Struggle to Combat ‘Graded Inequality’ in India: Conflict Without Consensus

Abstract

Dr. Ambedkar had adopted strategy to have ‘consensus compromise’ rather than blatant revolt, and an option for reformation than revolution and thus he was mostly the part of process in reformation rather than agitation or complaining from outside. This approach reflects in his movement against ‘graded inequality’. Probably, his participation in RTC, forced consent in ‘Poona Pact’, acceptance as ‘Law Minister’ in Congress Govt. reveals this strategy. However, the ‘Hindu Code Bill’ was last an attempt of Dr. Ambedkar to reform ‘graded inequality’ of Hinduism from within. Since from the beginning of his political career, Dr. Ambedkar was criticizing Hinduism for inbuilt inequality, but tried to bring reformation. There occurred the incidences where his movement had reached at crossroad and in clear conflict with two Congress leaders. First during Poona-pact which ended with ‘Consensus compromise’, and second ‘Hindu Code Bill’ which ended with frustration of ‘fractured faith’ of Dr. Ambedkar. The author has attempted to analyze the struggle of Dr. Ambedkar against the ‘graded inequality’ with specific reference to the Poona-Pact & Hindu code Bill. It has further examine with his strategic approach he adopted in Poona-pact of reaching to ‘consensus compromise’ and reformation from within, and finally adopted in Hindu Code Bill to have non-optional ‘conversion’ and reformation from outside the system. His movement was at crossroad with other eminent the then leaders in both these incidences, but in former, the outcome was not much harsh and adverse but in latter, it was too harsh to rectify the loss in reaching the common consensus of eliminating ‘graded inequality’. The author has also tried to make appraisal of impact of Hindu code Bill controversy on the further of struggle against the ‘graded inequality’ in Hinduisms and Indian politics. The conclusion in this respect is self-explanatory.