Historicizing Gandhi-Ambedkar Conflict through Dalit Perceptions: A Reading of Premanand Gajvee’s Gandhi- Ambedkar

Abstract

Mahatma Gandhi and Babasaheb Dr. B.R. Ambedkar stand as two colossal figures in the history of India’s freedom movement. The duo contributed enormously in their own ways towards the social and political independence of the people of India. Both fought for the same cause which was the emancipation of their fellow Indians. However, their conflicting ways made their relationships complicated. As a result, the conflict between Gandhi and Ambedkar has always been a subject of contention that seems to be neverending. Suffice it to say that the most grievous discord that arose between Gandhi and Ambedkar was due to the cause of the Dalits. While Gandhi preferred to designate the untouchables as ‘Harijan’ voting in favour of the caste system, Ambedkar directly opposed Gandhi’s idea by raising his voice for the liberation of these people from social slavery and tried to make the Dalits visible in the formation of the nation, a new India after its independence. These two characters have been delineated in many Indian texts, yet the delineations differed from time to time at the hands of the writers presenting them. It is also obvious that Ambedkar has not been given an adequate place in mainstream literature. However, since Dalit literature is imbued with the thoughts and ideologies of Ambedkar, he has been given a passable room in many Dalit texts. My paper will interpret and analyze a text by Premand Gajvee - Gandhi-Ambedkar where both of these legends have been given almost equal shares and where Gajvee looks at their relationship with alternate historiography till the assassination of Gandhi. Through my reading of this text, I will try to shed light on the various nuances of historical facts regarding these two stalwarts.