Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar - Revision history

Jyoti: /* Opposition to */

2025-01-06T18:26:38Z

‎Opposition to

Jyoti: /* Ideological and legal issues */

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‎Ideological and legal issues

Jyoti: /* Religious beliefs */

2023-04-21T14:32:27Z

‎Religious beliefs

Jyoti: /* Annihilation of Caste (1936) */

2023-04-17T19:59:13Z

‎Annihilation of Caste (1936)

Jyoti: /* The Economist */

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‎The Economist

Pdewan: /* UP govt ensures ‘Ramji’ is part of Ambedkar’s name */

2023-04-15T04:46:17Z

‎UP govt ensures ‘Ramji’ is part of Ambedkar’s name

Pdewan: /* Women */

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‎Women

Pdewan: /* Economist */

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‎Economist

Pdewan: /* Ideological and legal issues */

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‎Ideological and legal issues

Jyoti at 20:04, 9 June 2018

2018-06-09T20:04:37Z

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 [https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-politics/ambedkar-burn-effigy-amit-shah-9731980/ Yashee, Dec 19, 2024: ''The Indian Express'']
 ''' Burning effigies of Ambedkar '''
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 Similar views were echoed by VD Savarkar. In Women in Manusmriti, he wrote: “The worst about the new constitution of Bharat is that there is nothing Bharatiya about it…Manusmriti is that scripture which is most worship-able after Vedas for our Hindu Nation and which from ancient times has become the basis of our culture-customs, thought and practice. This book for centuries has codified the spiritual and divine march of our nation. Even today the rules which are followed by crores of Hindus in their lives and practice are based on Manusmriti.”
 [[Category:India|A DR. BHIMRAO RAMJI AMBEDKARDR. BHIMRAO RAMJI AMBEDKAR

