Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar

Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar 

Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar popularly known as Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar is one of the greatest Indians of all times. He is considered as the real liberator of the downtrodden people i. e. Dalits in India. Dalits were and even today are mostly given very inhumanely treatment by the upper caste people. Earlier their touch was considered as polluted and hence they were called as the untouchables. They were forced to live outside the boundaries of the village and not given entry in the village during the morning and evening time. Hence, they had to enter the village in the simmering heat of afternoon. They were not allowed to fetch water from the wells or ponds meant for upper castes. Even, they were not allowed to enter the temple in the village. They were denied the right to education and property. Thus, the socio-economic conditions of the downtrodden or Dalits were hard beyond imagination.

Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar devoted his entire life for the betterment of the downtrodden. He was born on 14 April 1891 in Mhow, a town located in western Madhya Pradesh. According to the experts this town was established by John Malcolm in the year 1818. It was a cantonment during British period. As it was a birth place of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar it has been renamed as Dr. Ambedkar Nagar. Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar himself was born in Dalit family. He belonged to a Mahar caste. This caste is one of the dominant castes from Maharashtra. Mahar caste is one of the major martial castes known for its valour, bravery and fighting skills. This caste was very instrumental in traditional village administration in Maharashtra. His father was Ramji Sakpal and his mother’s name was Bhimabai Sakpal. Ramji Sakpal was Subedar in British army. Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s ancestors hailed from Ambawade village in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra. The original surname of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar was Ambawadekar which was changed to Ambedkar by his teacher Krishnaji Keshav Ambedkar. Since his school days he started experiencing the heat of caste system and untouchability. He had to sit separately on his gunny sack in school. He was not allowed to drink water with his own hands. A school peon used to pour water into the hands of young Bhimrao whenever he felt thirsty in school.

His family later on moved to Mumbai where he studied from the Elphinstone High School and Elphinstone College. Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar studied from world renowned educational institutions like Columbia University, United States of America and London School of Economics, United Kingdom. He did MA and Ph.D. in Economics from Columbia University He completed Master of Science (MSc) and Doctor of Science (DSc) degrees from London School of Economics. He became Bar-at-Law from Gray’s Inn in London. He studied from University of Bonn, Germany as well. . He had also earned Doctor of Laws (LLD) and D.Litt. Degrees.

The above description shows that Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar was a very highly qualified and intelligent person. He had completed his studies in United States and United Kingdom in record time. He was born in a caste which was denied the right of education but he went on to study from the most reputed world class educational institutions. He was well versed and possessed immense knowledge about politics, economics, sociology, history, anthropology, philosophy and law and constitution among others. 

Maharaja Sayajirao Gaikwad of Baroda princely state and Chhatrapati Rajarshee Shahu Maharaj of Kolhapur played crucial role in the life of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. These two Indian rulers sponsored his foreign education. Chhatrapati Rajarshee Shahu Maharaj of Kolhapur declared Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar as the real leader of the Dalits and downtrodden. 

Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar started a newspaper titled Bahishkrit Bharat in 1927. This newspaper was devoted to the cause of upliftment of depressed classes. He had demanded separate electorates for depressed classes during the Round Table Conferences held in London which was also accepted by the British. Mahatma Gandhi was against the separate electorates as he thought it would divide the Hindu community. Hence, Mahatma Gandhi went on fast and Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar had to sign a Poona Pact in 1932.

Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar had organised agitations like entry for untouchables in famous Kalaram Temple in Nashik and Chawdar Tale (pond) Aandoln in Mahad, Raigad. 

He became the member of Governor General’s Executive Council in 1942 and handled the Labour Department successfully.

He was an economist and wrote extensively about economic issues and considered as the driving force behind the formation of Finance Commission of India.

Dr. Ambedkar wanted to give the long due equal legal rights to Indian women, hence, he had drafted the famous Hindu Code Bill. He had written about the water resources of India as well. He wanted that water resources should be used for multi purposes. Hence, supported the Damodar Valley Project. The Central Water Commission was formed in India in 1945 thanks to Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. 

He became the member of the Constituent Assembly and was appointed as the Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Indian Constitution. He single-handedly drafted the Constitution, hence, aptly called as the Father or Architect of the Indian Constitution. 

One of the major provisions of the Indian Constitution is the reservations for the weaker sections of the society i.e. Schedule Castes and Scheduled Tribes which has proved to be crucial for their educational and social upliftment.

He became the Law Minister in the first Cabinet of Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. He resigned as the Law Minister mainly on the issue of Hindu Code Bill. 

We have mentioned about Bahishkrit Bharat earlier, apart from it Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar also started and published newspapers like Mooknayak, Janata and Prabuddha Bharat. 

This great liberator of depressed classes died on December 6, 1956 before this he had got  converted to Buddhism on 14 October 1956. He had declared in a meet held at Yeola in 1935 that though he was born as a Hindu but will not die as a Hindu. 

Due to the painstaking efforts made by this great son of India Dalits or depressed classes are able to see the light in their life. The Hindu Code Bill drafted by Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar had to be passed by the Indian Parliament by breaking it into different Acts. This gave rights to the women in the matters related to marriage, succession, guardianship, adoptions and maintenance.