Contrary to Prime Minister Modi’s claim, both Dr Ambedkar and Syama Prasad Mookerjee envisioned reservations for minorities

ON APRIL 14, PRIME MINISTER NARENDRA MODI, while participating in a rally in Hissar, Haryana, on the occasion of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s 135th birth anniversary claimed that Dr Ambedkar never envisaged reservation on the basis of religion. Reportedly, Prime Minister Modi said that, “To play politics, the Congress brought a law to give reservation on the basis of religion in government tenders. This is when Baba Saheb Ambedkar, in the Constitution, said that there should be no place for reservation on the basis of religion."

Modi has repeated this particular narrative recurrently in his speeches delivered in several parts of the country and during election campaigns as well. What he said in Hissar constituted a dogwhistle which effectively targeted minorities and notably, was also contrary to a proposal drawn out by Dr Ambedkar in the Constituent Assembly favouring reservation for minorities.

EWS quota is not based on Ambedkar’s vision

The fact that Baba Saheb Ambedkar advocated for reservation for minorities is hardly known. While Prime Minister Modi has repeatedly, and rather fictitiously stated that Dr Ambedkar was against reservation for minorities, would he be able able to explain how his government’s  legislation providing for ten per cent reservation for Economically Weaker Sections (‘EWS’) of society is  in tune with Dr Ambedkar’s vision? Did Dr Ambedkar, either in the Constituent Assembly or in any of its Committees, take a stand in favour of reservation for EWS?

Syama Prasad Mookerjee’s stand

Contrary to Prime Minister Modi’s claim that Dr Ambedkar was not in favour of reservation on the basis of religion, records reveal that he advocated for it in the sub-committees of the Constituent Assembly. He was not alone in doing so. Even Syama Prasad Mookerjee, a member of the Constituent Assembly, suggested reservation of seats for minorities. It may be mentioned that Mookerjee was the founder of Jan Sangh which preceded the formation of the Bharatiya Janata party. Prime Minister Modi who often invokes Syama Prasad Mookerjee with great reverence as an ideologue of Hindutva should at least pay heed to what he suggested.

Ambedkar and Mookerjee’s utterances

Now let us see the exact words uttered by Dr Ambedkar and Mookerjee in favour of the reservation for minorities. During April 21 and 22, 1947, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel chaired the meeting of the Advisory Committee and placed the report of the Fundamental Rights Committee for consideration. The proceedings of that meeting are available in pages 213 and 287 of the second volume of the publication “The Framing of India’s Constitution: Select Documents” edited by B. Shiva Rao.  

Participating in the proceedings Dr  Ambedkar, among others, flagged that none of the provisions in the fundamental rights section should  “…prevent the Government prescribing a certain proportion of posts of public service for the minorities-whoever they may be”.  

He proceeded to add that “Even among the members of the same minority there may be complaints of partiality, of provincial favouritism or personal favouritism. I have often heard the complaint that all the posts for the Muslims go to the Punjab Muslims and few to the Madrasi Muslim. Even among the minorities, we want equality of opportunity.”