Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar : (14 April 1891 – 6 December 1956), popularly also known as Babasaheb,
was an Indian jurist, politician, philosopher, anthropologist,
historian and economist. A revivalist for Buddhism in India, he inspired
the Modern Buddhist movement. As independent India's first law
minister, he was principal architect of the Constitution of India.
Born into a poor Mahar family, Ambedkar campaigned against social discrimination, the Indian caste system.
He converted to Buddhism and is also credited with providing a spark
for the conversion of hundreds of thousands of lower caste members to Buddhism. Ambedkar was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, in 1990. Eventually earning a law degree and doctorates for his study and research in law, economics and political science from Columbia University and the London School of Economics,
Ambedkar gained a reputation as a scholar and practiced law for a few
years, later campaigning by publishing journals advocating political
rights and social freedom for India's untouchables.
He is regarded as a Bodhisattva by some Indian Buddhists, though he never claimed it himself.
Ambedkar was born in the town and military cantonment of Mhow in the Central Provinces (now in Madhya Pradesh). He was the 14th and last child of Ramji Maloji Sakpal and Bhimabai. His family was of Marathi background from the town of Ambavade (Mandangad taluka) in Ratnagiri district of modern-day Maharashtra. They belonged to the Mahar caste, who were treated as untouchables and subjected to socio-economic discrimination. Ambedkar's ancestors had long been in the employment of the army of the British East India Company, and his father served in the Indian Army at the Mhow cantonment.
Belonging to the Kabir Panth,
Ramji Sakpal encouraged his children to read the Hindu classics. He
used his position in the army to lobby for his children to study at the
government school, as they faced resistance owing to their caste.
Although able to attend school, Ambedkar and other untouchable children
were segregated and given little attention or assistance by the
teachers. They were not allowed to sit inside the class. Even if they
needed to drink water, someone from a higher caste would have to pour
that water from a height as they were not allowed to touch either the
water or the vessel that contained it. This task was usually performed
for the young Ambedkar by the school peon, and if the peon was not available then he had to go without water, Ambedkar states this situation as "No peon, No Water". He was required to sit on a gunny sack which he had to take home with him.
Ramji Sakpal retired in 1894 and the family moved to Satara
two years later. Shortly after their move, Ambedkar's mother died. The
children were cared for by their paternal aunt, and lived in difficult
circumstances. Three sons – Balaram, Anandrao and Bhimrao – and two
daughters – Manjula and Tulasa – of the Ambedkars would go on to survive
them. Of his brothers and sisters, only Ambedkar succeeded in passing
his examinations and graduating to a high school. His original surname Ambavadekar comes from his native village 'Ambavade' in Ratnagiri District.
His Brahmin teacher, Mahadev Ambedkar, who was fond of him, changed his
surname from 'Ambavadekar' to his own surname 'Ambedkar' in school
records.
Higher education
In 1897, Ambedkar's family moved to Bombay
where Ambedkar became the only untouchable enrolled at Elphinstone High
School. In 1906, his marriage to a nine-year old girl, Ramabai, was
arranged.
In 1907, he passed his matriculation examination and in the following year he entered Elphinstone College, which was affiliated to the University of Bombay,
becoming the first from his untouchable community to do so. This
success provoked celebrations in his community and after a public
ceremony he was presented with a biography of the Buddha by Dada
Keluskar, the author and a family friend.
By 1912, he obtained his degree in economics and political science from
Bombay University, and prepared to take up employment with the Baroda
state government. His wife, by then 15 years old, had just moved his
young family and started work, when he had to quickly return to Mumbai
to see his ailing father, who died on 2 February 1913.
