“CASTES IN INDIA”: DR BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR

INTRODUCTION

Not only is education a source of power, but it is also a tool for social change. It has
always served as a social control agent in the interests of the ruling class. In India, the
native elites used education as a tool to enslave the poor by placing them in the lowest
caste hierarchy. It was also used by colonial forces to establish their imperial rule. The
priestly class had exclusive access to education in ancient times. They dominated
social relations primarily through the construction of knowledge, which was limited to
the Brahmins, Kshatiyas, and Vaishyas, the three higher varnas. The sacredness of
knowledge, which was equated to the learning of the vedas, was completely denied to
the shudras, untouchables, and women. Even during the mediaeval period and the
beginning of the modern era, Brahmanic discourses dominated social relations and
knowledge production. Even during colonial rule, the upper castes' exclusive
possession of knowledge and power remained unaffected, resulting in the subjugation
of the Dalits and their descent into moral degradation.

B. R. AMBEDKAR

Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, also known as Babasaheb Ambedkar, was an Indian jurist,
economist, politician, and social reformer who inspired the Dalit Buddhist movement
and campaigned against social discrimination against the untouchables. He was born
on April 14, 1891, and died on December 6, 1956. (Dalits). He was the first law and
justice minister of independent India, and a key architect of the Indian Constitution.
Ambedkar was a prolific student who received doctorates in economics from
Columbia University and the London School of Economics, as well as a reputation as
a scholar for his work in law, economics, and political science.
He worked as an economist, professor, and lawyer in his early years. His later life was
defined by his political activities, which included campaigning and negotiating for
India's independence, publishing journals, advocating for Dalit political rights and
social freedom, and making significant contributions to the establishment of the Indian
state. In 1956, he converted to Buddhism, sparking a wave of Dalit conversions.
Ambedkar was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian
honour, in 1990. Ambedkar's legacy includes numerous memorials and popular
culture depictions.

EARLY LIFE

Ambedkar was born in Mhow, a town and military cantonment in the Central
Provinces, on April 14, 1891. (now in Madhya Pradesh). He was the 14th and last
child of Ramji Maloji Sakpal, a Subedar in the army, and Bhimabai Sakpal, the
daughter of Laxman Murbadkar. His family originated in the Marathi town of
Ambadawe (Mandangad taluka) in the Ratnagiri district of modern-day Maharashtra.
Ambedkar was born into a low Mahar (dalit) caste, which was treated as untouchables
and discriminated against socioeconomically. His father served in the British Indian
Army at the Mhow cantonment, and his ancestors had long worked for the British East
India Company's army. Despite attending school, Ambedkar and other untouchable
children were separated from their peers and received little attention or assistance
from teachers. They were not permitted to sit in the classroom. When they needed
water, someone from a higher caste had to pour it from a height because they were not
allowed to touch the water or the vessel in which it was contained. This task was
usually done for the young Ambedkar by the school peon, and if the peon was not
available, he had to go without water; he later described the situation as "No peon, No
Water" in his writings. He had to sit on a gunny sack that he had to bring home with
him.
In 1894, Ramji Sakpal retired, and his family relocated to Satara two years later.
Ambedkar's mother died not long after they moved. The children were raised by their
paternal aunt in a difficult environment. The Ambedkars' three sons – Balaram,
Anandrao, and Bhimrao – and two daughters – Manjula and Tulasa – all survived.
Ambedkar was the only one of his brothers and sisters to pass his exams and enter
high school. His given name was Sakpal, but his father registered him as
Ambadawekar in school, indicating that he is from the Ratnagiri district village of
Ambadawe. Krishna Keshav Ambedkar, his Devrukhe Brahmin teacher, changed his
surname from 'Ambadawekar' to 'Ambedkar' in school records.

