CHAPTER 76: CHAPTER 69: CLASH OF IDEALS

Delhi – Prime Minister’s Office, South Block – 18th December 1948

Arjun had already expected Ambedkar to oppose the original version of the draft that he had made. After all, it didn’t include anything about the reservations for the historically suppressed castes.

And yesterday, he received an urgent request for the meeting from Ambedkar.

"He sure moves quickly," Arjun said with a hint of amusement, glancing at Patel, who sat quietly near the window.

Patel nodded lightly as he spoke, "What else do you expect? He spent his entire career campaigning for the rights and opportunities of those that were marginalized."

Arjun leaned forward and pressed the intercom. "Send a summons to Dr. Ambedkar."

"Right away, Prime Minister," came the voice through the intercom in response.

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Dr. B.R. Ambedkar walked through the corridors of South Block with his mind already racing through the arguments he planned to make.

When he entered the Prime Minister’s office, he found Arjun Mehra at his desk reviewing documents. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel sat by the window, his presence as commanding as always. The atmosphere was filled with a sense of comfortable silence.

"Dr. Ambedkar," Arjun said, looking up from his papers. His voice was calm as usual.

"Please, take a seat. It seems that you have some concerns about our Constitution draft. So, go ahead. I’ll be happy to clear your concerns. Oh, and I hope you don’t mind Sardar-ji’s presence."

Ambedkar nodded and settled into the chair across from the desk. He had spent his entire life fighting injustice, and that experience showed in his voice as he began to speak.

"Prime Minister, Sardar-ji," he said, his eyes moving between the two men, "I have studied this draft for two days. And in many ways, it is remarkable.

The vision for a strong Union, the focus on national unity and development, the promise of fundamental rights to all citizens of India, these are truly admirable goals. They offer hope for a modern and prosperous India."

He paused, then continued with obvious appreciation. "I must especially praise Article XII – the Anti-Segregation Law, Prime Minister. By making caste discrimination a crime, by removing caste identity from all official records, and by declaring that birth will no longer determine anyone’s opportunities, we ensure that citizens have equal chance for all the opportunities.

These are indeed the revolutionary changes Something that were long due.

They strike at the very roots of the oppression that has damaged our society for hundreds of years. For this alone, the nation owes you tremendous gratitude."

A brief look of surprise crossed Arjun’s face, though he quickly hid it. He had expected praise for the anti-caste laws, but the strength of Ambedkar’s words caught him off guard. Patel nodded silently from his chair, recognizing the sincerity behind the praise.

But then Ambedkar’s tone shifted completely. The appreciation vanished, replaced by fierce determination.

"However, Prime Minister," he said, his voice growing stronger, "this Constitution contains several questionable contradiction.

While I appreciate the Constitution’s focus on a strong Union and executive power for stability, I am deeply concerned about how these powers might be misused.

The Emergency Powers in Article IX can be too easily abused. The Penal Code in Article X defines ’sedition’ and ’national sabotage’ so broadly, with such harsh punishments, that it could be used to silence any legitimate criticism.

The Law Enforcement Officers (LEO) is just a diluted version of military force, not a court system. These provisions seem designed to concentrate absolute power and suppress any voice that truly questions the government."

Especially, if I talk about the Article-XII, the Anti-Segregation law.

In its clauses, with one hand, it promises to destroy centuries of caste oppression, and with the other, it denies the very tools that are needed to truly uplift the lower castes. I am talking about the complete absence of reservations for Scheduled Castes and Tribes."

His passion for justice was on full display.

"You say that birth will no longer determine opportunities, that only merit, hardship, or capability will matter. This sounds noble, Prime Minister. But at the same time, it is a cruel mockery for people who have been denied education, land, and dignity for hundred of years!

How can children from communities that were kept away from schools and opportunities suddenly compete on merit with those who inherited privilege? This is simply not fair!"

Arjun met Ambedkar’s passionate gaze with cold logic. His voice remained steady, almost teacher-like in its tone.

"Ambedkar ji, when has the world ever been fair? History does not care about fairness, it cares about power and results. My job is not to create a fair world, but to build a strong India that cannot be broken. Yes, we are tearing down the old unfair system.

But creating new permanent privileges, even to fix past wrongs, can...no, will create new problems. It might as well keep alive the very caste divisions we want to destroy."

Ambedkar leaned forward, his frustration clear. "But without specific provisions for reservations in education, jobs, and political representation, this anti-caste law becomes meaningless for my people.

It becomes just words on paper. It forces them to compete from a position of terrible disadvantage, keeping them forever on the edges of this strong India you wish to build."

Arjun stood and walked away from his desk. When he turned back, his voice carried a warning tone that seemed to come from deep knowledge.

"Think about the practical consequences, Ambedkar ji. If we give reservations based only on birth, what stops every other group from demanding the same? There are countless communities that can claim they suffered in history.

Muslims have their own caste system, the Ahmediyas face discrimination worse than untouchability. Would they not demand their share? Non-Muslims, especially Brahmins, were treated badly in Islamic kingdoms.

Sikhs suffered under the Mughals, their Gurus were killed. Not only these, but every community has suffered in some way in the past."

He paused to let his words sink in. "But if we decide positions by caste, then we kill merit. We punish people who are actually good just because of their birth.

You want to end the caste system by creating another rigid, official caste system! You will become the very thing that you want to destroy!"

Arjun’s voice rose with conviction. "What do you think will happen? First, Scheduled Castes get reservations, then Scheduled Tribes. Then some politician, wanting votes, will decide that his community or most communities should get reservation benefits too. Other Backward Classes.

Step by step, more than half of all opportunities will be decided by caste. And when some community does not get reservations, they will start riots!"

