By Zile Singh

 Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar

(April 14, 1891 – December 6, 1956)

Babasaheb Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was born on 14 April 1891 in Mhow, a town and military cantonment in the Central Province (now Madhya Pradesh) He was the 14th and the last child of Ramji Sakpal, a Subedar in the British Army. His death anniversary will be celebrated on December 6 by the government of India and followers of Dr. Ambedkar throughout the world. 

 Education: Elphinstone High School, Mumbai, 1907: Elphinstone College, Mumbai, 1912: Economics and Political Science, Columbia University, USA, 1913-15; Bar-at-Law from London's Gray’s Inn, 1916: MA in Economics and PhD, London School of Economics, 1923: PhD in Economics, Columbia University, 1927.

 Spouse: Ramabai (1906-35); Dr. Sharada Kabir (1948-56)

 Awards: Bharat Ratna, 1990 (posthumously) - India's highest civilian honour.

Voted “The Greatest Indian” in 2012.

 Dr. Ambedkar was an economist, jurist, social reformer, politician and a human rights champion. He is also known as the Father of Indian Constitution.  Ambedkar was appointed India's first Law Minister.Unhappy with the caste system in Hinduism, Ambedkar considered converting to Sikhism.  The Muslims also invited him. Finally, Ambedkar converted to Buddhism initiating mass conversion of Dalits. His message to his countrymen was “educate, agitate and unite.”

To pay allegiance to his legacy and a gratitude to his marvellous contribution in making a New India, the Government undertookseveral projects like a Statue of Equality in Mumbai overlooking the sea near Chaityabhumi where Ambedkar's last rites were performed; Ambedkar Museum at 10 King Henry’s Road in northwest London where Dr. Ambedkar stayed while doing his PhD at London School of Economics.

Dr Ambedkar National Memorial at 26 Alipur Road, Delhi where Dr. Ambedkar lived from 1951 to 1956 and Dr.Ambedkar International Centre at 15 Janpath, New Delhi; For the first time after our Republic, November 26 was declared as the Constitution Day in 2015. A special session of Parliament is convened every year for two days on November 26-27.

Facts to know about Dr. Ambedkar:

Article 370 of the Constitution: This Article gave a Special Status to Jammu

and Kashmir. Dr. Ambedkar was totally against this Article.  He walked out of the meeting when the Constituent Assembly was deliberating on this Article. It was approved in his absence.The Parliament, in August 2019 revoked this Article. 

 

Hindu Code Bill:To seek gender equality in the laws of inheritance and marriage, Dr. Ambedkar in 1951 introduced this Bill in the Parliament.  The Bill failed. As a moral duty, Dr. Ambedkarresigned from the Cabinet. He was not after power but for justice.  The Bill was passed during the next ten years in piecemeals. 

 

Uniform Civil Code: During the debates in the Constituent Assembly Dr. Ambedkar demonstrated his will to reform Indian society by recommending the adoption of a Uniform Civil Code.

 

Reserve Bank of India: The RBI was conceptualized as per the guidelines,

working style and outlook presented by Ambedkar in his book “The Problem of the Rupee – Its origin and its solution.” He recommended that the currency should be demonetized every ten-year.

 

Economic Planning: Dr. Ambedkar was the first Indian to pursue a doctorate in Economics abroad. He stressed investment in agriculture as the primary industry of India. Ambedkar advocated national economic and social development stressing education, public hygiene, community health, residential facilities as the basic amenities. In 1951, he established the Finance Commission of India. He opposed income tax for low-income groups. Dr. Amartya Sen, the Nobel Laureate in Economics said,“Dr. Ambedkar is the father of my economics.”

 

Labour Rights: Without Dr. Ambedkar, most of the protective and benevolent

rights enjoyed by the labourers in India would have been a big question mark. He is called “A Saviour of Labour Rights in India”

 

Family Planning: Dr. Ambedkar was the first scholar to express concern on population control. He moved a non-official Bill on population control in the Bombay Assembly in November 1938.

 

River and Water Management: Prime Minister Modi said that many of us

may not know that Dr Ambedkar was the architect of the water and river

navigation policy of India.

 

Partition of India: “More brain, O Lord, more brain! Or we shall mar,

utterly this fair garden we might win.” This is a quote from the title page of

‘Thoughts on Pakistan’ by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.

 

On Religion:Ambedkar the strongest critics of Hindu religion India had ever seen, however, was not undoubtedly less critical of Islam, Christianity, Sikhism and Buddhism. To him religion was the social force that bound people together as a single group or community, through a set of codes, laws and sanctions.  Accordingly, it could also be a mechanism of establishing slavery of specific set of people. His thoughts on religion surrounded the question to what extent a religion delivers justice, liberty, equality and fraternity. Despite his tactical conversion, from his personal point of view and from multiple sociological perspectives, he could be easily termed as an atheist having strong faith on human realities, science and scientific inventions.

 

Ambedkar’s search and struggle for a different religion turned more rigorous ending up with Buddhism.  The Buddhism propagated by Ambedkar was the rejection of all schools of Buddhism. This rejection could be seen in the 22-vows given by him.  Thus, his idea of a secular religion marked its entry in modern times. 



Dr. B.R. Ambedkar's Inspiring Quotes:

 

 Untouchability has ruined the untouchables, the Hindus and the nation as a whole.

 

  We are going to have many political parties with diverse and opposing political creeds. Will Indians place the country above creed, or will they place creed above the country.   

 

I like the religion that teaches liberty, equality and fraternity.

 

I measure the progress of a community by the degree of progress which women have achieved.

 

Firstly And lastly, we are Indians.

 

According to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, “Dr Ambedkar who strived for social justice and equality is still relevant and holds universal appeal cutting across geographical and political boundaries.”

Zile Singh is a well respected Columnist, Writer and a Vipassana Meditater. He has a Post-Graduate Diploma in Human Rights.  He can be reached at zsnirwal@yahoo.ca