EDUCATION

Post-secondary education

In 1897, Ambedkar's family relocated to Mumbai, where he enrolled at Elphinstone

High School as the only untouchable student. His marriage to Ramabai, a nine-year-
old girl, was arranged in 1906, when he was about 15 years old.
He passed his matriculation examination in 1907, and the following year he enrolled
at Elphinstone College, which was affiliated with the University of Bombay,
becoming the first member of his Mahar caste to do so, according to him. People in
his community wanted to celebrate his passing of his English fourth-grade exams
because they thought he had reached "great heights" which he says was "hardly an
occasion compared to the state of education in other communities" The community
held a public ceremony to honour his accomplishments, and it was at this time that he
was presented with a biography of the Buddha by Dada Keluskar, the author and a
family friend. Frances Pritchett, Frances Pritchett, Frances Pritchett, France "In the
1890s" says the author (PHP).
By 1912, he had earned a bachelor's degree in economics and political science from
Bombay University and was preparing to work for the state government of Baroda.
When he had to return to Mumbai to see his ailing father, who died on February 2,
1913, he had just moved his young family and started work.

Postgraduate studies at Columbia University

At the age of 22, Ambedkar moved to the United States. Sayajirao Gaekwad III
(Gaekwad of Baroda) had established a scheme to provide opportunities for
postgraduate education at Columbia University in New York City, and he had been
awarded a Baroda State Scholarship of £11.50 (Sterling) per month for three years. He
settled into rooms at Livingston Hall with Naval Bhathena, a Parsi who would become
a lifelong friend, soon after arriving. He received his M.A. with honours. majoring in
Economics and minoring in Sociology, History, Philosophy, and Anthropology, he
took his final exam in June 1915. Ancient Indian Commerce was the title of his thesis.
John Dewey and his work on democracy influenced Ambedkar.
In 1916, he finished his second thesis, National Dividend of India - A Historic and
Analytical Study, for another M.A., and in 1927, after leaving for London, he received
his PhD in Economics for his third thesis, National Dividend of India - A Historic and
Analytical Study. On May 9, he spoke at a seminar led by anthropologist Alexander
Goldenweiser about his paper Castes in India: Their Mechanism, Genesis, and
Development.

Postgraduate studies at the London School of Economics

Ambedkar with his professors and friends from the London School of Economics
(centre line, first from right) (1916-17)
He enrolled in Gray's Inn's Bar course in October 1916, while also enrolling at the
London School of Economics, where he began working on a doctoral thesis. He
returned to India in June 1917 after his Baroda scholarship expired. His book
collection was sent on a ship other than the one he was on, which was torpedoed and
sunk by a German submarine. He was granted permission to return to London in four
years to complete his thesis. He returned as soon as he could and earned a master's
degree in 1921. His thesis was titled "The problem of the rupee: Its origin and its
solution" He earned his D.Sc. in Economics in 1923, and Gray's Inn called him to the
Bar the following year. His honoris causa doctorates (LL.D., Columbia, 1952, and
D.Litt., Osmania, 1953) were given to him.

OPPOSITION TO ARYAN INVASION THEORY

In his 1946 book Who Were the Shudras?, Ambedkar viewed the Shudras as Aryans
and vehemently opposed the Aryan invasion theory, calling it "so absurd that it ought
to have been dead long ago"
Shudras, according to Ambedkar, were originally "part of the Kshatriya Varna in the
Indo-Aryan society" but became socially degraded after inflicting numerous tyrannies
on Brahmins.
Ambedkar, according to Arvind Sharma, saw flaws in the Aryan invasion theory that
were later recognised by western scholarship. Scholars now agree that the word ans in
Rig Veda 5.29.10 refers to speech rather than the shape of the nose. Ambedkar
foresaw this modern viewpoint when he said:
In Rig Veda V.29.10, the term Anasa appears. What exactly does the term imply?
There are two possibilities for interpretation. Prof. Max Muller is the author of one of
them. Sayanacharya is the author of the other.
It means 'one without a nose' or 'one with a flat nose,' according to Prof. Max Muller,
and has thus been used as evidence in support of the theory that the Aryans were a
separate race from the Dasyus. According to Sayanacharya, it means'mouthless,' i.e.,
lacking in good speech. This difference in meaning is due to a difference in how the
word Anasa should be read. Prof. Max Muller reads it as a-nasa, while Sayanacharya
reads it as an- asa. It means 'without nose,' according to Prof. Max Muller. The
question is, which of the two interpretations is correct? There is no reason to believe
Sayana's interpretation is incorrect. On the other hand, everything points to it being
correct. To begin with, it does not make any grammatical sense. Second, since the
Dasyus aren't described as noseless anywhere else, there's no reason to read the word
in a way that gives it a completely different meaning. It's only right to consider it a
synonym for Mridhravak. As a result, there is no evidence to support the hypothesis
that the Dasyus were of a different race.
Ambedkar refuted various theories that the Aryan homeland was outside of India,
concluding that the Aryan homeland was India. The Rig Veda, according to
Ambedkar, states that Aryans, Dsa, and Dasyus were rival religious groups, not
individuals.
OPPOSITION TO UNTOUCHABILITY