He returned to face Ambedkar directly. "And also, what do you think will happen to the person who doesn’t get reservation? They get even less opportunities!

And when that happens, when a struggling person who had to work a million times harder because of their caste, they will obviously feel angry at someone who got a position with lower scores just because they were born into another community.

And then slowly but surely, not only will it erase merit, but will also lead to riots yet again.

Because, Ambedkar ji, except for maybe 1% of the population, everyone is poor. They are all struggling to survive day by day. And now, you want to add the burden of reservation on their lives."

Arjun’s voice rang with absolute certainty. "Look at the British! What do you think surnames like Carpenter, Butler, and Tailor meant? They were hereditary jobs, as rigid as our castes in their time.

But they disappeared with modernization and social progress. They were not written into law and enforced by the government."

His gaze was intense. "Anyone trying to create an official caste system through government rules will be inadvertently cause the damage to the glorious future of Bharat.

And I certainly won’t allow such destructive discrimination as long as I am guiding this nation. No, I will seal these rules that prevent such damage even in future.

I am building a nation where everyone gets equal rights and responsibilities, where merit, proven need, and ability decide opportunities, not birth."

Hearing all of this, Ambedkar was stunned into silence. He couldn’t think of any valid reasons that could refute what Arjun had said. After all, what he said wasn’t wrong. What’s stopping others from demanding reservations in the similar way?

People of all communities have suffered tragically at some point of the history. By that logic, he was just sowing seeds for a more rigid caste system, the system that he intended to destroy.

He couldn’t help but clenched his fists. Even despite all this, it was injustice to his people.

"Prime Minister, I understand your concerns, but you should also know that dismissing the positive upliftment of those suppressed communities is epitome of injustice. They had fought and bled, just like any other Indian, for the freedom.

They had hoped that perhaps in the independent India, they could finally get what they had been deprived of for hundreds of years. I won’t stand for this."

The room, once again, fell into silence. The weight of Ambedkar’s words hung in the air like a thundercloud.

Patel remained motionless by the window, but his eyes were fixed on Arjun, silently asking how he would respond.

This was no longer a controlled discussion, it was a direct moral confrontation. This was perhaps the first time someone has ever confronted Arjun with truth and hard facts.

Arjun listened without showing any emotion on his face.

’So this is it, huh?’

Yes, he had already made the decision to add small reservation earlier on, and with carefully planned boundaries that prevent them from being abused, like they were in his timeline.

The reason he didn’t added it to the original draft was simple. He wanted to see how Ambedkar would respond. He wanted to hear his side of argument. And well, he’s satisfied.

Finally, Arjun spoke. His voice was measured, almost conciliatory, but with an underlying tone of steel.

"Ambedkar ji, your points about the practical realities of inherited disadvantage are well taken. While this new Constitution aims to end all forms of discrimination, I admit that the path to true equal opportunity will be difficult for some, given centuries of suppression.

India needs every one of its citizens to reach their full potential, especially those from historically marginalized communities."

He paused, a strategic calculation playing out in his mind. This would be a concession, yes, but a controlled one, designed to defuse a potentially explosive moral and political challenge without undermining his core principles.

"Therefore," Arjun continued, looking directly at Ambedkar, "I am prepared to modify the draft. We will include a provision for targeted, time-limited reservations. A maximum of 15% reservation for the economically poor from suppressed castes, based on economic criteria and verified hardship, not solely on caste identity.

This reservation will last for 20 years from when the Constitution takes effect, to provide immediate, real help for those most in need. And don’t worry, I aim to implement many schemes and practical trainings that can allow semi-skilled and skilled workers to get a job in the ongoing industrial expansion.

"And 20 years is more than enough for an unskilled person to become semi-skilled in at least one field."

He emphasized the next point carefully. "And crucially, it will not be inherited. If a child benefits from this reservation, their children will not automatically get it based on birth. They must qualify based on their own economic situation and verified need at that time.

This policy aims to be a tool for upliftment and poverty reduction, not the creation of new permanent privileges or identity politics. It encourages self-reliance, not dependence, while directly addressing immediate disadvantages."

As if remembering something, he said, "Oh, and the other Articles and clauses won’t be amended. Even if they might concentrate the power towards the center, I believe they’re necessary to fix the current poor social and civic fabric of India that has been the product of decades of poor economic status."

Ambedkar listened with a complex mix of emotions crossing his face, surprise, disappointment, and reluctant acknowledgment.

He didn’t want a leadership, that in some ways, was similar to the very Britishers that they fought. And as for reservations, they were less than what he wanted, much smaller than the comprehensive, inherited reservations he had fought for.

It still put the burden on individuals to prove their poverty rather than acknowledging systematic disadvantage. But it was a concession, a real step forward, and importantly, it recognized the need for targeted help within the constitutional framework.

It was a victory, however small, for the principle of affirmative action, won in maybe the most unusual way. Basically a practical offering from a leader who gave nothing away easily.

"Prime Minister," Ambedkar said slowly, with a slight nod of acknowledgment, "It is...a beginning. A difficult path, but a step toward justice." He looked at Arjun, understanding that this man never gave anything without a strategic purpose. He knew this was a bargain.

Arjun’s serene smile returned. "It is designed to serve India’s destiny, Ambedkar ji. I personally treat every Indian equally. And it’s not that I’m deliberately targeting the suppressed castes earlier, but rather because of the risks and the greater good.

Let’s hope this new change will solve this problem as well."

Ambedkar nodded.

He closed the folder on his desk. "Now, our task is to ensure that this amended draft moves smoothly through the Constituent Assembly in these final weeks."