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20 12/04/2018 ıÏappleª www.samajweekly.com Harpeet S Arora to Promote Philippines Traditional Martial Arts in Traditional Sports and Games UNESCO. Arora is voted into positon to help promote and boost awareness of foot fighting traditional sports once again. After a long period of reflection, Harpeet S. Arora has been appointed the Joint Secretary of the Global Sikaran Federation (GSF). A meeting, held in Los Angeles, California, was put together in a bid to finally decide upon the next group leader of the GSF. The aim of the meeting was to help create a long-term plan of action to help promote and push ancient fighting arts once again, and Harpeet S. Arora was appointed to the role of Joint Secretary. Organized by Secretary General of the Adhoc Advisory Committee, Shammi Rana, this meeting was of vital importance. Rana, the UNESCO Traditional Sports and Games chair, was joined by Hari Osias Banaang, the President of the Global Sikaran Federation, as well as Vishal Kaushik, the Vice President of the Rising Sun Welfare Society. In an energizing meeting, much was discussed in an attempt to help create a plan of action for promotion of classic Sikaran sports. These sports, originally from the Philippines, have fallen out of modern parlance and the aim here is to help return these events to their original grandeur. Sikaran is totally different from other forms of martial arts, according to Banaang. While karate uses the hands, for example, kung fu uses the feet and the hands. Meanwhile taekwondo is likely to be the main discipline that’s closest to the old ways. Speaking to the office bearers and players gathered at this LA visit, Rana made clear there is an absolute need for the world to embrace and endorse more traditional games and disciplines Continue Page 23 Mark Zuckerberg apologises to U.S.... Senone of us are going to have any privacy anymore,” said Senator Bill Nelson. Mr. Zuckerberg called Facebook “an idealistic and optimistic company” and said, “We focused on all the good that connecting people can bring.” But he acknowledged that “it's clear now that we didn't do enough to prevent these tools from being used for harm as well. That goes for fake news, foreign interference in elections, and hate speech, as well as developers and data privacy.” Mr. Zuckerberg added, “I want to be clear about what our priority is: protecting our community is more important than maximizing our profit.” 'Investigating every app' The Facebook CEO recounted a list of steps aimed at averting improper use of data by third parties like Cambridge Analytica, and noted that other applications were being investigated to determine if they did anything wrong. On Friday, Facebook sought to allay concerns over political manipulation of its platform by announcing support for the “Honest Ads Act” that requires election ad buyers to be identified, and to go further by verifying who sponsors ads on key public policy issues. Mr. Zuckerberg vowed to “hire thousands of more people” to get the new system in place ahead of U.S. midterm elections in November, starting the process in the United States and taking it global in the coming months. such as this. With sport becoming increasingly commercialized, a return to less commercially