Destiny of Untouchables in India: Divergent Approaches and Strategies of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. B.R.

Indian society witnessed tremendous ferment in the nineteenth century because of the policies adopted by the colonial rulers. The native elite felt concerned about the sudden down fall of the country and started introspection into their own social tradition. These efforts generated the glorious social reform movement. Others who regarded wrong policies of the British rulers to be the main cause of plight of the Indian people started organisations to request them to take up right policies. Ultimately this led to the generation of national movement. Gandhiji’s arrival on the scene in 1920, appeared to dissolve the inner strife, but imperialist intervention would not allow it. Soon a fresh strife emerged as Dr. B.R. Ambedkar challenged Gandhiji’s intentions and style of functioning. Gandhiji was attempting to end the social strife and bring all sections of Indians under one banner in the interest of national freedom. Dr. Ambedkar would insist on dissolving completely the age-old social segregation of the untouchables prior to unity. The present book studies the destiny of untouchables in India and focuses on the divergent approaches to the problem of untouchables adopted by the two great national leaders and their application of divergent strategies for the cause.