Existing economic system antagonistic to model envisioned by B.R. Ambedkar.

Contact Counsellor

Last Updated29/05/2022

Attempts are also being made to (mis)appropriate Ambedkar by parties, organisations and individuals for their own interests without making effort to embody his principles of socio-cultural justice and economic fairness.
A critical examination of present developments reveal that these are only celebration of Ambedkar’s zeal, keeping electoral gains in mind.
Most of these have been unaware of Ambedkar’s anti-caste and anti-patriarchal vision and some seem to deliberately ignore his world-view on economic equality, fairness and justice.
It would be worthy to revisit some salient features of his works on economic democracy to draw lessons for today.

1928: Babasaheb struggled to get the Maternity Benefit Bill passed in the Bombay Legislative Council.
- Later taken up by Madras Legislative Council in 1934.
1942: changed work time to eight hours per day from earlier 12 hours.
- Ironically, current dispensation, during pandemic, wanted to bring back the 12 hours of work a day norm.

Process of contractualisation and informalisation/casualisation of labourers has widened economic inequality between employer and employee and between high paid permanent employees and low paid regular, contractual and temporary employees.
Contract workers have increased from 15.5% in 2000-01 to 27.9% in 2015-16 even in the organised manufacturing sector.
- In States such as Bihar, Uttarakhand and Odisha, majority of organised manufacturing workforce is contractual.
Despite prohibition under Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970, contract workers are being paid lower salary/wage for the same work.
- This is violation of law and Article 141 of Constitution, as observed by SC in 2016.
Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) data (2017-18): Among regular workers, 45% were paid less than ₹10,000 a month and 72% were paid below ₹18,000 a month.
Emergence of new classes and new contradictions threatens democratic existence and secular fabric of country.
Ambedkar was clear that continued existence of inequalities and tyranny of majority will be death knell of Indian democracy.

Ambedkar established equal pay for equal work irrespective of gender as a member of the Viceroy’s Council.
Included this as part of DPSP in Indian Constitution.
Women still continue to receive on average between ₹70 to ₹90 a day, less than men as both formal and informal workers.
Informal workers constitute 93% of formal and informal sector workforce in India.
Four labour codes are going to worsen the situation of workers.
- One of these codes - Industrial Relations Code, 2020 (IRC) infringes upon right to strike, which was recognised by Ambedkar as one of the fundamental rights of workers.
Other contributions of Ambedkar: institutionalising laws related to worker’s insurance, minimum wages, worker’s welfare, etc.
It is high time we stand by his ideals.

Reasons behind Ambedkar’s interest in economic and labour rights
- He strongly argued for simultaneously addressing substantive question.
- He was believer in both economic and social justice.
He argued for nationalisation of key and basic industries, the agriculture and insurance sectors.
Wanted the State to allocate agriculture land only on tenancy basis to people for collective farming.
On-going monetisation/sell-off/privatisation of airports, Indian Railways, BSNL/ MTNL, LIC, public sector banks and other public sector organisations are assaults on economic democracy.
Labour was placed under Concurrent list in the Indian Constitution.
Labour Investigation Committee and Labour Commissioners’ were instituted by Babasaheb to mitigate condition of workers within the existing law.

Union and State governments must take step to stall privatisation spree and undertake necessary measures to get the four labour codes repealed.
Take pro-active measures to follow vision of democracy — social, economic and political.
Without adhering to Ambedkar’s ideals and merely appropriating the icon is just another pretext to divert people’s attention from everyday materiality.