform Hindu personal law in India, abolishing religious law in favor of a common law code. Ambedkar even resigned, in 1951, from his coveted position as the Law Minister in the Government of PM Jawaharlal Nehru when PM Nehru could not carry forward the reform agenda of Ambedkar. Nehru could not convince President Rajendra

Prasad who openly opposed the proposed Hindu Code Bills. He said, “My right to examine it (the bill) on its merits, when it is passed by the Parliament, before giving assent to it is there. But if any action of mine at a later stage is likely to cause embarrassment to the Government, I may take such appropriate actions as I may be called upon to avoid such embarrassment consistently with the dictates of my own conscience."

In this background, we need to be balanced and practical in addressing this complex issue as advised by Babasaheb Ambedkar. It is a matter of satisfaction that so far our judiciary has acted pragmatically to reconcile the differences owing to Uniform Criminal Code as against Diversified Civil Code - While the criminal laws in India are uniform and applicable equally on all, no matter what their religious beliefs are, the civil laws are influenced by faith. Swayed by religious texts, the personal laws which come into effect in civil cases have always been implemented according to constitutional norms.

All said and done, I think Uniform Civil Code would be beneficial to the health of the society at large. I quote from an article on the subject which explains the matter further and puts the issue in its perspective, “Since India is an emerging and progressive country, and it is a bit disappointing to hear that we are not bolting our attention to achieve the core purpose of equality and secularism that we have committed to providing to our citizens. India can be a great nation only if the same laws relating to inheritance, marriage, family, land, etc. apply to all citizens, irrespective of caste, creed or community. All Indians will be treated equally in this way. The age-old religious customs and personal laws of our country are usually gender-based.
The Uniform Civil Code is an indication of a progressive modern nation. It is an indication that the nation has moved away from caste politics and religious politics. We as a nation are regularly striving towards the best possible economic growth, it might also be right to say that socially and culturally we have degraded to a new low.
A uniform civil code will help to improve the conditions of women in India. It will help to bring about changes in the age-old traditions that have no relevance in today's modern society, where women should be accorded equal rights and treated fairly. The uniform civil code in India will ensure not division on the basis of religion but unity by creating a sense of nationality.”

 

 

 

 

       

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Naman to Babasaheb B.R. Ambedkar

 

Naman to Babasaheb  B.R. Ambedkar     

Today, December 6, is the Mahaparinirvan Diwas (death anniversary) of the great icon of humanity, Babasaheb B.R.

Ambedkar (April 14, 1891 – December 6, 1956). I wrote on the day several times in my blogs in the successive years to pay my humble tributes to the great leader. Due to busy schedule, I intended to remain silent this year. But today I read something about Babasaheb in the media and I thought of picking up the threads and make some observations as Naman to Babasaheb on his Mahaparinivan Diwas.

PM Narendra Modi, paying Tribute to Babasaheb rightly said, “Remembering the great Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar on Mahaparinivan Diwas; his thoughts and ideals continue to give

strength to millions. We are committed to fulfilling the dreams he had for our nation.” It is a befitting tribute to Babasaheb. Yet another interesting aspect, which hither to remained under the carpet, came to light. “B.R. Ambedkar was a lifelong Public Diplomat” – an article appeared on the editorial page of the HindustanTimes on December 6. It has been written by two prominent public personalities; Guru Prakash Paswan and Sudarshan Ramabadran, co-authors of the book ‘Makers of Modern Dalit History’. It must be a well researched book though I am yet to lay my hands on the book. The following quote from the article justifies the title f the article, “Public diplomacy has many definitions but broadly speaking, it means a country communicating its values, culture or policies to a foreign audience. B.R. Ambedkar, an Ambassador of Human Rights epitomized this in many ways. He was a strong global communicator of what plagued India and what India ought to do to overcome its challenges to be a model for the world. He also championed soft power much before the term came into the foreign policy lexicon – never resorting to violence in pursuit of social change nor backing anything that called for violence.” The authors termed Babasaheb as “Ambedkar was an inveterate diplomat.” Some days ago, I also saw a video interview MP Shashi Tharoor on The Wire conducted by Karan Thapar on his recent book ‘Ambedkar: A Life’ in which both Karan Thapar and Shashi Tharoor wondered that how come PM Narendra Modi, who clearly and loudly, considered Ambedkar his icon in the face of perceived perception that BJP and RSS and the Hinduitva leadership in general would be able to stomach ‘candid and assertive’ views of Babasaheb Ambedkar on Hinduism and Hindu traditions like

Varanvibashtha (Caste system). RSS Sanghsanchalak Mohan Bhagwat also in the recent past rightly and publically owned the legacy of Ambedkar with regard to bring about ‘Samrasta’ in the society. I would not go into the details of this and leave the matter here as, I think, it is up to PM Narendra Modi and Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat and the hardcore Hindu leadership as to how would they synchronize, assimilate and harmonize their views and position with that of B.R. Ambedkar’s. Followers of Ambedkar and the marginalized segments of the society should be rather happy that the so-called ‘opponents’ of Babasaheb Ambedkar  are voluntarily willing to appropriate him and his legacy for the larger interest of the country and the society at large. It should be appreciated and welcomed, to my mind.

As I said that I did not intend to write a long piece today. I would like to mention about April 14, birthday of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar as ‘International Day of Equality’ under the aegis of UN; a proposal resting the GOI (MEA) since June, 2015 and earnestly urge PM

Narendra Modi and solicit support of Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat to kindly re-visit the proposal afresh in pursuance of India’s Soft Diplomacy of which B.R. Ambedkar was the early proponent as asserted by Guru Prakash Paswan and Sudharshan Ramabadran. Ambedkar in himself is a potent force which cannot be suppressed for long.

