International Seminar @ MGLI

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Two- Days International Seminar on

"The Contemporary Relevance of Social and Political Thought of Babasaheb Ambedkar"

Concept Note

As we prepare to celebrate the 125th year of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar's birth, his stature as a visionary and an architect of a modern, democratic, and socially-just India can scarcely be overestimated or overstated. He has been sketched as a messiah of "bahishkrit Bharat", which highlights the deep-seated social cleavages and cultural prejudices, which continue within India's polity. His name has also become the singularly most important motif for the assemblage of dalit political struggles. Ambedkar's thought helps unleash the myriad of discourses that bring the question of India's internal hierarchies of power into bold relief and empower a heterogeneous imagining of Indian nation.

There are various opinions on the formidable range of issues and controversies in which Ambedkar figured as a protagonist during four decades of his public life. Ambedkar was a searchingly honest, challenging and analytical liberal thinker. He differed from Gandhi and the Congress ideology which, he felt, ignored the internal contradictions of Indian society.

It should be absolutely clear in his coming 125th birthday year that Ambedkar represented, in the truly national sense, the profound side of the socio-political struggle that was not adequately represented in the national movement. His lifelong concern with the inequities and oppression embedded in religion, conventional morality and the values of so-called mainstream society led him to forge his own conception of socio-economic justice. What is impressive is that this doughty fighter for social justice commands a powerful following today, as democratic India grapples with the troubling questions he never tired of raising in politics and public life.

He chaired the Constitution Draft Committee in the Constituent Assembly and had a productive stint in the Union Ministry under Nehru. In these positions he championed social egalitarianism and popular liberties and criticized the sway of big business and landlordism and campaigned for social and economic democracy. He had a number of interesting things to say about tricky national problems – Kashmir, language, nationhood citizenship, ethnicity, and so on, and his analysis lit up the field for a proper democratic understanding of federalism and centre-state relations in India.

The social and class basis of the following he commanded, the non-philanthropic, non-petitioning nature of his social questioning, his passion for social justice and democratic liberties; his unyielding secularism and progressive views on a number of questions, especially on the condition and future of women and on civil society; his ability to concentrate on attainable, practical goals and his constructive sense of realism – these marked him out as a unique leader.

In the recent period of socio-political development in India, Dr. Ambedkar's fearless analysis of caste system, of chaturvarnya and sanatana dharma, of unalterable or rigid social hierarchy must be made part of a national debate. His major theoretical exposition of such questions is contained in a 1936 presidential address, the radical "Annihilation of Caste". This ideological offering to the building of a new India must be ranked on a par with his justly celebrated contribution to the making of the Constitution.

Apart from his solid contribution to constitutional and institution-building, he had a great deal to say about democracy as a real way of life and about citizens' rights. Dr. Ambedkar had a visionary conception of democracy which needs to be "rediscovered" today. His political principle of particular contemporary relevance is "Make political democracy a social democracy; resolve the contradictions, else they will undermine democracy itself".

In this backdrop, we propose to organise a seminar on "The Contemporary Relevance of Social and Political thought of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar," which is to be conducted by Mahatma Gandhi Labour Institute (MGLI), Ahmedabad with the support of the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of Gujarat.

Seminar Plan and Topics

Original and unpublished papers under the following broad themes (but not limited to) are invited from researchers and freelancers.

1)      Shaping of Modern India: Contribution of Ambedkar.

2)      Social inclusion and social justice in the contemporary growth story of India: Analysis from the social philosophy of Ambedkar.

3)      Ambedkar and Women's empowerment.

4)      Construction of social movements India: Influence of Ambedkar's ideology, symbols and images.

5)      Annihilation of caste: Interpretation in the present context

6)      Ambedkar and Egalitarian Revolution: Lessons in inclusion for state and civil society.

7)       Ambedkar's vision and way forward

Venue

The seminar will be held 19^th and 20^th of March, 2016 at Mahatma Gandhi Labour Institute (MGLI), Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Ahmedabad is a well developed city of Gujarat.  It is well connected by rail and air network to the rest of India. The MGLI campus is about 14 Kms from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport and 11 kms from railway station. From any point in the Ahmedabad city, come to Manav Mandir The campus is within 100 metres from Manav Mandir.

Submission of Papers

All contributors should submit their abstract (preferably 200 - 300 words) in soft copy, with short CV and passport sized photograph to the following email address: seminar.mgli@gmail.com with a copy to mail4shailendra@yahoo.co.in and ayanendu1@gmail.com   

Abstracts of all the papers accepted will be published and distributed among the participants. The paper ideally should not exceed 10,000 words limit (including tables and appendices). Selected papers will be published as a volume.

Important Dates

Last date for receipt of Abstracts                   : 28^th February, 2016          

Last date for receipt of full length Papers      :      10^th March, 2016        

Travel Support and Accommodations

Travel (economy class airfare/1^st AC and 2^nd AC/ 3^rd AC by shortest route) in India will be provided to invited Speakers/Professors and Paper Presenters/Freelancers respectively. Accommodation will be at the institute's guest house and nearby hotels.

Contact Persons

Dr Shailendra Prasad Thakur

Assistant Professor

Mahatma Gandhi Labour Institute

Ahmedabad

Phone- 09426312739

Dr Ayanendu Sanyal

Assistant Professor,

Mahatma Gandhi Labour Institute

Ahmedabad

Phone- 09902925328