driven sports is vital to help maintain the honour and soul of sport. Rana also stated that UNESCO is fully committed towards this agenda, and works to help create greater awareness worldwide. A New Secretary The newly appointed Joint Secretary, Harpeet S. Arora, thanks Mr. Rana and UNESCO for their efforts in helping promote such a vital topic. Also, they spoke of the cultural immensity that traditional sports have helped to forge in the fighting Continue Page 22 Ambedkar’s vision of a secular ... character or for giving stipends to clerics, but to impart education, to set up health care facilities and improve industry and infrastructure. Leaders make a mockery of democracy when they insist that the cultural norms of the majority community are to be equated to that of the entire nation or when they allow archaic, illiberal, gendered practices to continue out of anxiety of losing the votes of a minority community, thereby ignoring the wishes and sentiments of sane members of all communities and playing into the hands of the most radical, regressive sections of society. This whole debate about religious intolerance and communal animosities should be reviewed through the prism of the principle of Fraternity, incorporated in our Constitution at the insistence of Babasaheb. Fraternity postulates a sense of solidarity and strong empathy among citizens, an acknowledgement that different faiths and practices are not just to be ‘tolerated’, a term smacking of superciliousness and condescension, but to be accepted and respected as sacrosanct and reverential, just like our own. Fraternity calls for a commitment to move with time, to educate ourselves and to contribute to the progress of nations, while extending our helping hand to those sections of society who are lagging behind and need our support. More than ever before, we need to cling to the magnificient ideas of secularism, equality, justice, fraternity and social democracy embedded in our Constitution, all of which can coalesce into making India a country which values religion but doesn’t propagate infallibility of religion, which progressively treats religion as a matter of private faith rather than public posturing, which is free from exploitation and discrimination, which prioritises rationality and social harmony. The writer is Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, Women’s Christian College, Kolkata. world, with foot fighting a historically practiced sport in various parts of the world, from India and Pakistan to the United States of America and Canada. The aim long-term is to hold more local and international level tournaments in a bid to help raise awareness and boost long-term participation. The Rising Sun Welfare Society VP, Vishal Kaufik, also spoke of the vital importance of traditional sports in the modern era, especially for young children who need to be helped to find the rich culture of the past instead of finding themselves locked into the modern principles of the present day. √Î≈ AF Á≈ Ï≈’Δ... √«ÚË≈È Á∂ Ï≈ÈΔ Ï≈Ï≈ √≈«‘Ï ”Â∂ ¿∞È∑≈∫ ÁΔ ’∞appleÏ≈ÈΔ ¡√Ò √Óμ«√¡≈ Á≈ √ÏßË ‘À, ¿∞‘ Âª ¿∞Ê∂ ÁΔ ¿∞Ê∂ ‘Δ ‘À¢ «‹√ ÏßÁ∂ È±ß «¬’ ÷ÂappleÈ≈’ ¤ÛÔßÂapple ¡ËΔÈ ¡¤±Â Ï‰≈ ’∂ Ï≈’Δ ÓÈ∞μ÷Δ √Ó≈‹ ÂØ∫ ¤∂’ «ÁμÂ≈ «◊¡≈, ¿∞√ ÁΔ ¤±‘,¿∞√ ÁΔ ¤ª, ¿∞√ ÁΔ «Áμ÷ ÓÈ‘±√ ¡Â∂ ¡Í«ÚμÂapple ’apple≈apple Á∂ ’∂ ‘˜≈appleª √≈Ò ’∞μ«Â¡ª «Ïμ«Ò¡ª ÂØ∫ ÚΔ ÌÀÛ≈ ‹ΔÚÈ «‹¿±‰ Â∂ Ó‹Ï±apple ’apple «ÁμÂ≈ «◊¡≈ ¿∞‘ Âª ¿∞Ú∂∫ «‹Ú∂∫ ◊appleΔÏΔ, Ó∞Ê≈‹◊Δ «Ú⁄ ÂÛÎÁ≈ «apple‘≈¢ ¡μ‹ Úß‚Δ¡ª Í≈¿∞‰ ÁΔ ’Ø«Ù√ ’ΔÂΔ ‹≈ apple‘Δ ‘À¢ Ì≈appleÂ Èß± ¡≈˜≈ÁΔ «ÓÒ‰ Á∂ Ï≈¡Á Ì≈appleÂ ÁΔ ÓΩ‹±Á≈ √apple’≈apple Èß± «¬’ ¡À‘Ø «‹‘∂ √±fiÚ≈È ¡≈ÁÓΔ ÁΔ ‹apple±appleÂ Ó«‘√±√ ‘Ø¬Δ,«‹‘Û≈ Ì≈appleÂ Èß± ⁄Ò≈¿∞‰ «Ú⁄ ’Ø¬Δ «¬‘Ø «‹‘≈ ¬∂‹ß‚≈ «Â¡≈apple ’apple∂ «‹√ ”Â∂ Â«‘Â Ì≈appleÂ Èß± ¡μ◊∂ «Ò‹≈‰ «Ú⁄ ÓÁÁ «ÓÒ √’∂¢ «¬√ ÷Ø‹ «Ú⁄ √≈«apple¡ª ÁΔ Èãpple Ï≈Ï≈ √≈«‘Ï ¡ßÏ∂‚’apple Â∂ ◊¬Δ, «’¿∞∫«’ ¿∞‘ ÍÛ∑∂ «Ò÷∂-√±fiÚ≈È ¡Â∂ ¿∞⁄Δ √Ø⁄ appleμ÷‰ Ú≈Ò∂ √È¢ ÓΩ’∂ ÁΔ √apple’≈apple È∂ Ï≈Ï≈ √≈«‘Ï ¡ßÏ∂‚’apple Èß± ’Èß±È ÓßÂappleΔ Á≈ ¡‘μ∞Á≈ Á∂ «ÁμÂ≈, ¡Â∂ «¬√ Âapple∑ª Ï≈Ï≈ √≈«‘Ï ¡ßÏ∂‚’apple Á∂Ù Á∂ Í«‘Ò∂ ’Èß±È ÓßÂappleΔ Ï‰∂¢ ¿∞È∑ª Èß± «¬’ Ï‘∞Â Úμ‚Δ «‹ßÓ∂Ú≈appleΔ «ÁμÂΔ ◊¬Δ, Ì≈appleÂ Á≈ √«ÚË≈È Ï‰≈¿∞‰ ÁΔ¢«¬√ Âapple∑ª Á«ÒÂ ’ΩÓ Á∂ ‘Δapple∂ È∂ «¬√ ’≈apple‹ Èß± Í±apple≈ ’appleÈ «Ú⁄ ¡≈Í‰≈ √Ì ’∞fi √«ÚË≈È Ï‰≈¿∞‰ Á∂ √Í∞appleÁ ’apple «ÁμÂ≈¢ ¿∞√ √«ÚË≈È «Ú⁄ ‘apple ‹≈Â, ËappleÓ Èß± «Ë¡≈È «Ú⁄ appleμ÷Á∂ ‘Ø¬∂ Ì≈appleÂ Á∂ √«ÚË≈È Á≈ ‹Ø ÚΔ «‹ßÓ≈ √Δ ¿∞√ Èß± «√apple∂ ⁄≈«Û¡≈¢ ¡μ‹ √≈‚≈ Ì≈appleÂ ¿∞√∂ √«ÚË≈È Á∂ «Á÷≈¬∂ Ó≈apple◊ Â∂ ⁄Ò «apple‘≈ ‘À¢ Íapple ÓΩ’∂ ÁΔ¡ª √apple’≈appleª È∂ ¡≈Í‰∂ ‘Δ «‘μÂª Èß± Í«‘Ò «ÁμÂΔ ¡Â∂ Á«ÒÂª ÚÒ ’Ø¬Δ «‹¡≈Á≈ «Ë¡≈È È‘Δ «ÁÂ≈¢ ¡μ‹ Á∂ ‘≈Ò≈Â «Ú⁄ Á«ÒÂª ”Â∂ ¡ßÈ∑∂Ú≈‘ ‘Ø apple‘∂ ¡μ«Â¡≈⁄≈appleª «Ú⁄ «ÁÈØ- «ÁÈ ÿ‡‰ ÁΔ Ï‹≈¬∂ Ú≈Ë≈ ‘Ø «apple‘≈ ‘À¢ ÈÎappleÂ ÁΔ ¡μ◊ Èß± ‘Øapple ÌÛ’≈«¬¡≈ ‹≈ «apple‘≈ ‘À¢ ¿∞√ Á≈ ¡√apple B ¡ÍappleÀÒ Èß± TÌ≈appleÂ ÏßÁ”” ”Â∂ √Û’ª Â∂ «¬’μ·∂ ‘Ø¬∂ ‘‹±Ó Èß± Á∂÷ ’∂ Èãpple ¡≈«¬¡≈¢«¬√ ÂØ∫ Í«‘Òª «¬√ ÁΔ Ù∞apple±¡≈Â appleØ«‘Â ÚÀÓ∞Ò≈ ÂØ∫ ‘Ø¬Δ ¡Â∂ ‹Ú≈‘apple Ò≈Ò È«‘apple± Ô±ÈΔÚapple«√‡Δ Èß± «ÈÙ≈È≈ Ï‰≈«¬¡≈ «◊¡≈¢«Í¤Ò∂ ’∞fi Ó‘Δ«È¡≈ «Ú⁄ ÚΔ Á«ÒÂª ¿∞Â∂ Ï‘∞Â √≈apple∂ ¡μ«Â¡≈⁄≈apple ‘Ø¬∂ ‹Ø ¡÷Ï≈appleª ÁΔ¡ª √∞apple÷Δ¡ª Ï‰∂¢ Á«ÒÂ Èß± ’Á∂ ◊¿± apple’ÙÙ≈ Á∂ Èª ”Â∂ √≈«apple¡ª Á∂ √≈‘Ó‰∂ √Û’ Â∂ Èß◊≈ ’apple’∂ ’μ∞«‡¡≈ ‹ªÁ≈,’Á∂ Á«ÒÂ Á∂ Óß±‘ «Ú⁄ ÍÙ±¡ª Á≈ ◊Ø‘≈ Í≈¿∞‰ Ò¬Δ Ó˜Ï±apple ’ΔÂ≈ ‹ªÁ≈, «’Â∂ Á«ÒÂ Ò≈Û∂ Èß± «Ú¡≈‘ Ú≈Ò∂ «ÁÈ ÿØÛΔ ”Â∂ ⁄Û∑‰ ÁΔ Ì∞μÒ ’appleÈ ÏÁÒ∂ ’μ∞‡-’∞μ‡ ’∂ Ó≈apple «ÁμÂ≈ ‹ªÁ≈, ’Á∂ Á«ÒÂ Ïμ«⁄¡ª Èß± ¿∞⁄Δ ‹≈ÂΔ ÁΔ fi±·Δ Ù≈È Á≈ «Ù’≈apple Ï‰≈ ’∂ ¿∞È∑ª Á≈ ÙØÙ‰ ’ΔÂ≈ ‹ªÁ≈ «apple‘≈ ‘À, ‘∞‰ Ï≈Ï≈ √≈«‘Ï ¡ßÏ∂‚’apple ÁΔ¡ª Ó±appleÂΔ¡ª Èß± ÂØ«Û¡≈ «◊¡≈,¿∞√ Á∂ È≈Ò Ï∂¡ÁÏΔ ’ΔÂΔ ◊¬Δ¢«¬‘ «¬’μÒ∂ Ï≈Ï≈ √≈«‘Ï ¡ßÏ∂‚’apple ÁΔ Ï∂¡ÁÏΔ ÁΔ ◊μÒ È‘Δ-ÏÒ«’ √Ó∞μ⁄∂ Ì≈appleÂ Á∂ √«ÚË≈È ÁΔ Ï∂¡ÁÏΔ ‘À¢ «√¡≈√ÂÁ≈È ¡≈Í‰Δ¡ª Á«ÒÂ «ÚappleØËΔ ⁄≈Òª Èß± ’≈ÓÔ≈Ï ’appleÈ ÁΔ¡ª ’Ø«ÙÙª «Ú⁄ Òμ◊∂ ‘Ø¬∂ ‘È¢ ¡μ‹ ÁΔ¡ª √apple’≈appleª ÚÒØ∫ Ï≈Ï≈ √≈«‘Ï ¡ßÏ∂‚’apple ‹Δ Á∂ Èª Èß± ÚΔ ÏÁÒ‰ ÁΔ apple≈‹ÈΔÂΔ ‘Ø apple‘Δ ‘À¢‘apple √≈Ò ÁΔ Âapple∑ª «¬√ √≈Ò ÚΔ AD ¡ÍÃÀÒ Èß± √«ÚË≈È Á∂ «ÈappleÓ≈Â≈ Ï≈Ï≈ √≈«‘Ï ÌΔÓ apple≈˙ ¡ßÏ∂‚’apple ‹Δ Á≈ ¡≈◊ÓÈ ÍappleÚ (ABGÚƒ ‹ÀÔßÂΔ) ÏÛΔ ÙappleË≈ È≈Ò ÓÈ≈«¬¡≈ ‹≈ «apple‘≈ ‘À¢ √≈Èß± √≈«apple¡ª Èß± Ï≈Ï≈ √≈«‘Ï ¡ßÏ∂‚’apple Á∂ ‹ΔÚÈ ÂØ∫ «√«÷¡≈ ÒÀ‰ ÁΔ ÒØÛ ‘À «’ ¿∞È∑ª È∂ «’√ Âapple∑ª √Ó≈«‹’ ’∞appleΔÂΔ¡ª È≈Ò ‹±fi«Á¡ª ÍÊappleΔÒ∂ ¡Â∂ ’«Û¡≈Ò∂ apple≈‘ª «Ú⁄Ø∫ ÒßÿÁ∂ ‘Ø¬∂ ¡≈Í‰∂ ‹ΔÚÈ Èß± ’∞appleÏ≈È ’apple «ÁμÂ≈,¡Â∂ Á«ÒÂ √Ó≈‹ Á∂ ÒØ’ª Èß± ¡≈Í‰∂ ‘μ’ Á∞¡≈¬∂¢¡≈Í‰≈ ‹ΔÚÈ ’∞appleÏ≈È ’appleÁ∂ ‘Ø¬∂ ¿∞‘Èª Á∂ Ò¬Δ Ó√Δ‘≈ Ï‰∂¢ ¡≈˙ √≈apple∂ appleÒ ’∂ «¬‘ ¡«‘Á ’appleΔ¬∂ «’ Ï≈Ï≈ √≈«‘Ï ÌΔÓ apple≈˙ ¡ßÏ∂‚’apple ‹Δ Á∂ Ï‰≈¬∂ √«ÚË≈È ÁΔ appleμ«÷¡≈ ’appleÈ Á∂ Ò¬Δ Ò¬Δ ÂÈ- ÓÈ È≈Ò ‹∞μ‡ ‹≈¬Δ¬∂¢ Continue Page 21 Impact of Globalisation on Dalits : Dr. Ambedker’s Perspective But such ‘opportunities’ are and whom they benefit is a question that directly concerns the Dalits. In