Unit 17
Unit 17
Unit 17
17.0 Objectives
17.1 Introduction
17.2 Ambedkar’s Conception of Social Democracy
17.3 Equality as a Prime Value of Democracy
17.4 Safeguarding Fundamental Rights
17.5 State Socialism as a Feature of Welfare State
17.6 Struggle for Democratic Society
17.7 Let Us Sum Up
17.8 Questions to Check Your Progress
Suggested Readings
17.0 OBJECTIVES
This unit would enables you to understand:
Ambedkar’s understanding of democracy in general and his conception of
social democracy in particular;
Basic features of Ambedkar’s conception of social democracy in terms of
equality, rights, freedom and justice;
Just and righteous social order as the key to the success of democracy against
caste system and Hindu social order; and
Ambedkar’s state socialism as an alternative to capitalism and socialism.
17.1 INTRODUCTION
Social democracy has emerged as a significant concept in the twentieth century.
Conceived as an alternative to both liberalism and Marxism, it came into existence
with the recognition of the limits of both capitalism and socialism. It is associated
with the welfare state, and the values of equality and solidarity. It builds upon
commitment to shared values and social responsibilities. It emphasizes ethical
living with a communitarian slant. Social democracy is primarily based on the
idea that the state should ensure security and equality for all and must play a role
in reordering society accordingly. Social democracy believes in gradual and
incremental change. It considers that socialism may be established through lawful
means rather than by force.
Social democracy as a practical concept offers an account of the complex interplay
among ideas of legitimacy, efficiency and stability. It aims to enhance the
functionality and stability of democratic states. It seeks to explain the functional
deficiencies of libertarian democracy. It allows active participation of people in
institutions of democracy. It makes institutions accountable to people. It attempts
to actualize rights. Social democracy insists that democracy and associated rights
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Understanding must be extended to social and economic spheres as well. Social security, justice
B. R. Ambedkar
and participation play important roles in improving the quality of democracy in a
given society.
Social democracy is about practically realizing the value of democracy at societal
level. This belief became prominent in the west with the failure of liberalism and
socialism in realizing their ideals in society. The idea of democracy gained
ascendancy in the aftermath of the Second World War and took various forms,
such as political democracy, economic democracy and social democracy.
Social democracy co-exists with values like equality, community living and justice.
The contours of social democracy vary on the basis of how one conceives and
relates these values and ideals. In India, Ambedkar came with ideas aimed to
abolish the highly discriminatory and inhuman caste system. One can decipher
some variant of social democracy as an ideal from his writings and practice.
The key values of his variant of social democracy are equality, society as an
ethically constituted community and state socialism.
Ambedkar, as an important political philosopher, has creatively enriched the
tradition of social democracy. Against the liberal versions of democracy, he
provides a new meaning to democracy in general and social democracy in
particular. He adopts social democracy as a principle in building the Indian nation
state. He understood that political equality is not sufficient for the working of
democracy. Social and economic equality are essential conditions for effective
functioning of political democracy. Social freedom plays a vital role in expanding
the horizons of social equality and democracy. Universal human rights and
fundamental rights can be realized in the true sense only by ensuring a righteous
social life. He finds the source of these rights in normative social life rather than
in legal imposition. However, he recognizes the importance of legal provisions
in safeguarding weak and vulnerable social minorities from the wrath of the
powerful. He upholds the role of the state as interventionist, in minimizing the
existing inequalities and ensuring the freedom of its citizens. State has to be
egalitarian and aim at promoting the welfare of the people. In this direction
Ambedkar deviates from the typical discourse and argues for state socialism as a
political framework and social justice as a principle of social democracy rather
than being carried away with either liberalism or socialism.
SUGGESTED READINGS
Ambedkar, B.R. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Writings and Speeches, Vol. 1. New
Delhi: Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Foundation, Ministry of Social Justice and
Empowerment, GOI, 2014.
Berman, Sheri. The Primacy of Politics: Social Democracy and Making of
Europe’s Twentieth Century. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006.
Gombert, Tobias, ed. Foundations of Social Democracy (Social Democracy
Reader 1). Berlin: Friedrich Eberto Stiftung, 2009.
Gosta Esping-Andersen and Kees van Kersbergen. “Contemporary Research on
Social Democracy”, Annual Review of Sociology, Vol. 18 (1992), pp. 187-208.
