This question is framed in such a manner so that it inculcates that one can be an Ambedkarite and a Gandhian at the same time, that too when it is an established fact that Dr. Ambedkar gave a stern warning “Beware of Mr.Gandhi”.

One cannot be in both camps.

An Ambedkarite can not be in the camp of Mr. Gandhi for the following reasons.

• Mr. Gandhi supported the separate electorate for the Sikhs and Muslims, who were economically well off, politically forward but he opposed separate electorate for the untouchables.He even opposed joint electorate with reservation for the untouchables but proudly proclaimed he was the saviour of untouchables. He did not inter dine with them, nor did he ever fight for their right to temple entry. Why he did not make removal of untouchability as the rule for joining the congress. Mr. Gandhi also supported the ancestor calling of education in the 1940’s, that is, he supported a barber’s son to be a barber denying them freedom to learn any other profession of their interest. That’s typical of a casteist mentally.

• Mr. Gandhi fasting was a political gimmick akin to emotional blackmail and bribery. This act depicts how low Mr. Gandhi could stoop. He could not have but chose not to fight against Dr. Ambedkar in London when communal award and separate electorate to untouchables were granted. Instead , he cowardly came to the motherland and sat on fasting where the masses were sentimentalist and where even Jinnah was forced to call him “ MAHATMA”.

The picture below reminds the Ambedkarites of Mr. Gandhi’s betrayal.

• His experiments with truth itself is full of Lies. He started his political career in South Africa with Lies. Was this really an experiment to truth itself. He, after being thrown from the train for for attempting to travel ticketless, had added to it a cinematic representation, that the British threw him out for not being white. Compare this to Dr. Ambedkar’s attitude of remaining calm and collective, even after being thrown off a cart in his own country. Mr.Gandhi was highly racist. He carried his own bed, and chose to live like a slave in the foreign hostel despite being offered a room by a Muslim.Compare this with Dr. Ambedkar who lived among the poor, gave lectures amidst the half clad, half naked, drunkard, uneducated ones after returning from foreign countries.

Mr. Gandhi’s idea of simplicity (wearing loin cloth) is also bound to be criticised. The white beard old man having 30 crore assets, wearing a shirt, lungi, traveling in the 3rd class compartment, fed on leftovers, partaking any type of food with the untouchables stands an example for simplicity (E.V.R Periyar).

Claiming Mr. Gandhi worked for untouchables is also mere propaganda by the Gandhians. He did nothing to lesson their suffering. What he did try his best was to keep the untouchables within Hindu fold against Dr. Ambedkar’s wishes but he didn’t seem too worried if they converted to Islam.

He postponed his fasting days for the Guruvayur temple entry, which did not materialize at all. He fasted for a day for removing of untouchability. Did he really believe untouchability could be ended by a day of fasting ?Even his own congressite was against temple entry after the Poona Pact. He was hesitant to include an untouchable member in his Harijan Sewak Sangh.

Read the following link to know the conflict between Dr. Ambedkar and Mr. Gandhi (B S Pavel’s answer to What was the issue of the conflict between Dr. Ambedkar And and Gandhiji?). Mr. Gandhi’s betrayal is well exposed by his deeds , actions and words.

Why an Ambedkarite can not be a Gandhian. Dr. Ambedkar says in “What congress and Gandhi have done to untouchables”

“Gandhi is the greatest enemy of the untouchables”

Dr. Ambedkar stood for the upliftment of depressed classes and annihilation of caste. He believed caste system could be uprooted by leaving the Hindu-fold. Dr. Ambedkar equated Hinduism with Casteism and Casteism with Hinduism. Whereas Mr. Gandhi is the saviour of Hinduism and known casteist.

Below is a dialogue between Dr. Ambedkar and Mr. Gandhi,depicting Mr. Gandhi not wanting to fight against the Varna system.

Dr.Ambedkar: “If I accept temple entry now and agitate for the abolition of Chaturvarnya and caste system, on what side Gandhi would be. If he is in the opposite camp, I cannot be in his camp now”.

Mr. Gandhi replies as follows.

Mr. Gandhi: Iam a Hindu, not merely iam born in its fold, but Iam one with conviction and choice. There is no superiority or inferiority in Hinduism of my conception. But when Dr. Ambedkar wants to fight varnashram itself, I cannot be in his camp, because I believe varnashram to be an integral part of Hinduism.

Ambedkarites trying to be in the Gandhian camp (for whatever reason) are grossly misled. The congress and Mr. Gandhi never sponsored Dr. Ambedkar. Nor did they work to remove untouchability, improve the untouchables conditions or decided to break break Varnashram which Dr. Ambedkar tirelessly worked towards. Here, the Gandhian and Ambedkarite aim is diametrically opposite.

More reasons why Ambedkarite cannot be a Gandhian and vice-versa.

Mr. Gandhi not only played the role of friend of the untouchables he did not even play the role of a honest foe-Dr. Ambedkar

It is evident that Ambedkarite cannot be in Gandhi’s camp nor Gandhians in the Ambedkarite camp. If still, some insist for diplomacy’s sake that they are supporters of both, then their credential are to be highly doubted.

Conclusion:

Real Father is one who loves to see his children reach heights that were not reached by him. Only Dr. Ambedkar invokes admiration, love, affection, gratitude, loyalty as he was the real Mother cum Father who endured the inhumane tortures meted to him to make crores of depressed class live a human life, to present the most precious gift the “Right to Education”, won them political safeguards which they cannot even think of.

An Ambedkarite can be a Periyarist and vice versa, they admire the leaders like Jyotiba, Ayyankali, Savitribai and others who fought against the caste system. But a casteist Gandhian can never be in any of the above anti caste camps.

It is well known fact that Mr. Gandhi considered himself as a proud casteist, upholder of Varna system and a saviour of Brahmanism (Hinduism) which Dr. Ambedkar wanted to uproot. Hence a true Ambedkarite can never admire Mr. Gandhi or they can be in the camp of Mr.Gandhi.

Also read the book What-Congress-and-Gandhi-have-done-to-the-Untouchables.pdf to know Mr. Gandhi is the worst enemy of the untouchables and to understand that the congress and Mr. Gandhi never worked against the untouchability and never cared the depressed classes.