Gandhi and Ambedkar: Relevant and Divergent Approaches to the Indian Religious Scenario

This is an attempt to study critically the emergence
and development of the new religious movement Neo-Bud­-
dhism from Hinduism, which has been facilitated by modem
technology and education in India. As a powerful protest
against the traditional cultural and economic order, as ex­-
emplified by caste system, and a serious effort to usher in a
radically new social and cultural order, Neo-Buddhism is sig­
nificant in understanding the contemporary Indian scenario.
The two icons that we study are Ambedkar and Gandhi, both
of whom have worked sincerely and tirelessly for the
upliftment of those enslaved by the caste system. Their reli­-
gious commitment and scientific openness are also discussed, 
with a view to understanding better the dynamics of Indian
society.
This paper argues that one’s social upbringing and personal
experience shape, to a large extent, if not totally determine, 
one’s religious commitment and scientific openness. Gandhi
was deeply concerned about the untouchables and he wanted
to uplift them by being faithful to the cultural and religious
system of Hinduism. This made him rather conservative or
withdrawn towards scientific and technological innovations.
On the other hand, Ambedkar’s passionate commitment to
the cause of the untouchables made him even give up his
original religion and opt for another. Their life-experiences
and diverging responses, I believe, have something to teach 
to the Indian Church.
Where as in their lifetime Gandhi and Ambedkar were politi­-
cal rivals, now, decades after their death, it should be pos­-
sible to see their contributions as complementing one
another’s. The history of Dalit emancipation, advocated by
both leaders, is unfinished, and for the most part unwritten.
It should, and will, find space for many heroes. Ambedkar
and Gandhi will do nicely for a start. In fact, Mahatma Gandhi
was not so much the Father of the Nation as the mother of all
debates regarding its future. His fight with Ambedkar con­
tinues even today and Ambedkar seems to be winning in the
contemporary India.
The article concludes by holding that India has sufficient space
for many Gandhis, the social reformers, and many Ambedkars, 
the cultural revolutionaries. Together, even through their con­
troversies, they will facilitate the emergence of a new cul­-
tural and economic order in India. The discourse of a multi­
cultural, pluralistic and scientifically advancing India with
different religious traditions will go on. This is highly desir­-
able. The Catholic Church can contribute religiously and spiri­-
tually to such an on-going discourse in India.