an existential asymmetrical world, where we actually live, such opportunities open many doors to thehaves. The interests of the havenots, a large majority of whom happen to be of low castes, socially excluded, tribal, women, and other vulnerable sections of the society, are often neglected. The socially excluded sections of the society are the worst victims of much-hyped Special Economic Zones [SEZs] and the resultant consequent process of forced displacement (Ahlawat 2008; Palit 2008; Partha 2008; Kumar 2007; Gill 2007; Shankar 2007; Shankar 2008; Sampat 2008; Sharma 2009; and Sarma 2007) (Ram ,2010:12). However, a lot has been already said about the desired human and humane face of globalization based on global governance, such claims sound rather hollow for the marginalized sections of the society. The free market-economy has not only failed to liberate them, but it has rather further pinned them down. The downtrodden are not welcomed in the sphere of market as equal partners of profit. In other words, the market practices ‘untouchability’, albeit in a different REFERENCES - Ambedkar, B.R. (1995) [first published in 1936], Annihilation of Caste, Jalandhar: Bheem Patrika Publications. - (1987a), “Philosophy of Hinduism”, in Vasant Moon (ed.), Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar: Writings and Speeches, Vol.3, Education Department, Govt. of Maharashtra, pp.1-94. - (1987b), “The Hindu Social Order: Its Essential Features”, in Vasant Moon (ed.), Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar: Writings and Speeches, Vol.3, Education Department, Govt. of Maharashtra, pp. 96-115. - (1987c), The Hindu Social Order: Its Unique Features”, in Vasant Moon (ed.), Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar: Writings and Speeches, Vol.3, Education Department, Govt. of Maharashtra, pp. 116-29. - Mandal, Bankim Chandra (2014), “Globalisation and its impacts on Dalits” in Afro- Asian Journal of Social Sciences Vol. 5, No. 5.2 Quarter II, pp,1-18. - Ram, Ronki (2010), “Dr. Ambedkar, Neo-liberal Market- Economy and Social Democracy in India” Human Rights Global Focus, Vol.5.no.3&4 pp.12-38. - Singh, Manmohan (2006), “Towards an inclusive globalisation” (Excerpted from the Prime Minister’s speech at the University of Cambridge on October 11 on the occasion of his being awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Law), The Hindu, October 13. - Thorat, Sukhadeo and Katherine S. Newman, (eds). (2010), Blocked by Caste: Economic Discrimination in Modern India, New Delhi: Oxford University Press. form. They feel alienated in the very world that promises to empower them. Howsoever strong and robust the free market-economy might appear to be, in the long run it will not survive until and unless the question of the marginalized sections is addressed sincerely. In fact, the question of equitable distribution of resources is closely related to the issue of the immediate and amicable redressal of the causes of marginalization and exclusion of the Dalits from the mainstream.