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 ==On hero-worship==
 The only political figure who can match Mahat ma Gandhi in the number of statues installed across India is Dr BhimraoBabasahebAmbedkar,
 The manner in which Ambedkar's birth anniversary is celebrated and the speeches made by politicians are ample proof of hero-worship.
 Speaking in the Constituent Assembly ,Ambedkar had issued a warning, which has contemporary relevance.“This caution is far more necessary in the case of India than, in the case of any other country . For, in India, Bhakti or what may be called the path of devotion or hero-worship, plays part in its politics unequalled in magnitude by the part it plays in the politics of any other country. Bhakti in religion may be a road to salvation of the soul. But in politics, bhakti is a sure road to degradation and eventual dictatorship,“ he had said.
 ==Buddhism and reservations==
 Ambedkar and his wife converted to Buddhism in Nagpur on October 14, 1956.He took to Buddhism after presiding over a congregation of nearly five lakh members of Dalit communities to protest against rabid discrimination and unequal treatment meted out to them by upper caste Hindus.
 He had full faith in the Dalit community's ability to compete with others in every field, including electoral battles, even if they wrenched themselves out of Hinduism and threw away the SC tag. But, many after 60 years are still not convinced.
 ==D P Meshramand court judgements==
 A leader of the Dalit community in Nagpur, D P Meshram, too was intrinsically involved in organising the mass conversion to Buddhism. Two months later, on December 6, 1956, Ambedkar passed away . With him, the resolve for the fight for uplift of Dalits too possibly passed away . What has remained is politicians' resolve to reap electoral benefits.
 Meshram got elected to Maharashtra assembly in 1962 from a constituency reserved for SCs. His election was challenged by Punjab Rao. An election tribunal disqualified Meshram saying the evidence indisputably suggested that he had converted to Buddhism along with Ambedkar in 1956 and hence could no longer be regarded as part of the SC community as the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 said “no person who professes a religion different from Hindu or Sikh religion shall be deemed to be Scheduled Caste“.
 Despite the telling evidence, the Bombay high court ruled that there was no evidence to show that Meshram had converted to Buddhism. In the Supreme Court, Meshram took the plea that during the mass conversion ceremony in Nagpur, he was entrusted with serving water to the congregation and hence could not participate in the conversion programme. By taking that argument, he was not only dishonouring Ambedkar but also abandoning his ideals.
 The apex court in Punjab Rao vs Meshram [1965 AIR 1179] said there were other evidence of Meshram converting to Buddhism and hence was ineligible to become a candidate in a constituency reserved for Scheduled Castes.
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 ==On the communists==
 Interestingly ,Ambedkar had a very different view about the communists.
 On November 25, 1949, Ambedkar strongly refuted the suggestion that fundamental rights should be absolute and unalterable. He said, “The condemnation of the Constitution largely comes from two quarters, the Communist Party and the Socialist Party . The second thing that the socialists want is that the fundamental rights mentioned in the Constitution must be absolute and without any limitations so that if their party comes into power, they would have the unfettered freedom not merely to criticize, but also to overthrow the state. If those who are dissatisfied with the Constitution have only to obtain a 23rd majority and if they cannot obtain even a two-thirds majority in the Parliament elected on adult franchise in their favour, their dissatisfaction with the Constitution cannot be deemed to be shared by the general public.“
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 As Ambedkar saw it, Communists were blind to caste oppression. He spoke up for the worth of private property and money , he defended constitutionalism against the “the dictatorship of the proletariat“ that the Left sought.
-[[Category:India|A
+=Opposition to=
 DR. BHIMRAO RAMJI AMBEDKAR]]
-[[Category:Politics|A
+[[Category:Politics|A DR. BHIMRAO RAMJI AMBEDKARDR. BHIMRAO RAMJI AMBEDKAR
 DR. BHIMRAO RAMJI AMBEDKAR]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:32, 21 April 2023
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	But, he wrote, “People who had accepted the gospel of social equality and who were remaking society on the basis of each one according to his merits--how could they accept the Chaturvarnya theory of gradation and separation of man based on birth simply because the Vedas say so?“ In at least four of his works in addition to the controversial `Riddles in Hinduism -Caste in India' (1916), `Annihilation of Caste' (1936), `Who were the Shudras' (1946) and `The Untouchables' (1948) -Ambedkar offered a strong indictment of the earliest known Hindu texts.		But, he wrote, “People who had accepted the gospel of social equality and who were remaking society on the basis of each one according to his merits--how could they accept the Chaturvarnya theory of gradation and separation of man based on birth simply because the Vedas say so?“ In at least four of his works in addition to the controversial `Riddles in Hinduism -Caste in India' (1916), `Annihilation of Caste' (1936), `Who were the Shudras' (1946) and `The Untouchables' (1948) -Ambedkar offered a strong indictment of the earliest known Hindu texts.
		+
		+	=Schedule caste empowerment=
		+	==Mahad satyagraha==
		+	[https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/what-was-mahad-satyagraha-led-by-br-ambedkar-8556515/ Alind Chauhan, April 14, 2023: ''The Indian Express'']
		+
		+	''' In March 1927, Babasaheb and his followers drank water from a community tank that was prohibited for them. That December, they burnt the Manusmriti, a powerful symbolic rejection of the caste system '''
		+
		+
		+	There was no dearth of milestones in the life of Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar. He was the first Dalit to study at Bombay’s Elphinstone College, and he went to Columbia University on a Baroda State Scholarship and then to the London School of Economics. He was the chair of the drafting committee of the Constitution of India, and he became the first law minister of independent India. A lawyer, economist, and political philosopher, he wrote numerous books and gave countless speeches.
		+
		+	But Babasaheb’s most significant contribution lay in galvanising the movement for Dalit emancipation. He is credited with awakening the Dalit consciousness, which powered the community’s bid for political power. It all started with the Mahad Satyagraha of 1927, which was the first major collective protest of the so-called “untouchables” under the stewardship of Ambedkar.
		+
		+	As a grateful nation celebrates the 132nd birth anniversary of the father of India’s Constitution, here is a recall of the Mahad Satyagraha, one of the earlier and among the most significant of milestones in a great life.
		+
		+	''' Context of the Satyagraha '''
		+
		+	The events that led to the Mahad Satyagraha began to unfold in August 1923. The Bombay Legislative Council passed a resolution moved by the social reformer Rao Bahadur S K Bole, which said “the Untouchable classes be allowed to use all public water sources, wells and dharmashalas which are built and maintained out of public funds or administered by bodies appointed by the Government or created by statute, as well as public schools, courts, offices and dispensaries.”
