Judge Cites BR Ambedkar's "Interest Of Nation" Remark Amid Waqf Protests

BR Ambedkar was always for a united India and wanted people to be "Indians first, Indians last and nothing but Indians" Supreme Court Judge BR Gavai said on Monday, in remarks that are significant amid a huge political row over the new Waqf law and opposition allegations about the law widening the religious divide in the country.

In his address on the 134th Birth Anniversary of BR Ambedkar in Delhi, Justice Gavai also spoke about BR Ambedkar's views on the power balance between the Centre and states - all of which are being hotly debated.

Justice Gavai quoted what he said were Ambedkar's views "with regard to supremacy of the interest of the nation".

"The common goal is the building up of the feeling that we are all Indians. I do not like what some people say -- that we are Indians first and Hindus afterwards or Muslims afterwards. I am not satisfied with that. I do not want that our loyalty as Indians should be in the slightest way affected by any competitive loyalty, whether that loyalty arises out of our religion, out of our culture or out of our language. I want all people to be Indians first, Indians last and nothing else but Indians," he quoted Dr Ambedkar as saying.  

Speaking at the Constituent Assembly on 17th of December 1946, three days after it began its proceedings, Dr Ambedkar had also showed the way forward for the people and their political leaders.

"When deciding the destinies of nations, dignities of people, dignities of leaders and dignities of parties ought to count for nothing. The destiny of the country ought to count for everything," Justice Gavai quoted him as saying, underscoring that these words comprised "one of the most important sentences in that speech".

Justice Gavai said regarding the principles of federalism and the Centre state power balance, Dr Ambedkar had answered critics by saying "However much you may deny powers to the center, it is difficult to prevent the Centre from becoming strong. Conditions in the modern world are such that centralisation of power is inevitable."

He also considered the Article 32 to be the soul of the Constitution, emphasising its vital role in safeguarding the fundamental rights and providing a remedy for their violation, Justice Gavai said. Article 32 allows citizens to approach the Supreme Court in case of violations of fundamental rights, giving the top court every power to enforce them.

"The Constitution has invested the Supreme Court with these rights and these writs could not be taken away unless and until the Constitution itself is amended by means left open to the Legislature. This, in my judgment is one of the greatest safeguards that can be provided for the safety and security of the individual," he quoted Dr Ambedkar as saying.

As for critics of the constitution, Dr Ambedkar had dealt with them in his own unique way, Justice Gavai said.

"There were certain criticisms by the socialists, who wanted the Fundamental Rights to be absolute, and without restrictions. Dr Ambedkar answered that criticism by stating that the socialists, if they come to power, would like to nationalise all the properties of the private individuals and if they don't come to power, they want to have an absolute right to speak anything against the government. He criticised the communalists, saying that if the communalist ideology is accepted, the very concept of "Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity" that we want to achieve would be thrown away in the dustbin," the judge said.