www.samajweekly.com NEWS LITERATURE POLITICS FASHION ART & CULTURE KIDS RELIGION FILMS 12/04/2018 21 Impact of Globalisation on Dalits : Dr. Ambedker’s Perspective Globalisation has opened up new avenues for the emerging economies of the world. Studies indicate that the larger benefit of globalisation has gone to the capitalist’s class. The people who are at the lower rung of the society are deprived of such benefit. Poor people living in remote villages of India are groaning under steep poverty from generations to generations. In a country like India the widening gap between rich and poor has further added woes to the Dalits who are in majority landless labourers. Globalisation has further sharpened the already existing contradictions between political equality on one hand, social and economic inequality on the other. It has deprived Dalits of whatever little they have in the name of socalled fast development under the model of free market-economy. There exists no space for them at all in the glamorous showrooms of no-liberal market-economy. Dr. Ambedkar thought was more pragmatic and viable way of putting an end to the oppressive social structures in India. It draws heavily on the implications of the neoliberal economic reforms, the birth of new contradictions that it gave rise to the disadvantage of the Dalits. Even after sixty eight years of India’s independence and widespread antiuntouchability laws, the socalled outcasts continue to be subjected to repulsion and all sorts of humiliations. It rarely focuses on the intricate but often neglected relationship between Caste and economic as well as contradictions between the emerging structures of neo-liberal market-economy and the incipient institutions of social democracy (Thorat and Newman 2010:7). In other words, economic liberalization, caste, social democracy and intersections among them constitute the core challenges that India faced today. Since after the adoption of the New Economic Policy, India has made a significant progress in different areas of technology, infrastructure, machinery, science, space and even in nuclear research. Much of this progress has meant little for the Dalits, most continue to live without very basic amenities of electricity sanitation and safe drinking water. According to Madras Institute for Development Studies, only 31 per cent of Dalit households are equipped with electricity, as compared to 61 per cent non-Dalit households. Only 10 per cent Dalit households have sanitation facilities as compared to 27 per cent of non-Dalit household ones (Mandel, 2014:14). Dr Ambedkar was an eminent scholar and a prolific writer. His social and economic philosophy was deeply influenced by the thoughts of Tathaghat Gautam Buddha. Dr Ambedkar strongly advocated the ideals of “Equality, Fraternity, and Freedom”. Dr Ambedkar said: “My social philosophy may be said to be enshrined in three words: liberty, equality and fraternity. My philosophy has roots in religion and not in political science. I have derived them from the teachings of my master, the Buddha”. His deep knowledge about the Hindu Society gave him a vision to understand Indian Society very well and understand the challenges prevailed in India. He was depressed with the worst situation of untouchable communities and was particularly worried about the worst condition of poor women. Dr Ambedkar`s socioeconomic philosophy stands relevant today as the gap between the haves and havenots is constantly increasing due to unequal distribution of sources of wealth and