Naman to Babasaheb Ambedkar on his Maha-Parinirvan Diwas

 

G-20 Presidency: A Proud Moment for Indian Diplomacy

 

G-20 Presidency: A Proud Moment for Indian Diplomacy

 The G-20 or Group of Twenty is an intergovernmental forum comprising 20 countries and the European Union. It works to address major issues related to the global economy, such as international financial stability, climate change mitigation, and sustainable

development. The members of the G20 are: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union. The G20 was formed in 1999, in the wake of the Asian financial crisis, to unite finance ministers and central bankers from twenty of the world's largest established and emerging economies. The main purpose of G-20 is to bring together important industrialized and developing economies to discuss key issues in the global economy. The G20 Countries together represent around 90% of global GDP, 80% of global trade, and two thirds of the world’s population. The objectives of the G20 are: a) Policy coordination between its members in order to achieve global economic stability, sustainable growth; b) To promote financial regulations that reduce risks and prevent future financial crises; and c) To create a new international financial architecture.

 India’s participation in the G-20 process stems from the realization that as a major developing economy India has a vital stake in the stability of the international economic and financial system. India has been actively involved in the G20 preparatory process both at the

Sherpas Track and the Financial Track since its inception in 1999. The movement of glory for the Indian diplomacy came at the G-20 Summit held at Bali (Indonesia) on November 26, 2022 when the baton of the next Summit of G-20 to be held in New Delhi was formally passed on PM Narendra Modi by the President of Indonesia. Accepting the great responsibility and honour, PM Narendra Modi, while stating the agenda, said, “. India’s Presidency of G-20 would be “inclusive, ambitious, decisive and action-oriented". Earlier the logo and theme of the G-20 Submit to be held under the Presidency of India was released and it was rightly underlined the importance of the G-20 Summit to be held in New Delhi in November, 2023 under challenging times for the world’s emerging economic and security scenario. Indian political and economic leadership and also the diplomatic establishment are fully geared up to host the occasion and realize the professed and proclaimed lofty ideals of “One Earth, One Family, One Future”.

India has formally assumed the Presidency of the G-20 on December 1, 2022 with great enthusiasm and earnestness. In a story, the Indian Express rightly termed the occasion as a ‘watershed moment’ and said, “India has formally assumed the presidency of G-20 on December 1 and the Heads of Government Summit has been planned

for the second half of 2023. The G20 summit would be qualitatively different from any of the previous multilateral summits that India has hosted. None of the previous summits had the world’s largest economies assembled in one place nor did they have the entire P-5 (permanent members of the UN Security Council) represented. In that sense, the G-20 summit would be the first of its kind in Indian history.” PM Naendra Modi, in an article on the subject, highlighted the over-all reach of the G-20 and said, “India looks forward to a Presidency of healing, harmony and hope.” A key element of India’s G20 Presidency will be taking the G20 closer to the public and making it truly a ‘People’s G20’. To realize this, Citizen engagement and large scale public participation through various Jan Bhagidari activities are planned throughout the year. It was stated in a Press Release of the Ministry of External Affairs. The Press Release further said, “Drawing inspiration from its G20 Presidency theme of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ - ‘One Earth One Family One Future’, India will host over 200 meetings in over 50

cities across 32 different work streams, and would have the opportunity to offer G20 delegates and guests a glimpse of India’s rich cultural heritage and provide them with a unique Indian experience.”India has fully risen to the occasion to host the G-20 Summit in association and cooperation of all the members of the august body and stake holders. G-20 Secretariat is fully functional under the stewardship of one of the experienced and competent administrators, Amitabh Kant, as the Sherpa of G-20 - A Sherpa is a guide in the Himalayas, taking mountaineers to the summit. Similarly, #G20 Sherpa spearheads the Presidency to the final Leaders Summit; fully supported and assisted by the finest diplomats of India; Harsh Vardan Shringla, Muktesh Pardeshi, Abhay Kumar  along with their team of young diplomats. The Envoys of the members countries and others concerned were fully briefed of the preparations and nitty gritty of the G-20 Summit in the second half of the year. On December 1, all the important buildings and monuments were fully illuminated with a view to encourage public participation and appreciation of the historic and proud movement of India. EAM Dr. S. Jaishankar underlining the point said, “Given its significance, we would like G20 to be not a Delhi-centric event but one that is celebrated across the width and breadth of the country,”

and added, “The countrywide spread of the event will help Indian citizens to understand that as a result of the G-20, India will be “more world-ready” and the “world more India-ready”. EAM Jaishankar termed G-20 Presidency as “unparalleled, a crucial responsibility” and further said, “This is not a development that should be regarded as one more diplomatic happening. On the contrary, it is a crucial responsibility that is being assumed by India at a very challenging time in world politics and at an inflection point in India’s own history”.

All said and done, G-20 Summit 2023 is proud moment and a timely opportunity to show and register India’s strength as the biggest democracy of the world on one hand and a humane and civilized society standing for ‘peace and equitable world order’ as a responsible member of the comity of nations. With a view to achieve this lofty goal, we need to be strong and resilient at home as a ‘secular, socialist and democratic’ country as stipulated in the Constitution of India. It is said that foreign policy of any country is an extension of its internal situation. India needs to be strong and stable from within. We need to push for ‘political consensus’ across the political spectrum. It is a matter of gratification to note that GOI under PM Narendra Modi has already started the process by calling an all party meeting on the subject – Agaz To Acha Hai; Anjam Bhi Acha Hi Hoga.

मैं नहीं संदेश स्वर्ग का लाया; इस भूतल को ही स्वर्ग बनाने आया