“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, Indian last and nothing else but Indians.”
In this quote by Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, he emphasizes the importance of national loyalty above all other loyalties. He stresses the idea that individuals should first and foremost identify themselves as Indians, regardless of their religion, culture, or language. This quote highlights the essence of unity and cohesion among diverse populations within a nation. Ambedkar's words showcase his vision for a harmonious and united India, where national identity transcends all other divisions.
In today's increasingly divisive world, the message of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar advocating for a singular national identity holds great significance. His call for prioritizing our Indian identity over any other affiliations resonates strongly in a time when identity politics and cultural divisions often overshadow our collective identity as Indians. Embracing this philosophy can help foster unity, harmony, and inclusivity in our diverse society.
"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, Indian last and nothing else but Indians.” - Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar"
Ambedkar emphasizes the importance of prioritizing our loyalty to our Indian identity over any other competing loyalties. Consider the following questions to reflect on this statement:
“To a Soviet person, used to the nationality policy of the USSR, all the mistakes of the American government's Indian policy are evident from the first glance. The mistakes are, of course, intentional. The fact of the matter is that in Indian schools, class is conducted exclusively in English. There is no written form of any Indian language at all. It's true that every Indian tribe has its own language, but this doesn't change anything. If there were any desire to do so, the many American specialists who have fallen in love with Indian culture could create Indian written languages in a short time. But imperialism remains imperialism.”
“I didn't literally kill Indians. We were supposed to make you give up being Indian. Your songs and stories and language and dancing. Everything. We weren't trying to kill Indian people. We were trying to kill Indian culture.”
“Yes, I know, if the American Indians had enforced such a policy none of us pale-faced honkies would be here. But the Indians were foolish, and divided, and failed to keep our WASP ancestors out. They've regretted it ever since.”
“We know from our recent history that English did not come to replace U.S. Indian languages merely because English sounded musical to Indians' ears. Instead, the replacement entailed English-speaking immigrants' killing most Indians by war, murder, and introduced diseases, and the surviving Indians' being pressured into adopting English, the new majority language.”
“When asked by an anthropologist what the Indians called America before the white men came, an Indian said simply "Ours.”