Ambedkar Intellectual Summit 2024 : A short report
(SAMAJ WEEKLY)- Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar regarded an intellectual class as the torchbearer of the movement. By intellectual class he did not mean an elite class separated from the rest of the community. According to Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar a person shouldering the social responsibility is far greater a person than one who is only striving for personal growth. Recently, the younger generation of Ambedkarites appears to be gearing towards that role of intellectual leadership. In a recently concluded online Ambedkar Intellectual Summit 2024, more than 820 people joined the WhatsApp Group created to facilitate the Summit. Over 30 youths from various universities and professions moderated 17 sessions of the renowned scholars in the field. Over 50 participated in the live Zoom sessions on an average. Many attended the Facebook livestreaming. The videos of all the sessions are uploaded on the YouTube and gaining eyes and ears.
Such facts demonstrate that there is a growing enthusiasm among the Ambedkarite youths to engage with the complex ideas discussed by the scholars. This intellectual engagement is a way to go for the Ambedkarite movement to reach to its logical end.
Fighting Slavery of Caste and Untouchability
Gopal Guru laid out the theorisation of slavery and a uneven dialectical tension in built in the master – slave relation. He hinted out that the only way to emancipate is to come out of this dialectics and chose one’s own path for the reclamation of human person.
Jesus Chairez’s unique exploration of untouchability in the writings, speeches, and its conceptual development in Babasaheb’s intellectual journey is a fresh examination. The study shows the the intellectual prowess of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar to utilise the knowledge to transform the society.
Need of Ambedkarite epistemological exploration
Varsha Ayyar’s presentation challenged the appropriation of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar by the Caste Hindu academia and their selective reading establishing grounds for Ambedkarite epistemology that can produce theories that can be deployed for total liberation.
Peter Friedlander waded through the thickets of identities and showed how various identities can be reconciled by broadening the platform to include all as Bahujans means the people. The people matters.
Engaging with communities
Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar engaged with several communities. Shibi Peter showed how Christianity in India can engage with Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s anti – caste movement. Similarity, Rajkumar Hans gave the comprehensive presentation on Sikhism, Casteism, and Ambedkarite movement. He stressed the need for going back to the original spirit of Sikhism. Khalid Ansari showed how the 80 percent of India’s Muslim population is Pasmanda, the Bahujans, that constitute the lower castes. He stressed the need of unity and synchronization between the Pasmanda and Bahujan movement as a single movement against the upper castes of both Islam and Hinduism. These three pivotal sessions pointed out that continuous engagement for social justice with all those affected by the caste virus is a key aspect of Ambedkarism.
Exploring manifold dimensions of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar
Scott Stroud unleashed the power of what he termed as the ” Navayana Pragmatism “. He showed how pragmatism can operate in all domains of human life and that it is tradition in which the pragmatists carry on their work in their chosen domain. He gave a crystal clear explanation of independence of thinking involved in solving the problems they face. Strikingly, he brought to the sessions certain facts like Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s engagement with Buddhism very early on and putting it in communication and comparing it with other philosophical traditions, most prominently, Deweyan pragmatism.
Stephen Batchelor ‘s presentation on Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar and secular Buddhism was path-breaking in a sense he explore the concept and practice of ethics as the very heart of Buddha’s teaching. Basing on his deep reading of the Buddhist texts and four decades long practice, Stephen Batchelor is arguing for stressing on certain aspects of Buddhism that needs emphasise for the Buddhists today to make sense of. He regarded Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar as the grandfather of Secular Buddhism, a termed Stephen coined to clarity how Buddhism can operate in today’s world.
Minal Sangole explored the educational philosophy and educational movement that Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar launched through his educational institutes under People’s Education Society. She showed how these institutions catered to various disciplines including formation of Mathematical society and Science society. The art and culture was so important aspect of these institutions.
Jaisingh Nageshwaran explored the emergence of Dalit art movement in Tamil Nadu showing how resistance through art is possible and how it can be made commercially viable by making it popular. The trajectory he explored is a template for Dalit art today.
Komal Rajak’s presentation on Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, Hindu Code Bill, and women’s liberation focused on Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s interventions and set of strategies to bring much needed gender equality.
Dr. Karpagan dealt with the topic of public health and medical health from the perspective of Ambedkarite movement. She showed how various movements of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar were geared towards public health of the vast population of people of India.
Uday Jain demonstrated through his presentation on Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar and WEB DuBois as to how many possibilities arise of mutual learning that can have lasting impact on both the communities and countries.
Anil Wagle explored as to how the emerging opportunities in the technological domain can be utilised by the younger generations of Ambedkarites.
Comparing Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar and Manyavar Kanshiram, Dhananjay Wanjari explained how movement can be rejuvenated in the contemporary times in the given political situation.
Christophe Jaffrelot made a comprehensive presentation on Importance of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar for India today taking the audiences through historical events and how Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar strategised to bring about a radical transformation.
All the 17 sessions were very vibrant and interactive.
This Summit culminated into not only intellectual rejuvenation but also many youth decided to take it forward in their own way in their respective domains.
All the sessions are available on :
