B R Ambedkar wouldn't have accepted family inheritance in politics or anywhere else: Shashi Tharoor
New Delhi, Oct 13: It is a fairly safe assumption that B R Ambedkar would have "disapproved" of and been "quite critical" of the idea that political leadership should go through inheritance rather than election or other forms of merit, senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said on Thursday.
Tharoor, who is pitted against party colleague Mallikarjun Kharge in the Congress presidential election, was speaking at the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library here on the launch of his new book "Ambedkar: A life".
For someone who was "never convinced by the logic of the caste system he would not have accepted the family inheritance principle anyway in politics or anywhere else", the Lok Sabha MP from Thiruvananthapuram said of Ambedkar.
"...Though he (Ambedkar) has not written about it, I can tell you that it is a fairly safe assumption that he would have disapproved and would have been quite critical of the idea that political leadership should go through inheritance rather than through election or other forms of merit," said Tharoor, when asked about Ambedkar's views on state parties concentrating power in the hands of respective first families.
The book launch, moderated by the author himself, had former Supreme Court judge Justice (retired) Madan B Lokur, former Rajya Sabha MP Bhalchandra Mungekar and lawyer Karuna Nundy as the panelists talking about the life and times of Ambedkar.
Praising Ambedkar for the remarkable work he did in drafting of the Constitution, Justice (retired) Lokur threw light on how much of the work was done by Ambedkar "single-handedly" as other members of the Drafting Committee were not able to give him the required assistance for the job.
"One person died, one person was sent off to America on a mission, two others were given other duties elsewhere in India. So he was left alone to do it. And he did a remarkable job, not because he has taken care of just about everything but also because he consulted a lot of people," said Justice (retired) Lokur, who is currently serving as a judge of the Supreme Court of Fiji.
There were seven members in the Drafting Committee of the Constitution -- BR Ambedkar, Alladi Krishnaswami Ayyar, N Gopalaswami, KM Munshi, Mohammad Saadulla, B L Mitter and DP Khaitan.
Ambedkar was elected as the chairman of the Drafting Committee during their first meeting on 30th August 1947.
". . . Yes, there were few drafts that were in existence. The Government of India Act of 1935, which formed some kind of base, and Sir Benegal Rau had also worked on the Constitution before he went to the International Court of Justice. But really the nuts and bolts of the constitution were written by Ambedkar," he explained.
Published by Aleph, "Ambedkar: A Life" claims to offer readers a fresh and profound understanding of the Father of Indian Constitution.
Talking about the book, Tharoor said there is undoubtedly drama and sufferings in Ambedkar's life -- the son of of an untouchable subedar in the cantonment town of Mhow -- but far more "consequential is the weight of his writings, speeches and interventions in the public debates of his time".
". . . This is the story of the rise of a man of ideas, illustrated with extensive quotations from his writing and speeches, and not of a man of physical adventure," he wrote in the introduction of his book.
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Gold, silver soar as US-Iran deal hopes lift bullion demand
New Delhi (PTI): Gold prices rebounded by Rs 2,900 to Rs 1.55 lakh per 10 grams in the national capital on Wednesday, while silver climbed to Rs 2.54 lakh per kilogram as easing geopolitical tensions triggered a pullback in oil rates, boosting demand for precious metals.
According to the All India Sarafa Association, the yellow metal of 99.9 per cent purity jumped by Rs 2,900, or nearly 2 per cent, to Rs 1,55,400 per 10 grams (inclusive of all taxes) from Tuesday's closing level of Rs 1,52,500 per 10 grams.
Traders attributed the surge in bullion prices to reports that Washington and Tehran are close to finalising a framework agreement to end months of conflict, raising the prospects of smoother flows through the Strait of Hormuz and easing inflation concerns tied to energy markets.
"Gold rallied strongly on Wednesday as easing geopolitical tensions triggered a sharp reversal in key macro drivers that had recently pressured precious metals," Saumil Gandhi, Senior Analyst - Commodities at HDFC Securities, said.
Silver prices also advanced for the third straight session by rising Rs 3,500, or 1.4 per cent, to Rs 2,54,500 per kg (inclusive of all taxes). The metal had settled at Rs 2,51,000 per kg in the previous session, as per the Association.
"The prospect of a diplomatic breakthrough triggered a steep decline in oil prices and the US dollar, easing concerns about inflation while boosting demand for precious metals," Gandhi said.
Globally, spot gold increased by USD 106.15, or 2.33 per cent, to USD 4,663.70 per ounce while silver gained USD 3.40, or 4.68 per cent, to USD 76.24 per ounce.
"Gold witnessed a sharp rally as markets reacted positively to reports that the US and Iran are moving closer to a one-page agreement framework aimed at ending the conflict," Jateen Trivedi, VP Research Analyst - Commodity and Currency, LKP Securities, said.
Despite strong international gains, rupee strength limited the upside in domestic gold prices. The market is now highly focused on final confirmation and execution of the proposed deal, he added.
Any negative surprise or breakdown in negotiations could trigger a sharp sell-off in gold, while a successful agreement and sustained ceasefire could push the bullion prices higher in the near-term, Trivedi said.