Ambedkar was obligated to serve the Princely State of Baroda because he was
educated there. He was appointed as the Gaikwad's Military Secretary, but he had to
resign after only a few months. In his autobiography, Waiting for a Visa, he recounted
the incident. Following that, he attempted to find ways to support his growing family.
He worked as a private tutor, accountant, and investment consultant, but his business
failed when his clients discovered he was an untouchable. In 1918, he accepted a
position as Professor of Political Economy at Mumbai's Sydenham College of
Commerce and Economics. Other professors objected to him sharing a drinking-water
jug with them, despite his success with the students.
The Southborough Committee, which was drafting the Government of India Act 1919,
had invited Ambedkar to testify. Ambedkar argued for separate electorates and
reservations for untouchables and other religious communities at this hearing. With
the help of Shahu of Kolhapur, Shahu IV (1874–1922), he started publishing the
weekly Mooknayak (Leader of the Silent) in Mumbai in 1920.
Ambedkar then went on to work as a lawyer. In 1926, he successfully defended three
non-Brahmin leaders who were sued for libel after accusing the Brahmin community
of ruining India. "The victory was resounding, both socially and individually, for the
clients and the Doctor Samarth," Dhananjay Keer writes.
He tried to promote education and uplift untouchables while practising law in the
Bombay High Court. His first organised effort was the founding of the Bahishkrit
Hitakarini Sabha, a central institution aimed at promoting education and
socioeconomic improvement, as well as the welfare of "outcasts," also known as
"depressed classes" at the time. He founded many periodicals, including Mook Nayak,
Bahishkrit Bharat, and Equality Janta, to defend Dalit rights.
In 1925, he was appointed to the Bombay Presidency Committee, where he
collaborated with the all-European Simon Commission.
While the commission's report was largely ignored by most Indians, Ambedkar wrote
a separate set of recommendations for the country's future constitution.
By 1927, Ambedkar had decided to take up active anti-untouchability campaigns. To
open up public drinking water resources, he began with public demonstrations and
marches. He also started a fight for the right to visit Hindu temples. He organised a
satyagraha in Mahad to fight for the untouchable community's right to draw water
from the town's main water tank. Ambedkar publicly condemned the Manusmriti
(Laws of Manu) for ideologically justifying caste discrimination and "untouchability"
at a conference in late 1927, and he ceremonially burned copies of the ancient text. He
led thousands of followers in burning copies of Manusmrti on December 25, 1927.
Ambedkarites and Dalits commemorate Manusmriti Dahan Din (Manusmriti Burning
Day) every year on December 25. After three months of planning, Ambedkar
launched the Kalaram Temple movement in 1930. Around 15,000 volunteers gathered
at the Kalaram Temple Satygraha, making it one of Nashik's largest processions. A
military band led the procession, which included a group of scouts, women, and men
who walked in discipline, order, and determination to see the god for the first time.
The gates were closed by Brahmin authorities when they arrived at the gate.

