Dr. Ambedkar's views about Education and Employment of Dalits

 

Dr. Ambedkar's views about Education and Employment of Dalits

-         SR Darapuri, National President, All India Peoples Front

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, a prominent Dalit leader and architect of India's Constitution, viewed education and employment as essential pillars for the emancipation and upliftment of Dalits (formerly known as "untouchables" or Scheduled Castes). He believed these areas were critical to breaking the cycle of caste-based oppression, fostering dignity, and achieving social, economic, and political equality. His ideas were shaped by his own experiences of discrimination and his extensive scholarly work.

 Views on Education for Dalits

Ambedkar saw education as the most potent weapon against social inequality, capable of awakening critical consciousness, instilling dignity, and enabling individuals to question injustice. He emphasized that true education should cultivate the mind, foster humanity, generate livelihoods, impart wisdom, promote egalitarianism, and align with principles of justice, equality, fraternity, freedom, and fearlessness. A key quote encapsulating his philosophy is: “Cultivation of mind should be the ultimate aim of human existence.”

For Dalits specifically, he advocated making education accessible, affordable, and compulsory at the primary level to address historical denial of opportunities. He criticized the commercialization of education and disparities between communities, pushing for government subsidies, scholarships, and reservations to ensure Dalit representation in higher education, particularly in science and technology fields due to their employability. Ambedkar at that time proposed annual scholarships worth Rs 2 lakh for Dalit students in these courses, Rs 1 lakh grants for studying abroad (suggesting loans as an alternative), and 10% seat reservations for qualified Dalit students in institutions.

His famous slogan, “Educate, unite, struggle” (often rendered as “Educate, Agitate, Organize”), highlighted education's role in building character, raising rights awareness, and fostering unity for collective action against oppression. Practically, he founded organizations like the Hitkarini Sabha in 1924 and the People's Education Society in 1945 to establish colleges, hostels, and libraries for Dalits, with institutions like Siddharth College in Mumbai serving as key examples. As Chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee, he enshrined protections in Articles 15 and 17, prohibiting caste-based discrimination and abolishing untouchability, while advocating reservations in education to bridge gaps. He promoted scientific, practical teaching methods, physical education, hygiene, and democratic curricula focused on utility and employment, opposing religious instruction in schools.

 Views on Employment for Dalits

Ambedkar strongly supported reservations in government jobs and public employment for Dalits as a means to create equal opportunity in an unequal society, viewing them as integral to the constitutional principle of equality under Article 16. He argued that without such measures, communities historically denied access would remain excluded, but reservations should be confined to a minority of positions to preserve overall equality of opportunity. Economic independence, he believed, was vital for social freedom and ending oppression.

In his August 25, 1949, Constituent Assembly speech, Ambedkar advocated extending political reservations for Scheduled Castes and Tribes beyond the proposed 10 years, stating he was prepared to press for longer terms due to their unequal treatment compared to other minorities. He criticized the short limit as ungenerous, quoting Edmund Burke to call for broader support. Upon resigning as Law Minister in 1951, he expressed disappointment that constitutional provisions had not improved Dalit conditions, with ongoing tyranny and discrimination persisting.

A common myth claims Ambedkar wanted reservations in education and employment limited to 10 years, but this is false—it applied only to initial political reservations in legislatures, not jobs or education, and even then, he sought extensions without fixed time limits for affirmative action overall. He saw caste-based reservations as necessary to counter systemic barriers, not as temporary measures, and pushed for their effective implementation to achieve genuine empowerment.

It has been observed that after the adoption of new economic policies, commercialization of education and privatization of employment is being done rapidly. This is making it difficult for Dalits to get higher education (general, vocational and technical) and they are lagging behind in education and employment. Similarly, due to privatization of government undertakings, the opportunities for getting employment through reservation are also decreasing. Therefore, commercialization and privatization of education should be opposed. Along with this, reservation should also be demanded in the private sector. All India People's Front is running a livelihood and social rights campaign through Yuva Manch. In the fourth national convention of All India People's Front to be held in Delhi on 7-8 December 2025, along with the protection of the Constitution, inclusive nationalism and people's democracy, the issue of livelihood and social rights will also be discussed in detail.