On Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s 65th death anniversary, we take a look at his relationship with BR Ambedkar. Both Patel and Ambedkar are being coveted as icons across the political spectrum. The debates and differences between the two throw light on political questions that are part of our discourse even today.
Two stalwarts – both of whose legacies are being bitterly contested by multiple groups and factions, each falling over the other to call them their own. Two towering figures, both of whom, their followers on either side allege against their opponents, are being “appropriated” and their legacies recast in a mould which will suit their respective interests and agendas. And, both of them are being honoured – one with a lavish memorial, the other with a statue that is billed as being the tallest in the world.
Dr BR Ambedkar and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the BJP and the government’s latest totems, are being hailed, revered, and feted. Today, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s birth anniversary, recently renamed as National Unity Day, is being celebrated with great pomp and show all across India. A few days ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for a grand Ambedkar Memorial in Mumbai, while in 2013, he commissioned Patel’s statue at Kevadia in Gujarat, which is billed as being the tallest in the world.
Meanwhile, Hardik Patel, who has rapidly become somewhat of a rather painful pinprick for the BJP, continues to agitate for scrapping the system of reservations altogether, or to accede to his demand for the Patel quota. While the celebrations and commemoration is on today, he, presently behind bars for arson and vandalism, and his supporters are raring to play a disruptive role.
Thus, in this perplexing crucible, it would be worthwhile to delve into the tomes of history and see whether both the icons – Ambedkar and Patel – saw eye-to-eye on caste and reservations.