Ambedkar's grandson stresses on leadership qualities

Vajpayee is the last leader in India, there is a vacuum since 10 yrs

Grandson of B R Ambedkar, Prakash Y Ambedkar, said there is a need to look beyond Ambedkar as he advocated education for all so that people would be able to take decisions and develop leadership qualities themselves. “Even Ambedkar’s leadership should expire for a better future,” he said.

Prakash Ambedkar was delivering the inaugural address at the national seminar on ‘Dalit Development and Inclusive Growth: Issues and Prospects’, organised by Dr B R Ambedkar Research and Extension Centre at Sri Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar Auditorium, Manasagangothri, here on Monday.

Stating that ex-prime minister A B Vajpayee is the last leader in India, he said there is a vacuum over the past 10 years and he did not see another leader emerging in the next 20 years.

“At a time when natural resources in the nation are depleting, when there are conflicts among states over sharing of natural resources, there is a need for a leader acceptable for all. Otherwise, there would be anarchy. The only institution in which people now have faith is the Supreme Court,” he said.

Open mind

Taking exception to people jumping to conclusions and taking offence to criticism against Ambedkar, Prakash said those who criticise Ambedkar are not degrading him but only taking a holistic look at the personality.

“Now, all institutions are looking inwards and one needs to have an open mind. There should be space for cartoons, space for free expression of opinions, as this is a democracy,” he said.

Pointing out that the power has shifted from the Parliament to outside, to capitalists, he said capitalism has brought insecurity to both societies and sovereignity of nations. “Now, economic invasion is the new war.

Due to insecurities, people are becoming selfish. If the Constitution is practised in letter and spirit, relationships should be based on brotherhood, equality and freedom. But, we are yet to define these three terms,” Prakash said.

He said: “Corruption has become a part of the society because our relationships are not based on brotherhood — a fellow feeling. Castes perpetuate anti-fellow feeling. If people see beyond caste and develop fellow feeling, the nation will progress.”

Terming indecisiveness as a crime, he said education should enable a person to come to a conclusion on an issue and make a decision, otherwise education has no meaning.

Gopal Guru from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, delivered the keynote address while journalist L R Balley from Jalandhar in Punjab was the chief guest.

Vice-chancellor of the University of Mysore V G Talwar presided over the inaugural function. Registrar P S Naik, retired police officer and visiting professor to the centre Mariswamy and director of the centre Somasekhar were present on the occasion.