DR, BHIMARAO AMBEDKAR

Dr. Bhimrao Rao Ambedkar was born on April 14th, 1891, in the town Mhow, Madhya Pradesh (a state in Central India). The 14th of Ramji and Bhimabai Sakpal Ambavedkar, he belonged to the untouchable Mahar caste.

Ambedkar's father was one of the few Mahars who had benefited from colonial rule, and had managed to break away from his traditional caste occupation as a village servant and messenger. At the time of Bhimrao's birth, he was a retired army officer and headmaster in a military school. Thus Bhimrao was fortunate to receive good education which otherwise, would have been denied to him.

However, Bhimrao realised the curse of being born in a lower caste while in school. He had to sit on the floor in a corner in the classroom. Teachers would not touch his notebooks. He could not even drink water from the public tank. These bitter early experiences were to have a deep impact on Ambedkar's life.

Bhim was fond of reading and realized that if were to get anywhere in life, he needed to concentrate on his studies. He enrolled in the Elphinstone High School in Bombay. Even there, Bhim faced insults but remained silent and controlled his anger. Undeterred by this discrimination, Ambedkar became the first Mahar to graduate from the prestigious Elphinstone college in Bombay, in 1908. The Mahar community felicitated him in a public meeting for his accomplishments.

Shortly after completing his graduation, Ambedkar received a scholarship to attend Columbia University in New York. Here Ambedkar studied economics. Following a brief interim period in India, Ambedkar continued his studies in London at the prestigious Greys Inn for law. Ambedkar returned to India in 1923, after almost ten years of study abroad, as the first Mahar with a college degree. The February of next year, Bhim's father and mentor, Ramji died.

Armed with a degree in law and a Doctorate in Philosophy, Dr. Ambedkar now felt fully equipped to fight for the cause of the suppressed classes. In July 1924, he founded the Bahishkrut Hitkaraini Sabha that aimed to uplift the downtrodden socially and politically. The Sabha campaigned for scrapping the caste system from the Hindu religion, started free school for the young and the old and ran reading rooms and libraries. Dr. Ambedkar took the grievances of the "untouchables" to court and gave them justice. People affectionately called him "Babasaheb."

Dr. Ambedkar firmly believed that education and political organization were the only true avenues for the social and economic upliftment of the suppressed classes.

The 1920's and 30's represent a turning point in the direction of the Dalit movement. Under the leadership of Ambedkar, the Dalit culture and politics were given a new direction. Ambedkar formed the Independent Labour Party in 1936 and contested the provincial elections. Ambedkar and his candidates won at many places.

When India became independent on August 15, 1947, Dr. Ambedkar was appointed Chairman of the Drafting Committee to draft the Constitution of India. Dr. Ambedkar was also appointed the Minister of Law. In February 1948, Dr. Ambedkar presented the Draft Constitution before the people of India.

The Draft Constitution was adopted as the Constitution of India on November 26, 1949 with all its 356 Articles and eight Schedules and Article 11, which abolished untouchability in all forms. In May 1956, on Buddha's Anniversary, Dr. Ambedkar announced that on October 14 he would embrace Buddhism. Many of Ambedkar's followers also converted to the faith.

On December 5, 1956, Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar died peacefully in his sleep or as the Buddhists would say, he attained "nirvana."