Dr. Bhimrao Ramji ambedkar (April 14,1891- December 6,1956)

Early life

Birth Place Mhow Indore, MP

Born On April 14 1891

Parents Ramji SakpalHM-Army School

Bhima BaiHousewife

Schooling Govt High School Satara

Elphinstone High School

(Matriculation)

MarriageIn 5th standard at the age of

14To Rama

Bai(9yrs old)

Advance Studies

Columbia University

Newyork (M.A, Ph.D)

Gray’s Inn for Law

(Degree of Bar)London School Of Economics And

Political Science (M.Sc. Economics)

Political career In July 1924 Ambedkar started his political career by establishing

the Bahishkrit Hitkarini Sabha (The Depressed Classes Welfare Association) to raise the educational level and economic status of the depressed classes as well as to ventilate the hardships of these classes.

Started his paper Bahishkrit Bharat and a weekly paper Mooknayak (Leader of the Dumb) to champion the cause of depressed classes in India.

1927- Nominated as a member of Bombay Legislative Council 1928- Appointed as professor of law in Govt Law College, Bombay Represented untouchables in Second and Third Round Table

Conference, London 1932- Founded All India Untouchability League (Harijan

Sewak Sangh) June 1935- Became the Principal and Professor of Jurisprudence in

Bombay’s Government Law College Nov 1946- Elected to Constituent Assembly of India from Bengal Chairman of Constituent Assembly Of India- the Architect of the

Indian Constitution

1947- Appointed as Minister of Law in Nehru Cabinet but resigned after a year owing to differences with Nehru on Hindu Code Bill

1949- Started participating actively in World Buddhist Conferences held in Kathmandu and Rangoon

1949- Established Bhartiya Buddhajan Sangh and published the Buddhist prayer book Buddha Upasana Panth

1952- Elected To Rajya Sabha June 1952- Columbia University honoured him with Degree of

L.L.D in recognition of his work in drafting Indian Constitution 1955- Founded Bhartiya Baudh Samaj Oct 14,1956- Left Hinduism and became a Buddhist in Nagpur December 6, 1956- unfortunate demise in early morning April 11th 1990- Life size painting of Ambedkar installed in

Central Hall of the Parliament House April 14th 1990- Nation’s highest decoration of Bharat Ratna

was conferred on Ambedkar by the then President Shri. R. Venkataraman.

Ambedkar’s Books And Writings The Problem Of Rupee; Its Origin and Its Solution, 1923 The Evolution Of Provincial Finance in British India,1925 Annihilation Of Caste, 1936 Thoughts On Pakistan,1946 Ranade, Gandhi and Jinnah,1943 What Congress & Gandhi have done to Untouchables ,1945 Who were the Shudras, 1946 State and Minorities, 1947 The Untouchables, 1948 Maharashtra as a Linguistic State, 1948 Thoughts on Linguistic States, 1945 The Buddha and His Dhamma, 1957The following works were published after his demise

in 1956- The Rise and Fall of Indian Women, 1965 Dr. Ambedkar On Buddhism, 1982

Ambedkar and Constitution making Ambedkar was elected as the Chairman of the Drafting Committee

of the Constitution of independent India on 29 August 1947. There were seven members in the committee.

Ambedkar’s problems began even before the task of drafting the constitution started. One of the members resigned, whose place was empty all the time, another person died and that place was also empty, one member lived in America, ultimately his place also remained empty, one member was busy with his political duties and could not spare time in the Assembly, one or two people were out of Delhi hence it was impossible for them to adjust in Delhi’s cold weather. Consequently a situation arose that the entire responsibility for drafting the constitution came upon Ambedkar’s shoulders.

The text prepared by Ambedkar provided constitutional guarantees and protections for a wide range of civil liberties for individual citizens, including freedom of religion, the abolition of untouchability and outlawing all forms of discrimination.

Ambedkar argued for extensive economic and social rights for women, and also won the Constituent Assembly’s support for introducing a system of reservations of jobs for members of the SC and ST.

Ambedkar kept the clauses of the Constitution flexible so that amendments could be made as and when the situation demanded.

He provided an inspiring Preamble to the Constitution ensuring justice, social, economic and political, liberty, equality and fraternity. The Preamble of the Indian Constitution echoes the principles of parliamentary democracy. It reads-

“We the people of India, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a Sovereign Democratic Republic and to secure to all its citizens—Justice, Social, Economic and Political; Liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship, Equality of status and of opportunity and to promote among them all—Fraternity, assuring the dignity of Individual and the Unity of the Nation, in our Constituent Assembly this 26th day of November, 1949 do hereby adopt, enact and give to ourselves this Constitution.”

Ambedkar was a champion of fundamental rights. Part III of the Indian Constitution guarantees the fundamental rights to the citizens against the state. Some of the fundamental rights contained in Articles 15(2), 17, 23, and 24 are also enforceable against individuals as they are very significant rights relating to the prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth etc.

