"The significance of the State in Ambedkar’s thought" a talk by Prof. Valerian Rodrigues at Teen Murti House, Teen Murti Marg > 3pm on 15th April 2013

Time : 3:00 pm

Entry : Free (Seating on First-Come First-Served basis)

Place : Seminar Room, Nehru Memorial Museum & Library (NMML), Teen Murti House, Teen Murti Marg, New Delhi
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Event Description : The Nehru Memorial Museum and Library cordially invites you to a Public Lecture
in the ‘Interrogating Social Justice’ Series on 'The significance of the State in Ambedkar’s thought' by Prof. Valerian Rodrigues, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi

Abstract : It is widely accepted today that Ambedkar’s writings advance a set of credible arguments against confining democracy to the freedom of the market, or reducing it to state socialism. He argued for a positive role for the state in reordering social relations, and defining the role and place of the market. In this regard his position was at great variance from that of the liberals and socialists. This lecture probes into the role and place of the state in his thought under conditions of democracy. The lecture advances the argument that Ambedkar saw the state as a public power which under conditions of democracy can make deep forays into the following modes of domination, and play a partisan role in the sustenance of democracy:
In controlling and regulating the market wherein economic dominance does not affect equal and free citizenship.
In intervening into social relations in favour of citizen equality, human dignity and undermining group-based indignities.
In rallying the collective public against discursive modes of domination manifest in religious ideologies, common-sense and in notions of self-hood.
Institutionally he upheld the principle that power should rest where responsibility lies; while at the same time ensuring that it is not appropriated by partisan interests.
The lecture suggests that for Ambedkar the role of the state spilled over from political to the moral arena. This conception of power while not denying that the political domain is susceptible to influences arising from the economic level, considers that the former has resources within its command to sustain its own autonomy, and be the expression of the common good. How does such a conception of the state negotiate across an abstract system of law and deep diversities manifest in a society? How viable is it against modes of dominance? Is it not possible for such a state to doctor its own version of democracy, and even citizen-public? What dangers await the political when it spills over into the moral terrain?

Speaker : Prof. Valerian Rodrigues is currently Professor in the Centre for Political Studies, School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University. He has taught at Mangalore University from 1982-2003. He has served as Chairman, Department of Political Science, Mangalore University, 1989-2003, as Dean, Faculty of Arts, Mangalore University, 1998-2000 and as Chairman, Centre for Political Studies, School of Social Sciences, JNU, 2008-2010. He has been Agatha Harrison Fellow, St Antony’s College, Oxford University, 1989-1991 and awarded the UGC National Award (Sri Pravanada Saraswati/Om Hari Awards) for Political Science, 2006. His publications include among others, Essential Writings of B.R. Ambedkar and The Indian Parliament: A Democracy at Work.

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