The Grammar of Anarchy
Came across this speech made my Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar at the passing of India’s constitution. It is a fascinating read; a great reminder of how fragile our new found independence and democracy were at the time. It is somewhat saddening that several of his concerns about India are relevant even today.
My favorite lines from the speech:
” For in India, Bhakti or what may be called the path of devotion or hero-worship, plays a part in its politics unequalled in magnitude by the part it plays in the politics of any other country in the world. Bhakti in religion may be a road to the salvation of the soul. But in politics, Bhakti or hero-worship is a sure road to degradation and to eventual dictatorship.”
(Ironic, given that Ambedkar’s status as a demi-God is being exploited by all political parties to establish vote banks.)
” I am of opinion that in believing that we are a nation, we are cherishing a great delusion. How can people divided into several thousands of castes be a nation? The sooner we realize that we are not as yet a nation in the social and psychological sense of the world, the better for us. For then only we shall realize the necessity of becoming a nation and seriously think of ways and means of realizing the goal. “
” We must abandon the method of civil disobedience, non-cooperation and satyagraha. When there was no way left for constitutional methods for achieving economic and social objectives, there was a great deal of justification for unconstitutional methods. But where constitutional methods are open, there can be no justification for these unconstitutional methods. These methods are nothing but the Grammar of Anarchy and the sooner they are abandoned, the better for us.”