		+
		+	Albeit with reluctance, the Bombay government adopted the resolution in the following month, and issued directions for its implementation. The situation on the ground, however, remained unchanged — upper caste Hindus would not allow the lower castes to access public water sources.
		+
		+	At that point, Ramchandra Babaji More, a Mahad-based Dalit political leader, approached Ambedkar to preside “over a conference of the Untouchables in Konkan”, the scholar and civil rights activist Anand Teltumbde wrote in his book, Mahad: The Making of the First Dalit Revolt (2016).
		+
		+	Ambedkar at the time was helping Dalits fight against the social evil of untouchability through the Bahishkrit Hitkarini Sabha, the institution that he had founded in 1924.
		+
		+	Ambedkar agreed to More’s proposition, and involved himself in overseeing the preparations for the conference, which was to take place in Mahad town in the Konkan (now in Maharashtra’s Raigad district) on March 19 and 20, 1927. He conducted meetings with local Dalit leaders, stressed on creating “a wave of awakening” among the lower caste people of Konkan, and directed other organisers to conduct meetings to propagate news of the conference.
		+
		+	“The volunteers collected Rs 3 from each of the 40 villages and also collected rice and wheat to feed the participants at Mahad. It took nearly two months of preparations to hold the Conference. Workers and leaders personally met depressed class people and explained to them the importance of the Conference,” historian Swapna H Samel wrote in her paper ‘Mahad Chavadar Tank Satyagraha of 1927: Beginning of Dalit Liberation Under B R Ambedkar’ (Proceedings of the Indian History Congress, 1999).
		+
		+	''' What happened at the Satyagraha '''
		+
		+	According to Samel, the Mahad Satyagraha — it was labelled as a “conference”, not Satyagraha, at the time — was attended by around 2,500 “delegates, workers and leaders of Depressed Classes from almost all the districts of Maharashtra and Gujarat”, including “boys of fifteen to old men of seventy”.
		+
		+	On the first day of the conference, progressive non-Dalit leaders also came to the event and addressed the attendees, talking about the civil rights of the Dalits and promising to help them in their struggle.
		+
		+	In his speech, Ambedkar said: “I feel that until we get to eat these pieces of stale bread, our condition may stay the same. So long as the old path exists, nobody will take the new path. By clinging to the old path we have been deprived of our dignity. You ought to think how far you are going to walk that path.
		+	“I want to particularly emphasize that all of us have to speed up our work of creating awakening among our people….Here, this conference is happening only now. You should never let the fire of awakening douse.”
		+	After the day’s proceedings, it was decided that the next morning, Ambedkar, the other organisers and attendees would march to the nearby Chavadar tank, where people from untouchable communities weren’t allowed to draw water from, to implement the resolution — this wasn’t originally planned by the organisers though.
		+
		+	On March 20, Teltumbde wrote, “They began marching in a long procession through the marketplace of Mahad with utmost discipline, shouting slogans of Mahatma Gandhi ki jai (Victory to Mahatma Gandhi), Shiva ji Maharaj ki jai (Victory to Shiva ji Maharaj), and victory to equality. They stopped at the Chavadar Tank and followed Dr Ambedkar, who entered it and picked up its water with his cupped hands. They all shouted ‘Har Har Mahadev (Victory to Lord Mahadev) and drank its water.”
		+
		+	Soon after the conference came to an end, a priest of a local temple went around the town claiming that Dalits were planning to enter the temple, and asked people to help thwart them. This resulted in a clash in which “20 people were seriously injured and 60-70 people, including 3 to 4 women were wounded”, Teltumbde wrote.
		+
		+	Upper caste Hindus conducted a purification ritual of the tank by “emptying out 108 earthen pots full of gomutra (cow’s urine) into it,” Teltumbde wrote.
		+
		+	But Ambedkar was not to be deterred by the backlash. He announced another conference on a much bigger scale, at the same venue on December 26, 1927, in order to showcase the resolve of the Dalit community. This time, he consciously called it a Satyagraha.
		+
		+	Some upper caste Hindus filed a case in court against Ambedkar and his followers on December 12, claiming that the tank was private property. Two days later, the court issued a temporary injunction, prohibiting Babasaheb and other Dalits from going to the tank or taking water from it until further orders.
		+
		+	''' Mahad Satyagraha, December 1927 '''
		+
		+	The court injunction could dissuade neither the organisers nor the participants. “With the resolve to do or die, the villagers decided to come to the Conference. From each village, the Satyagrahis, nearly 4,000 people gathered at Mahad,” Samel wrote. On December 24, Ambedkar reached the spot, where the police informed him about the lawsuit, and asked him to postpone the Satyagraha.
		+
		+	In the following days, deliberations were held on whether to continue with the Satyagraha in the changed circumstances. Although most people wanted to go ahead, the Satyagraha was suspended on the advice of Ambedkar. Also, unlike the last time, no water was drawn from the Chavadar tank.
		+
		+	“The basic argument Babasaheb Ambedkar put forth before the conference was that their struggle was against the caste Hindus; the objective to demonstrate the strength of their unity and determination was fulfilled; and if they went for the Satyagraha defying the court injunction, it would be direct confrontation with the state, which they ill afforded, particularly when the District Magistrate had assured them of his sympathies,” Teltumbde wrote.
		+
		+	Still, the Satyagraha did not pass without an event. Ambedkar and his followers burnt the Manusmriti, a powerful rejection of the caste system, and the first time that such symbolic action was undertaken.
		+
		+	Samel wrote: “At 9 PM a copy of Manusmriti was placed on the pier in a specially dug pit in front of the pendal (where the conference was taking place) and was ceremoniously burnt at the hands of the untouchable hermits. The burning of the laws of Manu sent shock waves through the Hindu society and filled the untouchables with awe mixed with apprehensions.”
		+
		+	''' Significance of Mahad Satyagraha '''
		+
		+	The Mahad Satyagraha is considered to be the “foundational event” of the Dalit movement. This was the first time that the community collectively displayed its resolve to reject the caste system and assert their human rights. Although anti-caste protests had taken place before the Mahad Satyagraha, they were mostly localised and sporadic.
		+
		+	“The difference between (the) Mahad (Satyagraha) and them mainly lay in the organisation and leadership; they lacked in elements of organisation and the charismatic leadership of Dr Ambedkar,” Teltumbde mentions.
		+
		+	The Mahad Satyagraha was to become the blueprint for organising future movements against the caste system and its practices. It marked an important point in Ambedkar’s political journey, catapulting him to the leadership of the downtrodden and oppressed classes in the country.
		+
		+	[[Category:India\|A DR. BHIMRAO RAMJI AMBEDKARDR. BHIMRAO RAMJI AMBEDKAR
		+	DR. BHIMRAO RAMJI AMBEDKAR]]
		+	[[Category:Politics\|A DR. BHIMRAO RAMJI AMBEDKARDR. BHIMRAO RAMJI AMBEDKAR
		+	DR. BHIMRAO RAMJI AMBEDKAR]]

