By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter
Political commentator, human rights defender and activist Vidya Bhushan Rawat has released a book titled ‘Contesting Marginalization’ consisting of various interviews on Ambedkarism and Social Justice.
Interestingly, the book has focused on interviewing those “who might not have a ‘valid’ ‘professional’ qualification yet have wide experience of social movements that we study.” As the book intro also says, “There is a huge information and knowledge waiting to be recorded at various levels.”
The book attempts to bring in such voices and documents their views to preserve and promote their idea of Ambedkarism through the eyes of Ambedkarites like Bhagwan Das, L R Balley, V T Rajshekar, Raja Dhale, Vijay Surwade and many others.
Moreover, the book also contains interviews from individuals like RM Pal and Anand Patwardhan, who may not Ambedkarite but support the movement and vision which Ambedkar espoused for.
From critical piece of Anand Teltumbde to AK Biswas and Manohar Biswas’s narratives about brahminical dominance in politics of West Bengal, the book contains conversations from human rights activists from India, Nepal, Bangladesh, UK and USA.
Anand Teltumbde has said, “Babasaheb Ambedkar’s economics was predominantly normative. He was more concerned with the economic policy being used for the benefit of the majority of people than the technical aspects of the discipline. The most inspiring thing about his study of economics is that he boldly engaged with the contemporary debate and crossed swords at times with the greats of those times. All of his academic theses in economics dealt with the problem of administrative economics, public finance and currency system to be followed by the state. Ambedkar provides solution in terms of industrialisation that would release the pressure of population on land and generate surplus that could help optimise the inputs to agriculture enhancing its productivity. The solution is still relevant to India as it was then.”
The book also contains interviews of Santosh Dass, Arun Kumar and Bishan Dass Bains who are UK-based Ambedkarites. It also includes a well-explained interview of Prof Kevin Brown over the issues of African American as well as his fascination towards Ambedkar.
Kevin Brown said, “The main problems facing the Black Community, (or portions of it) are not ones that religion or religious conversion will solve. The Black Community tends to focus primarily on material differences as the basis of our oppression. I agree with Dr Ambedkar, the problem that Dalits have is rooted in Hinduism. Dalit liberation is tied to either the significant reform or collapse of Hinduism.I can’t see much in Brahminism that benefits Dalits. But, I would not suggest that Dalits ignore religion altogether. Religion has the ability to provide people with meaning for their lives.”
Rawat has been engaged in public discourses on vital human rights issues particularly related to Caste Discrimination, Religious Intolerance, Untouchability and Minority Rights issues for the past 25 years.
He has authored over 15 books and made an equal number of documentaries which are available on YouTube. He was awarded Ambedkar International Award 2016 for his services to strengthen the Ambedkarite movement in India by Ambedkar Association of North America.
He was also awarded ‘Distinguished Services to Humanism Award’ 2011 by International Humanist and Ethical Union, London, at its conference in Oslo.
The book, which aims not to define anything but to bring forth those voices who might have been forgotten in the digital age, has been published by People’s Literature Publication.