Ambedkar viewed villages critically, especially the traditional Indian village, as a site of social inequality and stagnation. He argued that Indian villages were not self-sufficient, harmonious units as often idealized, but rather places dominated by caste hierarchy, untouchability, and economic backwardness. The rigid caste system in villages restricted mobility, reinforced social oppression, and denied basic rights to marginalized communities, particularly Dalits. Ambedkar believed that the ideal of village self-governance often masked the exploitation and domination of weaker sections by upper castes. He emphasized that true social progress required breaking these oppressive structures rather than