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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | 'Ambedkar would have recognized the humour'-Avijit Ghosh

'Ambedkar would have recognized the humour'-Avijit Ghosh

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published Published on May 12, 2012   modified Modified on May 12, 2012
-The Times of India

The Ambedkar-Nehru cartoon controversy has drawn contrasting views from political analysts and social scientists. Dalit intellectuals feel the cartoon is demeaning to Dr Ambedkar. Others believe the controversy is needless, with one commentator saying it smacks of "psephocracy", a system where electoral politics and priorities drive decision-making.

Says social scientist Ashis Nandy, "The controversy indicates that though the process of democratization has taken place, democratic values have not seeped into society. Democracy has been reduced to psephocracy."

The controversy erupted over a cartoon included in the NCERT political science book for Class XI students. Drawn by Shankar in 1949, it showed Dr B R Ambedkar sitting with a whip in hand over a snail named 'Constitution'. Behind him stands Jawaharlal Nehru, then Prime Minister of India, aiming his whip at Ambedkar and the snail. A furore over the cartoon, interpreted as a humiliation to Ambedkar by his supporters, forced the government on Friday to ask the NCERT to remove the offending cartoon and stop distribution of the textbooks.

Social scientist Shiv Viswanathan says that in a deep and fundamental way, the controversy is unfair to both Nehru and Ambedkar. "A respected cartoonist, Shankar understood the humour of politics. The cartoon acknowledges Dr Ambedkar as the steersman and pilot of the Constitution even though Nehru seems to be in a worry. It is not disrespectful to anybody. Ambedkar would have been the first to recognize the humour and empathy in the cartoon."

He further says that the very fact that an old 1949 cartoon is being exhumed and represented the way it is indicates that we don't understand the constitution or politics or history. "The order for its removal from textbooks shows that Union human resources minister Kapil Sibal cannot stand up to a piece of history. The cartoon's withdrawal also illustrates a nominal, almost hypocritical, recognition of Dalit power."

Dalit intellectual Chandrabhan Prasad feels the cartoon falsifies history. He says, "The cartoonist shows that Dr B R Ambedkar is riding a snail, meaning he is slow in making the Constitution. Jawaharlal Nehru, with a whip in hand, is asking him to expedite the process. Is that a historical reality? Was Pt Nehru at any stage involved in making of the Constitution? Those who teach wrong history to children, write a wrong future for the nation. Making fun of the father of India's Constitution is unpardonable."

D Shyam Babu, senior visiting fellow, Centre for Policy Research says it may be true that we took more time framing the Constitution. "But neither is Ambedkar guilty of slow progress nor is Nehru above blame," he says. Babu adds, "The controversy is a sign of both Dalit assertion and the growing intolerance in the country. It is not a fit case to disrupt Parliament, though."

The Times of India, 12 May, 2012, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Ambedkar-would-have-recognized-the-humour/articleshow/13102015.cms


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