One of the trending topics in Kerala these days is Ambedkar. To be precise, how Ambedkar viewed religions other than Hinduism—especially Islam—is being hotly discussed on Kerala social media. Ambedkar’s criticisms of Islam are not something newly discovered. He wrote them long ago, and they may have been discussed earlier as well. However, many people are not aware of his views, and since certain Islamist organisations prominently project the image of Ambedkar, many assume that he held a positive opinion of Islam.

The new development in social media circles began after a discussion that took place at a literature festival organised by a major media house in Kerala. “How to Read Ambedkar" was the title of a panel that became the focus of debate. Sreejith Panicker, one of the panellists and a popular figure in Kerala often seen supporting the BJP’s political positions, posed a question to the other two members—T.S. Syam Kumar and Sunny Kapicadu—both known for their strong critiques of Hinduism, often verging on the communal, in the name of critiquing Hindutva. The question was why Ambedkar’s criticisms of Islam are never brought up. The point was an important one, and since both the Ambedkarites are frequently seen on platforms associated with hardline Islamist organisations, one could reasonably guess that there would be no direct answer to the question.

Yet, skipping the question, shifting the goalposts, and refusing to answer was quite a sight and an embarrassment for people who present themselves as seasoned Ambedkarites.

This takes us to a more fundamental question about why Islamist organisations, under the garb of human rights, take up the cause of anti-Hindutva. Is the fundamental commitment of these organisations genuinely to democratic values, or to advancing a form of radical Islam under the guise of human rights? It is the ostentatious alignment with anti-Hindutva that leads them to use Ambedkar as one of their poster figures and to make people believe that he held a far more positive view of Islam than he actually did. But truth be told, Ambedkar’s criticisms of Hinduism stem from a very different place than those of Islamist organisations. He was not advancing the interests of Islam; in fact, he........

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