News Excerpt:
As India pays homage to Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar on his birth anniversary, this article explores the ecological dimensions of Ambedkarite philosophy as well as remembers Mahad Satygraha.
Ambedkar and his environmentalism:
There are three important pillars of Dr Ambedkar’s ecology,
- First pillar: He looked at humans and nature from a democratic perspective. He perceives democracy as a ‘mode of living’. If democracy is defined as a mode of living, then there has to be a democratic principle in the distribution of natural/ecological resources to humans.
- Second pillar: Ecological crises were essentially social crises.
- He believed that social hierarchy was responsible for the disproportionate appropriation of ecological and natural resources by privileged sections of society, while underprivileged sections could not gain adequate access to resources.
- Third pillar: How to handle such ecological crises. Ambedkar’s ecological thought has a wonderful scheme for the democratization of natural resources in the case of the Indian subcontinent.
Ambedkar’s ideas:
- Ambedkar advocated for the redistribution of natural resources through constitutional morality, public policy, and the democratic apparatus in India to make the distribution of ecological resources more egalitarian and equitable.
- He believed that a strong society is possible when the entire populace develops by gaining more equitable access to natural resources.
- Ambedkar's ecological thought had a moral dimension, as reflected in his work "The Buddha and his Dhamma," where he contemplated the notion of 'biocentric equality,' which means equality among all species.
- The work says that it is not enough to have equality and liberty. There should also be fraternity.
- By quoting the Buddha, he mentions that human beings should not just be restricted to equality among themselves but should go beyond that.
- Unlike Gandhi, who used tradition as an agency for defining the relationship between humans and ecology,
- Ambedkar saw ecological conservation as being rational, scientific, and moral, in addition to considering tradition.
- Ambedkar represented a unique voice within Indian environmental thought, stating that to address socio-ecological problems,
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- We need to consider tradition, rationalism, science, and morality, all together.
Contemporary use of his ideas:
- Ambedkar challenged the neo-orientalist view that Indian ecological thought is essentially traditional, spiritual, or metaphysical.
- He highlights the vibrant material and moral aspects of Indian environmental thought.
- He argues Indians value the conservation of natural resources as a moral duty, not just a spiritual obligation.
- He advocated for a formidable ecological governance based on democratic principles, realizing that attitudinal change was necessary for effective governance.
- Ambedkar's Neo-Buddhist philosophy promotes a new eco-value system that emphasizes the judicious and sustainable use of natural resources to ensure continuous access to resources.
- The ongoing climate crisis can be addressed through Ambedkarite principles like democratic governance, equity (at the international level), and moral-spiritual humanism that focuses on the concern for fellow humans rather than supernatural powers.
- His views discourage excessive consumerist culture, which aligns with the need to mitigate climate change by reducing overconsumption and waste.
- Attitudinal change and a spiritual dimension, not in a normative sense but rooted in moral humanism can help support the effective implementation of public policies for ecological resource management.
About Mahad Satyagraha: Context of the Satyagraha
What happened at the Satyagraha?
Mahad Satyagraha, December 1927:
Significance of Mahad Satyagraha:
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