opportunities. This paper shall make an attempt to explore the possibilities of applying of Dr Ambedkar`s socioeconomic philosophy to give direction to the stability and sustainability of democracy in India. At the completion of the Draft Constitution (25 November 1949), Dr. Ambedkar sounded a grave warning in his famous address in the Constituent assembly: On the 26th January 1950, we are going to enter into a life of contradictions. In politics, we will have equality and in social and economic life we will have inequality. In politics, we will be recognizing the principle of one-man, one-vote and one-vote one-value. In our social and economic life, we shall because of our social and economic structure, continue to deny the principle of one-man one-value. How long shall we continue to live this life of contradictions? How long shall we continue to deny equality in our social and economic life? If we continue to deny it for long, we will do so only by putting our political democracy in peril. We must remove this contradiction at the earliest possible or else those who suffer from inequality will blow up the structure of political democracy, which this Assembly has so laboriously built up (Three Historical Addresses 1999:53-54). It seems that the Indian state has accorded some heed to the prophetic warning of Dr. Ambedkar. Independent India opted for a mixed Dr Saroj Rani (M.A, Ph. D), Assistant Professor, University of Delhi, New Delhi. economy model of development and introduced the system of reservation for the downtrodden in government jobs, education institutions and legislature. Legal provisions for reducing the enormous gap between the rich/upper and the poor/lower castes have been incorporated in the law book of the land. The preamble of the constitution clearly spells out the objectives of securing “to all its citizens JUSTICE, social, economic and political” as well as “EQUALITY of status and of opportunity”. Dr B. R. Ambedkar was a brilliant social and political thinker in the contemporary world who understands the Indian society deeply and raised voice at national as well as international platforms on the pernicious caste system. He highlighted the problem of most hierarchical Indian society in front of the world. Through his critical writings, Dr Ambedkar argued, the caste system has created an order of ascending scale of reverence and descending scale of contempt. The caste hierarchy very much ingrained in the economic and political system and cultural arrangement of India. Dr Ambedkar understood the economic bondage of the Dalits who lived in the dingy village community. In realistic evaluation of the village, Ambedkar graphically described them, as à sink of localism a den of ignorance, narrow-mindedness and communalism . Dr Ambedkar was aware of the economic dimension of their servitude. Therefore, he always insisted that the Dalits should stop their traditional work. Instead, they should acquire new skills and start new professions. Dr Ambedkar always stressed upon education, which would enable the Dalits to get employment. Dr Ambedkar was a great visionary, a progressive statesman and an erudite scholar. Dr Ambedkar favoured industrialisation since he knew that the success of India is certainly based on the economic revolution. He