Poona Pact

On September 24, 1932, M.R. Jayakar, Tej Bahadur Sapru, and Ambedkar signed the
Poona Pact at Yerwada jail in Poona.
In the Communal Award of 1932, the British announced the formation of a separate
electorate for "Depressed Classes" Gandhi was adamantly opposed to a separate
electorate for untouchables, claiming that such a system would split the Hindu
community. While imprisoned in Poona's Yerwada Central Jail, Gandhi protested by
fasting. Following the fast, politicians and activists from the Congress, such as Madan
Mohan Malaviya and Palwankar Baloo, met with Ambedkar and his supporters in
Yerwada. The Poona Pact was signed on September 25, 1932, by Ambedkar (on
behalf of the Hindu depressed classes) and Madan Mohan Malaviya (on behalf of the
Hindu upper classes) (on behalf of the other Hindus). Within the general electorate,
the agreement provided reserved seats for the poor in the Provisional legislatures. The
depressed class received 148 seats in the legislature as a result of the pact, rather than
the 71 seats proposed by British Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald in the Communal
Award. The term "Depressed Classes" is used in the text to refer to Hindu
Untouchables, who were later renamed Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes under
the India Act 1935 and the Indian Constitution of 1950. In theory, the Poona Pact
established a unified electorate, but in practise, primary and secondary elections
allowed Untouchables to choose their own candidates.

POLITICAL CAREER

In February 1934, Ambedkar was photographed with members of his family in

Rajgraha. Yashwant (son), Ambedkar, Ramabai (wife), Laxmibai (wife of his elder
brother, Balaram), Mukund (nephew), and Tobby, Ambedkar's favourite dog.
Ambedkar was named principal of the Government Law College in Bombay in 1935,
where he stayed for two years. After the death of its founder, Shri Rai Kedarnath, he
served as chairman of the Governing Body of Ramjas College, University of Delhi.
Ambedkar settled in Bombay (now Mumbai), where he oversaw the construction of a
house and amassed a personal library of over 50,000 books. Ramabai, his wife, died in
the same year after a long illness. She had wanted to go on a pilgrimage to Pandharpur
for a long time, but Ambedkar had refused, telling her that he would create a new
Pandharpur for her instead of the Hinduism's Pandharpur, which treated them as
untouchables. Ambedkar announced his intention to convert to a different religion and
exhorted his followers to leave Hinduism at the Yeola Conversion Conference on
October 13 in Nasik. He would deliver his message to a large number of public
gatherings across India.
In 1936, Ambedkar founded the Independent Labour Party, which ran in the 1937
Bombay election for the 13 reserved and 4 general seats in the Central Legislative
Assembly and won 11 and 3 seats, respectively.
On May 15, 1936, Ambedkar published his book Annihilation of Caste. It was harshly
critical of Hindu orthodox religious leaders and the caste system in general, and
included "a rebuke of Gandhi" on the subject. In a 1955 BBC interview, he accused
Gandhi of opposing the caste system in English-language newspapers while
supporting it in Gujarati-language newspapers.
As Minister for Labour, Ambedkar served on the Defence Advisory Committee and
the Viceroy's Executive Council. Following the Muslim League's Lahore resolution
(1940) demanding Pakistan, Ambedkar wrote a 400-page tract titled Thoughts on
Pakistan, in which he examined the concept of "Pakistan" in all of its facets.
Ambedkar argued that the Hindus should give the Muslims Pakistan. He proposed
redrawing the provincial borders of Punjab and Bengal to divide the Muslim and non-
Muslim majority areas. He assumed that the Muslims would not object to the
redrawing of provincial boundaries. They didn't "understand the nature of their own
demand" if they did. Thoughts on Pakistan, according to scholar Venkat Dhulipala,
"rocked Indian politics for a decade" It set the tone for talks between the Muslim
League and the Indian National Congress, paving the way for India's partition.
Ambedkar attempted to explain the origins of untouchables in his book Who Were the
Shudras? He saw Shudras and Ati Shudras, the lowest caste in the caste system's ritual
hierarchy, as distinct from Untouchables. Despite performing poorly in the 1946
elections for the Constituent Assembly of India, Ambedkar oversaw the
transformation of his political party into the Scheduled Castes Federation. Later, when
the Muslim League was in power in Bengal, he was elected to the constituent
assembly. Ambedkar ran for the first Indian General Election in Bombay North in
1952, but was defeated by his former assistant and Congress Party candidate Narayan
Kajrolkar. Ambedkar was elected to the Rajya Sabha, most likely as an appointed
member. In the 1954 by-election from Bhandara, he attempted to re-enter the Lok
Sabha, but he came in third (the Congress Party won). Ambedkar had died by the time
of the second general election in 1957.
Ambedkar was also a vocal critic of Islamic practises in South Asia. He condemned
child marriage and the mistreatment of women in Muslim society while justifying
India's partition.
There are no words to adequately express the many and great evils of polygamy and
concubinage, particularly as a source of misery for Muslim women. Take, for
example, the caste system. Everyone assumes that Islam must be free of slavery and
caste divisions. [...] [While slavery existed, it received a lot of support from Islam and
Islamic countries.] While the Prophet's prescriptions in the Koran for the just and
humane treatment of slaves are commendable, there is nothing in Islam that supports
the abolition of slavery. Slavery has ended, but caste among Musalmans [Muslims]
has not.

