Ambedkar and his environment thought

Scholars have looked at Nehru and Indira Gandhi from the viewpoint of environmental ecology. Gandhi has been displayed as someone in whose creative thoughts we can solve the present ecological problems. Many scholars have argued that his views are very much in connection with the principles of ecological sustainability and equity. Among all these historical figures, views as put forth by Ambedkar do not seem to be part of the existing ecological discourse and have remained remotely away from Indian environmentalism. Issues like water, land, agriculture are found each and every day in daily environmental discourses of Indian. It is very pertinent to mention here that this has happened although his views on land, agriculture, water, community and science can better explain us Indian environmental and political traditions. Gandhi has been credited with having critiqued modern technology while Ambedkar as argued by scholars has been criticised for his model that was modern and new technology. Professor Mukul Sharma who teaches at Ashoka university in his new book “Caste and Nature” argues that Ambedkhar says much on nature, but his writings on land and agriculture are significantly different from Gandhi. Sharma further contends that Ambedhkar also has pertinent views on industry, city science and technology, but his reasons are different from Nehru, with whom he shares a commitment to modernity. This article will briefly draw from the chapter on Ambedkar and his environment thought in Professor Sharma’s book and will argue that contrary to the conventional wisdom Ambedkar’s environment thought has not been different to environmental values. This article will further elaborate on his views on central Indian environmental issues like village, water, land and electricity will further contend how different his understanding of environmental values are than others.Various western thinkers like Sir Charles Metcalfe and some Indian thinkers saw Indian villages and described village systems as a perfect example of the social organisations. “Leading sociologists and anthropologists have also time and again seen Indian villages as an optime of harmony” ( Sharma pp, 123). Gandhi’s view combined with the mainstream environmental view on Indian villages have quite often romanticized the Indian village. They have looked at villages from the lenses of tradition and the premier example of harmony. Ambedkhar’s view on Indian villages is very different and at the same time most ignored in the Indian environmental discourse. Coming from a Dalit family he was able to got the first hand experince of Indian village system. “However, while Gandhi saw villages as a site of authenticity, Ambedkhar regarded it as a place of oppression. For Gandhi, it symbolized harmony, while for Ambedkar it represented exploitation and a highly imbalanced economic and ecological system” ( Sharma pp, 124). Ambedhar was this village system being divided mainly into two kinds of sects touchables and untouchables. He saw one group is kept within the system and another is placed just outside of that. Touchables are very dominant in every sphere of life as they have full control over everything and untouchables are very weak and marginal. Rules are implemented by touchables on the untouchables and they are supposed to follow them. Ambedkar while conceptualising this village system concluded that it is full of oppression and demanded there should be new settlements for untouchables. It was in this village system that Ambedkar saw how difficult it was for marginalized groups to acquire any kind of lands.
Water is the commonly used natural resource available to all human beings irrespective of their caste, gender. But what Ambedkar saw was something very different from what others had observed. He saw untouchables were not allowed to drink water from the taps used by touchables and the moment untouchables touched taps used by touchables they would clean the tap. Hisagrarian vision was filled with economic, social, political rights. He had concerns on the natural resources too of how certain sections like untouchables are excluded from the natural resources and touchables with all their power were exploiting marginal people. He held that access to natural resources and freedom from environmental inequalities are crucial for a human being to live a dignified life and he further argued that these should be available to all irrespective of their caste. These environmental thoughts of Ambekar make him very compatible with the contemporary environmental justice movements. This will for the foreseeable future define Dalit’s environment interaction with their natural resources. We can easily analyse and figure out how they are excluded from their natural resources by privileged higher castes. It is very interesting to see how environmental thoughts can better explain conditions of the Dalits and how his thoughts can become a medium of knowledge for them to challenge oppressed systems around them. His environmental thoughts are part of the larger global environmental discourse and it is ironic that still Ambedkar and how he viewed the environment around him is excluded from mainstream Indian environmental thought. Note for the Reader: This essay draws on one of the chapters on Ambedkar and his environmental thoughts of Professor Mukul Sharma’s book. It is worth mentioning here that his book “Caste and Nature’’ is perhaps one of very few books written on the same topic.
( The author is a third year Student at Ashoka University studying political science and International Relations. Views are his own)
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