was very much aware of the fact that in the process of industrialisation, demand for new skills and talent will occupy the prominent place in the coming days. Dr Ambedkar was of the view that this would ensure their economic emancipation to a considerable extent. The gaps between the haves and havenots has been widening deep due to unparalleled, unequal distribution of wealth and opportunities. Today Dr Ambedkar`s socio-economic philosophy stands relevant in Indian context since he offered several solutions to deal with the problems for the successful parliamentary democracy. In no case and circumstances, it cannot be forgotten that the Dalits in India are the most vulnerable community, who are the first one to be communally targeted. This is ironical that one who produces food for us, is deprived of basic needs. Dr Ambedkar’s view are more relevant today as he also wanted that agrarian society should be taken into consideration as priority because most of the people are employed in this sector. But, negligence of this sector after the reforms will become a major challenge for Indian society. Exclusion of the Dalits after Economic Reforms The term exclusion has become a part of the lexicon of economists recently, although it has been in the jargon of sociology and the vocabulary of politics in Europe for long time. The phrase social exclusion is used to describe a situation, as also to focus on a process, which excludes individuals or groups from livelihood and rights, thus depriving them of sources of well-being. Basic entitlements such health, education are denied to the Dalits. The bulk of the Dalits population in India falls in the category of below poverty line. Majority of the Dalits population continue to live in extreme poverty without land or opportunities for better employment or education. Most of the Dalit men and women work as agricultural labourer. The relationship between caste and poverty seems to be of symbiotic in nature. They reinforce each other and often club together in posing a serious challenge to the nascent institutions of social democracy in India. The inextricably intertwined phenomena of caste and poverty is so well entrenched that it has failed to recede back even after the adoption of economic reform measures in India in 1991. On the contrary, the latter is further strengthening the antidemocracy nexus between caste and poverty in the country. With the introduction of privatization, liberalization, globalization and disinvestments, many government industries and public sector undertakings have already been sold off. As a result, thousands of jobs in the public sector have been lost. The technology has also reduced the job market for non-technicals. Privatization has an adverse effect on the Dalits. There is no clause for reservation being added into the disinvestment deals struck between the government and the private sector. It is a clear subversion of castebased reservation and keeps the Dalits away from jobs. Whenever the issue of reservation for SCs & STs comes, the privileged Indians start talking about merit. Reservation is bitterly opposed by non-Dalits and put hurdles in the implementation of this policy by either going to court or making service rules against reservation. It is a well-known fact that without