The new Congress-led government invited Ambedkar to serve as the country's first
Law Minister after India's independence on August 15, 1947, which he accepted. On
August 29, he was named Chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee by the
Assembly, and he was tasked with writing India's new Constitution. The Indian
Constitution, drafted by Ambedkar, was described by Granville Austin as "first and
foremost a social document." 'The majority of India's constitutional provisions either
directly advance the goal of social revolution or attempt to foster this revolution by
establishing conditions necessary for its realisation.'
Ambedkar's draught text guaranteed and protected a wide range of civil liberties for
individual citizens, including freedom of religion, the abolition of untouchability, and
the prohibition of all forms of discrimination. Ambedkar argued for extensive
economic and social rights for women, and won the Assembly's support for a system
of reservations for members of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, as well as the
Other Backward Class, in the civil service, schools, and colleges, akin to affirmative
action. With these measures, India's legislators hoped to eliminate socio-economic
inequalities and provide opportunities for India's poor. The Constituent Assembly
adopted the Constitution on November 26, 1949.

Opposition to Article 370

Ambedkar was opposed to Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, which granted the
state of Jammu and Kashmir special status and was included against his wishes.
According to Balraj Madhok, Ambedkar had clearly told Kashmiri leader Sheikh
Abdullah: "You want India to protect your borders, build roads in your area, supply
you with food grains, and grant Kashmir equal status with India. However, the Indian
government should have only limited powers in Kashmir, and Indian citizens should
have no rights there. Giving my consent to this proposal would be treasonous and
against India's interests, and I, as India's Law Minister, will never do so." Sk.
Abdullah then approached Nehru, who directed him to Gopal Swami Ayyangar, who
then approached Sardar Patel, claiming that Nehru had promised Sk. Abdullah special
status. While Nehru was on a foreign tour, Patel was able to get the Article passed.
Ambedkar did not respond to questions about the article on the day it was discussed,
but he did participate in discussions about other articles. Krishna Swami Ayyangar
handled all of the arguments.

Support to Uniform Civil Code

Ambedkar demonstrated his commitment to reforming Indian society by

recommending the adoption of a Uniform Civil Code during the Constituent
Assembly debates. When his draught of the Hindu Code Bill, which sought to
enshrine gender equality in the laws of inheritance and marriage, was stalled in
parliament in 1951, Ambedkar resigned from the cabinet. In 1952, Ambedkar ran for
the lower house of parliament, the Lok Sabha, on his own, but was defeated in the
Bombay (North Central) constituency by a little-known candidate named Narayan
Sadoba Kajrolkar, who received 138,137 votes to Ambedkar's 123,576. In March
1952, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha, India's upper house of parliament, where he
would serve until his death.