In 1913, he moved to the United States. He had been awarded a Baroda
State Scholarship of £11.50 (Sterling) per month for three years under a
scheme established by the Gaekwar of Baroda that was designed to provide opportunities for postgraduate education at Columbia University in New York City. Soon after arriving there he settled in rooms at Livingston Hall with Naval Bhathena, a Parsi
who was to be a lifelong friend. He passed his M.A. exam in June 1915,
majoring in Economics, with Sociology, History, Philosophy and
Anthropology as other subjects of study; he presented a thesis, Ancient Indian Commerce. In 1916 he completed his second thesis, National Dividend of India-A Historic and Analytical Study
for another M.A. and finally he received his PhD in Economics in 1917
for his third thesis, after he left for London. On 9 May, he read his
paper Castes in India: Their Mechanism, Genesis and Development before a seminar conducted by the anthropologist Alexander Goldenweiser.
In October 1916 he enrolled for the Bar course at Gray's Inn, and also
at the same time enrolled at the London School of Economics where he
started work on a doctoral thesis. But in June 1917 he was obliged to go
back to India as the term of his scholarship from Baroda ended.
However, he was given permission to return to submit his thesis within
four years. His thesis was on the "Indian Rupee." Ambedkar came back to
London at the first opportunity and completed his studies. At the London
School of Economics he took a Master's degree in 1921 and in 1923 he
took his D.Sc.in Economics, and the same year he was called to the Bar
by Gray's Inn. His third and fourth Doctorates (Ll.D, Columbia, 1952 and
Ll.D., Osmania, 1953) were conferred honoris causa.
Incidentally, in his journey (1917) he travelled separately from his
collection of books, which were lost when the ship on which they were
dispatched was torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine.[
As Ambedkar was educated by the Princely State of Baroda, he was
bound to serve it. He was appointed as Military Secretary to the Gaikwad
but had to quit within a short time. He described the incident in his
autobiography, Waiting for a Visa.
Thereafter he tried to find ways to make a living for his growing
family. He worked as a private tutor, as an accountant, and established
an investment consulting business, but it failed when his clients
learned that he was an untouchable. In 1918 he became Professor of Political Economy in the Sydenham College of Commerce and Economics
in Mumbai. Even though he was successful with the students, other
professors objected to his sharing the same drinking-water jug that they
all used.
Ambedkar had been invited to testify before the Southborough Committee, which was preparing the Government of India Act 1919. At this hearing, Ambedkar argued for creating separate electorates and reservations for untouchables and other religious communities. In 1920, he began the publication of the weekly Mooknayak (Leader of the Silent) in Mumbai with the help of Shahu II (1874–1922), Maharaja of Kolhapur.
Ambedkar went on to work as a legal professional. In 1926 he
successfully defended three non-Brahmin leaders who had accused the
Brahmin community of ruining India and were then subsequently sued for
libel. Dhananjay Keer notes that "The victory was resounding, both socially and individually, for the clients and the Doctor".
Protests
While practicing law in the Bombay High Court, he tried to uplift the
untouchables in order to educate them. His first organised attempt to
achieve this was the Bahishkrit Hitakarini Sabha, which was intended to promote education and socio-economic improvement, as well as the welfare of "outcastes", at the time referred to as depressed classes. For the protection of Dalit rights he started many periodicals like Mook Nayak, Bahishkrit Bharat, and Equality Janta.
He was appointed to the Bombay Presidency Committee to work with the all-European Simon Commission in 1925.
This commission had sparked great protests across India, and while its
report was ignored by most Indians, Ambedkar himself wrote a separate
set of recommendations for the future Constitution of India.
By 1927 Ambedkar decided to launch active movements against untouchability.
He began with public movements and marches to open up and share public
drinking water resources. He also began a struggle for the right to
enter Hindu temples. He led a satyagraha in Mahad to fight for the right of the untouchable community to draw water from the main water tank of the town.
In 1930, Ambedkar launched Kalaram Temple movement. This was a
non-violent movement for which he was preparing for three months. About
15000 volunteers assembled at Kalaram Temple satygraha making one of the greatest processions of Nashik.
The procession was headed by a military band, a batch of scouts, women
and men walked in discipline, order and determination to see the god for
the first time. When they reached to gate, the gates were closed by
brahmin authorities. This movement was for human dignity and
self-respect.