education other constitutional safeguards, reservation in services would be meaningless. It would also be hard for Dalits to send their wards to the temple of learning. But, it is to be kept in mind that the enrolment alone does not give any substantial amount of educational achievement when the rate of drop out is also substantially high among the Dalits. Despite several kinds of State assistance, the dropout rate is also alarming at the primary, middle and secondary stages of education in respect of the Dalits. The sphere of primary and elementary education could not remain unaffected from globalization and even commercialization of education is continuously increasing (Mandel, 2014 : 4). Now, an atmosphere against Parliamentary form of government and the constitution of India is created in such a way that the majority of Indians starts believing that all the ills in India are because of these institutions. Public opinion is being generated to change the constitution and replace the parliamentary system in the presidential form of government. If the right wing outfits are successful in achieving their objective, the reservation will definitely go and the Dalits would be pushed back again. With privatization, it is fact that for the posts of Chairman, Managing Director of Indian Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) not even a 2% SC & ST are selected from the Dalits. It is also the fact that almost 90% of CMDs of PSUs become an industrialist and family business houses once they retire from PSUs. Private companies are either owned or managed by the family members or a particular caste group, the Dalits have no chance to get opportunity in those positions. The benefits of globalisation are yet to reach these ‘patient and long suffering people’ who never shirk from hard work and toiling labour. But, the free market economy driven forces advocate the concerns of the rich and resourceful only. This widens the gap between the rich and the poor. The widening gap, coupled with the rolling back of the state lead to further resentment and alienation among the downtrodden that in turn puts the pressure on the practice of democracy in the country (Singh 2006). Baba Sahib Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was very well aware, much in advance, about the serious implications of the lopsided development for the growth of social democracy in a caste-ridden country like India. He therefore underlined the inclusion of the downtrodden into the governmental set-up of the country. For that, he emphasized that the safe route goes via the total annihilation of caste and in that, the role of the state is of utmost importance. If globalization implies pushing the state out, then the future of the project of social democracy seems to be very bleak. It is in this context that the responsibility and the task of safeguarding the developmental character of the Indian state becomes very crucial more so for the empowerment of the Dalits in particular, and strengthening the forces of social democracy in India in general. Globalisation, thus, poses a serious challenge to the formation of social democracy in India. It is often paraded as a custodian of enormous ‘opportunities’. See on Page 20
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