Economic planning

Ambedkar was the first Indian to obtain a doctorate in economics from a foreign
university. He argued that India's economy could benefit from industrialization and
agricultural growth. He emphasised agricultural investment as India's primary
industry. Ambedkar's vision, according to Sharad Pawar, aided the government in
achieving its food security goal. Ambedkar advocated for national economic and
social development, emphasising the importance of basic amenities such as education,
public hygiene, community health, and residential facilities. His DSc thesis, "The
problem of the Rupee: Its origin and solution" (1923), investigates the factors that
contributed to the rupee's depreciation. He demonstrated that price stability is more
important than exchange stability. He investigated the effects of silver and gold
exchange rates on the economy, as well as the reasons for British India's public
treasury's failure. He calculated how much development was lost as a result of British
rule.
Ambedkar established the Indian Finance Commission in 1951. He was an outspoken
opponent of a low-income tax. He helped to stabilise the economy by implementing
policies such as the Land Revenue Tax and excise duty. He was instrumental in land
reform and the development of the state's economy. He claimed that the caste system
divided workers and stifled economic progress. He emphasised India's recent adoption
of a free economy with a stable Rupee. He advocated for birth control as a means of
developing the Indian economy, and the Indian government has adopted this as a
national policy for family planning. For economic development, he emphasised equal
rights for women. After India's independence, he laid the groundwork for industrial
relations.

Reserve Bank of India

Ambedkar studied economics and worked as a professional economist until 1921,

when he entered politics. He published three academic books on economics:
• East India Company Administration and Finance
• In British India, the Evolution of Provincial Finance
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) was founded on Ambedkar's ideas presented to the
Hilton Young Commission on the Problem of the Rupee: Its Origin and Solution.
Ramabai Ambedkar, Ambedkar's first wife, died in 1935 after a long illness. He
suffered from insomnia, neuropathic pain in his legs, and was on insulin and
homoeopathic medicines after finishing the draught of India's constitution in the late
1940s. He went to Bombay for treatment and met Dr. Sharada Kabir, whom he
married at his home in New Delhi on April 15, 1948. Doctors suggested that he be
cared for by a companion who was a good cook and had medical knowledge. She
changed her name to Savita Ambedkar and took care of him for the rest of his life.
Savita Ambedkar, also known as 'Mai,' died on May 29, 2003, in Mehrauli, New
Delhi, at the age of 93.
Ambedkar considered converting to Sikhism, a religion that encouraged resistance to
oppression and thus appealed to scheduled caste leaders. However, after meeting with
Sikh leaders, he came to the conclusion that he might be granted "second-rate" Sikh
status, as scholar Stephen P. Cohen describes it.
Instead, he spent his entire life studying Buddhism. He became interested in
Buddhism around 1950 and travelled to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) to attend a World
Fellowship of Buddhists meeting. Ambedkar announced that he was writing a book on
Buddhism and that when it was finished, he would formally convert to Buddhism
while dedicating a new Buddhist vihara near Pune. In 1954, he returned to Burma
twice, the second time to attend the World Fellowship of Buddhists' third conference
in Rangoon. He established the Bharatiya Bauddha Mahasabha, or Buddhist Society
of India, in 1955. In 1956, he finished his final work, The Buddha and His Dhamma,
which was published after his death. Ambedkar organised a formal public ceremony
for himself and his supporters in Nagpur on 14 October 1956, following meetings with
Sri Lankan Buddhist monk Hammalawa Saddhatissa. Ambedkar and his wife
completed their own conversion by accepting the Three Refuges and Five Precepts
from a Buddhist monk in the traditional manner. He then went on to convert 500,000
of his followers who had gathered around him. After the Three Jewels and Five
Precepts, he prescribed the 22 Vows for these converts. He then went to the Fourth
World Buddhist Conference in Kathmandu, Nepal. His work on The Buddha or Karl
Marx, as well as "Revolution and counter-revolution in ancient India" was left
unfinished.