According to Ambedkar, the most significant feature of the fundamental rights is that these rights are made justicable.

He took a very prominent part in the deliberations of the Assembly. He was known for his logical, forceful and persuasive arguments on the floor of the Assembly. He is thus recognised as the Father of the Constitution of India and is also known as a Modern Manu.

Dr. Ambedkar tried an adequate inclusion of women’s rights in the political vocabulary and constitution of India. He insisted on Hindu Code bill suggesting the basic improvements and amendments in assembly. He also insisted and evoked all the parliamentary members to help to pass the bill in parliament.

Ambedkar’s Social Reforms1. Reconstructing Hindu Social Order and

Religion• There should be only one standard book for Hindu

religion, acceptable and recognized by all Hindus. Vedas, Puranas, Shastras should not be treated as sacred.

• Priesthood must cease to be hereditary and be on exam basis.

• Priest should be the servant of the state and should be paid by the state and subjected to disciplinary action.

• The number of priests should be limited by the law. Brahmanism is the poison which has spoiled Hinduism.

2. Elimination of the Varna System According to Ambedkar, along with each Varna there are

castes, sub-castes; and the cases notions are far from pernicious than the four varnas.

Varna System offends against both the canons of social adjustment – fluidity and equity, and thus it doesn’t provide the modern Indian society a new warmth of social relationships.

It was impracticable to reduce the thousands of castes into four varnas in accordance with the merits and demerits of each individual.

The names of Brahman, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra, have become associated with certain sentiments of ‘high’ and ‘low’ and were now based on birth rather than worth.

Unless this social ideal is destroyed root and branch, there cannot be liberty and equality, love and social brotherhood, unity and humanity, in the social relations of the Hindus.

This Chaturvarnya system should be discontinued and new things must be accompanied by new names.

3. Elimination of the Caste System Dignity behind caste & Shastras which sanctioned it should

be destroyed. The system of scaling castes in graded order should be

abolished. Inter-caste marriages should be encouraged. Education should be made universal by abolishing

monopoly of Brahmans on it. Recruitment of army should be open, fair and equal and

not just limited to Kshatriyas. They should be given the right to vote and contest

elections and should have equal opportunity to participate in their governance.

4. An Ideal Social Organization An ideal society should be based on liberty (social,

political, religious), equality and fraternity. Equality of opportunity based on social justice for every

individual. (Equality of consideration) The function and structure of society should be such as to

enable each human to attain an equitable share in the fruits of social cooperation.

Avoid all class-hatred, class warfare, jingoism chauvinism, revengefulness and the like. Every individual should identify with the good of others. It insists upon spirit of social service and brotherly love.

5. Constitutional Provisions for Backward Sections of Society and Upliftment of Women

He got special article improvised in the constitution for the depressed classes such as Articles 17, 15(1), 16(4), 46, 164, 330(1), 332(1) and 338(1).

Untouchability was constitutionally abolished and its practise made a penal offence.

Reservation for scheduled castes was provided in legislature and in government services.

He propounded that women should be given absolute rights over property and daughters should have equal share over father’s property.

Ambedkar’s Conversion to Buddhism Ambedkar on the whole was nit an atheist but he never

spared time for going deep into mysteries of religion. His attitude towards religion was natural, social and utilitarian.

Within Hinduism, he had to suffer immensely as an untouchable Mahar.

He launched a huge satyagraha on 20th March 1927 to touch water at Chowdar tank at Mahad and for temple entry at Kala Ram temple in Nasik on 2nd March 1930 but in vain.

On 13th October in 1935, he declared to renounce Hinduism. He suggested a scheme for reforming Hinduism but it was not accepted by Hindus.

In 1936 he convened a conference of Dalits, near Nasik to discuss the issue of conversion. Nearly 10,000 Dalits attended the conference.

After discussing the pros and cons of conversion to different faiths, Ambedkar finally opted for conversion to Buddhism which he found preferable to Islam or Christianity since it was derived from Indian tradition, culture and history.

Also Buddhism was a progressive religion. It was against the institution of private property. It advocated persuasion, moral teaching and love.

In the book published in 1957, “The Buddha and his Dhamma”, Ambedkar gave some idea of new faith he wanted the Dalits to embrace.

The cardinal principle of Dhamma would be Prajna which meant understanding as opposed to superstitions and super naturalism. The other two principles were Karuna meaning love and compassion, and Samta meaning equality.

There would be no castes, no claims to infallibility. The main objective was to emancipate suffering humanity.

Ambedkar advocated Buddhism not only for India but for the whole strife-ridden world.

His acceptance of Buddhism was not merely a negative gesture of leaving Hinduism , but was a positive act of commitment to a superior religious way of life. That is the reason why he was called a ‘Nav Buddha’.

Presented By - Rima Doot