Both Nehru and Dr. Ambedkar were not very enthusiastic about local government bodies. Did they have similar objections to local governments?
No, Nehru and Dr. Ambedkar did not have similar objections to local government bodies. Their concerns were fundamentally different from each other.
Nehru's objection stemmed from concerns about national unity. He looked upon extreme localism as a threat to the unity and integration of the nation. This view was influenced by the turmoil due to Partition, which created a strong unitary inclination in the Constitution.
Dr. Ambedkar's objection, on the other hand, was rooted in the social structure of villages. He believed that the faction-ridden and caste-ridden nature of rural society would defeat the noble purpose of local government at the rural level. Thus, while Nehru feared disintegration of the nation, Ambedkar was concerned about social inequalities undermining local governance.
Explanation
The textbook clearly distinguishes between the two leaders' objections. Nehru's concern was political—about unity and integration of the nation in the aftermath of Partition. Dr. Ambedkar's concern was sociological—about how caste and factional divisions in villages would corrupt local governance. Students should highlight this key difference in their answers.