Death

Ambedkar has been suffering from diabetes since 1948. Due to medication side
effects and poor eyesight, he was bedridden from June to October 1954. Political
issues had become increasingly vexing to him, taking a toll on his health. During
1955, his health deteriorated. Ambedkar died in his sleep on December 6, 1956, at his
home in Delhi, three days after finishing his final manuscript The Buddha and His
Dhamma.
On the 7th of December, a Buddhist cremation was held at Dadar Chowpatty beach,
which was attended by half a million mourners. On December 16, 1956, a conversion
programme was held so that cremation attendees could convert to Buddhism at the
same time.
Ambedkar was survived by his son Yashwant and his second wife, who died in 2003.
(known as Bhaiyasaheb Ambedkar). Ambedkar Prakash Yashwant, Ambedkar's
grandson, is the Buddhist Society of India's chief-adviser, leads the Bharipa Bahujan
Mahasangh, and has served in both houses of the Indian Parliament. Among
Ambedkar's notes and papers, a number of unfinished typescripts and handwritten
draughts were discovered and gradually made available. Waiting for a Visa, an
autobiographical work that dates from 1935–36, and the Untouchables, or the
Children of India's Ghetto, which refers to the census of 1951, were two of them. In
his Delhi home at 26 Alipur Road, a memorial to Ambedkar was erected. Ambedkar
Jayanti, or Bhim Jayanti, is a public holiday commemorating his birthdate. In 1990, he
was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour.
At least half a million people visit his memorial in Mumbai on the anniversaries of his
birth and death, as well as on Dhamma Chakra Pravartan Din (14 October) in Nagpur.
[101] Thousands of bookshops have opened, and thousands of books have been sold.
"educate, agitate, organise!" he exhorted his followers.

Legacy

Ambedkar's legacy as a social reformer had a significant impact on modern India. His
socio-political ideas are respected across the political spectrum in post-independence
India. Through socio-economic and legal incentives, his initiatives have influenced
various spheres of life and transformed the way India looks at socio-economic
policies, education, and affirmative action today. His reputation as a scholar led to his
appointment as the first law minister of independent India and chairman of the
constitution-drafting committee. He was a firm believer in individual liberty and an
outspoken critic of caste society. His accusations that Hinduism is the foundation of
the caste system enraged Hindus and made him unpopular. His conversion to
Buddhism rekindled interest in Buddhist philosophy in India and around the world.
Many public institutions, including Nagpur's Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International
Airport (also known as Sonegaon Airport), are named after him. Ambedkar University
Delhi and Dr. B. R. Ambedkar National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar, are both
named after him.
The Maharashtra government has purchased a London home where Ambedkar resided
during his student years in the 1920s. The house is expected to be turned into an
Ambedkar museum and memorial. In 2012, Ambedkar was voted "the Greatest
Indian" in a poll that excluded Mahatma Gandhi because it was impossible to beat
him. History TV18 and CNN IBN organised the poll. There were nearly 20 million
votes cast. Narendra Jadhav, a well-known Indian economist, has described Ambedkar
as "the highest educated Indian economist of all times." because of his contributions to
economics. Amartya Sen stated that Bhimrao Ambedkar is a hero ""He was a highly
controversial figure in his home country, though this was not the reality," says the
father of my economics. His contribution to economics is outstanding and will be
remembered for a long time."
The legacy of Bhimrao Ambedkar was not without criticism. Ambedkar has been
chastised for his one-sided views on untouchability, which came at the expense of
collaboration with the larger nationalist movement. Some of Ambedkar's biographers
have chastised him for his lack of organisational skills. Ambedkar's political
philosophy has spawned a slew of political parties, publications, and labour unions,
many of which are still active across India, particularly in Maharashtra. His promotion
of Buddhism has reignited interest in Buddhist philosophy among certain segments of
India's population. Human rights activists have held mass conversion ceremonies in
modern times, emulating Ambedkar's 1956 Nagpur ceremony. Although he never
claimed it, some Indian Buddhists regard him as a Bodhisattva. During the late 1990s,
some Hungarian Romani people outside of India drew parallels between their own
situation and that of India's oppressed people. They began to convert to Buddhism
after being inspired by Ambedkar.