Mayer, Thomas and Lewis Hinchman. The Theory of Social Democracy. Malden:
Polity Press, 1997.
Tejani, Shabnum. The Necessary Condition for Democracy: B.R. Ambedkar on
Nationalism, Minorities and Pakistan, Economic and Political Weekly. Vol XLVIII,
No.50, December 14, 2013, pp.111-119.
Kesava Kumar, P. Liberal Democracy and Kymlicka’s Conception of Minority
Rights: Towards a Perspective of Dalit Rights, International Journal of South
Asian Studies Vol.5 July-December 2012 No.2. pp. 204-216. http://
www.pondiuni.edu.in/sites/default/ files/IJSAS120313.pdf
Kesava Kumar, P. Political Philosophy of Ambedkar: An inquiry into the
theoretical foundations of the Dalit Movement. Delhi: Kalpaz Publications, 2014.
End Notes
1
Jadhav, Narendra, ed. Ambedkar Speaks, Vol. III. New Delhi: Konark Publishers,
2013, p.76
171
Understanding 2
Jadhav, Narendra, ed. Ambedkar Speaks, Vol. I. New Delhi: Konark Publishers,
B. R. Ambedkar
2013, pp.286-290
3
Ibid.
4
Jadhav, Narendra, ed. Ambedkar Speaks, Vol.1. New Delhi: Konark Publishers,
2013, p.297
5
Ibid.
6
Jadhav, Narendra, ed. Ambedkar Speaks, Vol.1. New Delhi: Konark Publishers,
2013, p.287
7
Ambedkar, B.R. “
Annihilation of Caste”, Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Writings and Speeches, Vol. 1.
New Delhi: Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Foundation, Ministry of Social Justice and
Empowerment, GOI, 2014, p.57.
8
Jadhav, Narendra, ed. Ambedkar Speaks, Vol. 1. New Delhi: Konark Publishers,
2013, p.293
9
Ibid. p.294.
10
Ambedkar, B.R. “Ranade, Gandhi, Jinnah”, Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Writings
and Speeches, Vol. 1. New Delhi: Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Foundation, Ministry of
Social Justice and Empowerment, GOI, 2014, p.222.
11
Ibid.p.222
12
Ibid. p. 223-24
13
Rodrigues, Valerian, ed. The Essential Writings of B. R. Ambedkar. New Delhi:
Oxford University Press, 2013, p.62.
14
Moon, Vasant and Hari Narake, comp. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Writings and
Speeches, Vol. 3. New Delhi: Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Foundation, Ministry of
Social Justice and Empowerment, GOI, 2014, p.111
15
Moon, Vasant and Hari Narake, comp. “Philosophy of Hinduism,” Babasaheb
Ambedkar’s Writings and Speeches, vol. 3. New Delhi: Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
Foundation, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, GOI, 2014, p.66
16
Moon, Vasant and Hari Narake, comp. “Philosophy of Hinduism,” Babasaheb
Ambedkar’s Writings and Speeches, Vol. 3. New Delhi: Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
Foundation, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, GOI, p.25
17
Ambedkar, B.R. “States and Minorities”, Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Writings and
Speeches, Vol. 1. New Delhi: Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Foundation, Ministry of Social
Justice and Empowerment, GOI, 2014,P.426
18
Ibid.
19
Ibid. pp.407-408
20
20 Moon, Vasant, comp. “States and Minorities”, Babasaheb Ambedkar’s
Writings and Speeches, Vol. 1. New Delhi: Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Foundation,
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, GOI, 2014,P.406
172
21 Social Democracy
Ambedkar, B.R. “Ranade, Gandhi, Jinnah”, Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Writings
and Speeches, Vol. 1. New Delhi: Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Foundation, Ministry of
Social Justice and Empowerment, GOI,2014, P.222
22
Moon, Vasant, comp. “States and Minorities”, Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Writings
and Speeches, Vol. 1. New Delhi: Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Foundation, Ministry of
Social Justice and Empowerment, GOI, 2014, p.408-9
24
Ibid. p.520
25
Hari Narake, M L. Kasare, N.G. Kamble and Ashok Godghate, ed. Babasaheb
Ambedkar’s Writings and Speeches, Vol.17 (Part 1, Struggle for Human Rights).
New Delhi: Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Foundation, Ministry of Social Justice and
Empowerment, GOI, 2014, p. 387
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