Yugpurush Dr. Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar

                                                

Mahad Satyagraha for drinking water

As a nine-year old, I was confused as to why my father is giving me a write-up on Dr.Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar, for my speech on the topic ‘My favourite leader’. I think even today, many of us find it difficult to understand as to why so many Indians turn up every year on Deeksabhoomi in Nagpur or Chaityabhoomi in Dadar, Mumbai to pay homage to one of the tallest leaders in Indian history.

With Social reformers Karmveer Bhaurao Patil, Gadge Maharaj 

The reference for that write-up was from a book titled ‘Who worships false gods’, a rejoinder to Arun Shourie’s ‘Worshipping false gods’. Two different views, Ganga Das (Who worships false gods)described that the political life of Dr.Ambedkar had started right from his birth, with his experiences of discrimination, he started facing in the society, be it in school for not being allowed to drink water from the common tap, refusal by the teacher to teach Sanskrit to a low caste student and many more in contrast to what has been described in ‘worshipping false gods’  wherein as per Arun Shourie, Dr.Ambedkar’s political life started from a speech he gave in 1924. As a nine-year old, I could never finish the book however I naturally became curious about the portraits of Mahatma Jotiba Phule, Savitribai Phule, Babasaheb Dr. Ambedkar, Rajarshi Shahu, Periyar in our and our relatives’ homes. This was very different from what I was witnessing in my friend’s homes, where pictures and statues of gods and goddesses used to be hanging on the walls duly worshipped and garlanded. Even my interactions with my grandfather and other elderly family members used to be experience sharing about their share of discrimination faced in society. Naturally ,I became more curious about all this and began to read about it. It has been 21 years now since I was 9 and there is not an iota of doubt in my mind that whatever standing I have achieved today in the society and millions like me are remembering the great soul with a feeling of pride and homage.

                                    For me and many like me, Babasaheb is not just another title given to a leader. To the backward society in India Babsaheb is truly baba i.e., Father. His contribution has impacted the lives of many like me, generations have been benefited with the right of equality and dignity because of a man who with his perseverance and determination became a pioneer of social revolution in Indian society. Many Indians have got their identity, history from the pioneering work of Babasaheb. He has given voice and face to the faceless, voiceless crores of people, who had been persecuted in a highly unequal society designed to serve a few. He described Indian society as a multi-story building where there are no stairs to climb up or down, whoever gets birth on a particular floor is forced to be on that floor for the rest of his life. He was attacking here the caste determined worth of an individual. His message of ‘educate, organize and agitate’, still is a guiding light to many Indians.

Periyar and Dr.Ambedkar

                               His toil for his society is unparalleled, studying in the USA, UK he was on a meager scholarship and had to sustain himself, family in India which prompted him to study for 20 hours a day and completing his studies in record time. His academic achievement, being an MA, Ph.D., D.Sc, D.litt, Bar-at-Law  indeed are unparalleled and were rightly used in service of his country, in the most critical time of the country’s history.

                             Mahatma Gandhi was visionary in advising Congress to request Babasaheb to take up the task of drafting the Constitution of India. Babasaheb was instrumental to bring the one man, one vote principle, universal adult franchise, the principle of affirmative action. His contribution was not only limited to the upliftment of a particular class of society but for the upliftment of women, progress of economy, society and polity of the entire nation. The people of India have ended up with one of the best constitutions in the world. But we must not forget that Babasaheb is just not limited to being a lawyer and Constitutionalist his writings include anthropology, economy, polity, history and much more.

                                   Jawaharlal Nehru described the Bhakra Nangal dam and other river valley projects as temples of modern India.It will be not out of place to mention that many of this multipurpose river valley project (Bhakra Nangal, Damodar valley, Hirakud dam, etc.,) have been conceptualized by Babasaheb and have their foundation stone laid by him. He served as a member of Executive council of Viceroy from 1942-46 looking after Labour, irrigation and electric power department. The Central water commission, Central electricity authority, the two technical organizations were the brainchild of Babasaheb. His period as a member was instrumental in laying a major foundation for water resources and electricity development in India. The Finance Commission has its origin in Babasaheb’s Ph.D. thesis, ‘the evolution of provincial finance in British India’, written in 1923.

 Babasaheb has described the incident of being called for presenting his views before the Hilton Young Commission (Royal Commission on the Indian currency and Finance) in 1925 and he found that every member was already holding a copy of thesis written by him titled, ‘The problem of the rupee-Its problems and solution’, written in 1915 as a 24-year-old. This document was the guideline and reference for the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934. Dr. Ambedkar identified the crisis in India’s farm sector and had long back identified the need of land reforms, his thoughts about the problem of fragmentation of land has been highlighted in his essay, ‘Small holdings in India and their remedies’. He underlines the need for rapid industrialization and to move the surplus-labor in the industries from the agriculture sector.

                                 Dr. Amartya Sen, Nobel laureate in economics has described Babsaheb as “Dr. Ambedkar is my Father in economics. He is the truly celebrated champion of the underprivileged. He deserves more than what he has achieved today. His contributions to the field of economics are marvelous and will be remembered forever”. Babasaheb was truly an organic intellectual, who cannot be pigeon-holed for his contribution to social thoughts only. He was an economist, constitutionalist, lawyer, sociologist, politician ,jurist, philosopher and a humanist who brought a revolution in the Indian society. Babasaheb indeed is a thought which stays with us and will continue to inspire us for centuries. On his 129^th birth anniversary, let us pay tribute to the founding father of modern India.

                                                       JAI BHIM!

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