IN POPULAR CULTURE

Several films, plays, and other works have been based on Ambedkar's life and ideas.
In 2000, Jabbar Patel directed the English-language film Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar,
which starred Mammootty. The National Film Development Corporation of India and
the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment of the Indian government supported
this biopic. After a long and contentious gestation, the film was finally released. David
Blundell, a UCLA anthropology professor and historical ethnographer, has created
Arising Light, a series of films and events aimed at generating interest and knowledge
about India's social conditions and Ambedkar's life. B. R. Ambedkar was played by
Sachin Khedekar in Samvidhaan, a TV mini-series directed by Shyam Benegal about
the making of the Indian Constitution. The play Ambedkar Aur Gandhi, directed by
Arvind Gaur and written by Rajesh Kumar, follows the lives of the two prominent
figures in the title. The graphic biography Bhimayana: Experiences of Untouchability
was created by Pardhan-Gond artists Durgabai Vyam and Subhash Vyam, as well as
writers Srividya Natarajan and S. Anand. The book chronicles Ambedkar's
experiences of untouchability from childhood to adulthood. It was named one of the
top five political comic books by CNN. In his honour, the Ambedkar Memorial in
Lucknow was built. The chaitya is made up of monuments depicting his life.
On April 14, 2015, Google honoured Ambedkar's 124th birthday with a homepage
doodle. India, Argentina, Chile, Ireland, Peru, Poland, Sweden, and the United
Kingdom all featured the doodle.

Works

The Education Department, Government of Maharashtra (Mumbai)

published the collection of Ambedkar's writings and speeches in different
volumes.
Castes in India: Their Mechanism, Genesis and Development and 11 Other Essays

 Ambedkar in the Bombay Legislature,

 with the Simon Commission and at the
 Round Table Conferences, 1927–1939
 Philosophy of Hinduism; India and the Pre-requisites of Communism;
 Revolution and Counter-revolution; Buddha or Karl Marx
 Riddles in Hinduism
 Essays on Untouchables and Untouchability
 The Evolution of Provincial Finance in British India
 The Untouchables Who Were They And Why They Became Untouchables ?
 The Annihilation of Caste (1936)
 Pakistan or the Partition of India
 What Congress and Gandhi have done to the Untouchables; Mr.
Gandhi and the Emancipation of the Untouchables
 Ambedkar as member of the Governor General's Executive Council, 1942–46
 The Buddha and his Dhamma
 Unpublished Writings; Ancient Indian Commerce; Notes on laws;
Waiting for a Visa ; Miscellaneous notes, etc.
 Ambedkar as the principal architect of the Constitution of India

 (2 parts) Dr. Ambedkar and The Hindu Code Bill

 Ambedkar as Free India's First Law Minister and Member of
Opposition in Indian Parliament (1947–1956)
 The Pali Grammar
 Ambedkar and his Egalitarian Revolution – Struggle for Human Rights.
Events starting from March 1927 to 17 November 1956 in the chronological
order; Ambedkar and his Egalitarian Revolution – Socio-political and
religious activities. Events starting from November 1929 to 8 May 1956 in
the chronological order; Ambedkar and his Egalitarian Revolution –
 Speeches. (Events starting from 1 January to 20 November 1956 in the
chronological order.)

LET US SUM UP

Ambedkar saw education as a tool for social change and religion as a social force that
could help to rebuild the world. In this context, his views on religion and their
implications for education and social change can be examined in greater depth.
Arnbedkar's social project prioritised the development of an enlightened,
emancipatory, and democratic citizen. In this light, Ambedkar's democratic ideals and
their significance for education can be investigated, and a framework for an
educational scheme based on these ideals can be developed.