	=On Sanskrit and Varn(a)=		=On Sanskrit and Varn(a)=

@@ Line 66: / Line 66: @@
 ='' Annihilation of Caste '' (1936)=
-==’ The Caste System is not merely a division of labour …’
+==’ The Caste System is not merely a division of labour …’==
 [https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/this-quote-means-caste-system-is-not-merely-a-division-of-labour-ambedkar-8558251/  Arjun Sengupta, April 17, 2023: ''The Indian Express'']
@@ Line 100: / Line 100: @@
 As Ambedkar writes in the following paragraph, “This division of labour is not spontaneous, it is not based on natural aptitudes… (the caste system) attempts to appoint tasks to individuals in advance – selected not on the basis of trained original capacities, but on that of the social status of the parents.”
 [[Category:India|A DR. BHIMRAO RAMJI AMBEDKARDR. BHIMRAO RAMJI AMBEDKAR

@@ Line 64: / Line 64: @@
 (The author teaches at Department of Economics, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University)
-[[Category:India|A DR. BHIMRAO RAMJI AMBEDKAR
+[[Category:India|A DR. BHIMRAO RAMJI AMBEDKARDR. BHIMRAO RAMJI AMBEDKAR
 DR. BHIMRAO RAMJI AMBEDKAR]]
-[[Category:Politics|A DR. BHIMRAO RAMJI AMBEDKAR
+[[Category:Politics|A DR. BHIMRAO RAMJI AMBEDKARDR. BHIMRAO RAMJI AMBEDKAR
 DR. BHIMRAO RAMJI AMBEDKAR]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:46, 15 April 2023
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	Jitendra Kumar, principal secretary, general administration department, has issued the direction. Taking cognizance of the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, where Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar’s name is written as Dr Bhimrao Ramji Aambedkar, the state government has “directed that all records, documents related to the government will now have his correct name”, the direction stated.		Jitendra Kumar, principal secretary, general administration department, has issued the direction. Taking cognizance of the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, where Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar’s name is written as Dr Bhimrao Ramji Aambedkar, the state government has “directed that all records, documents related to the government will now have his correct name”, the direction stated.
		+	= Women =
		+	[http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/ambedkar-on-women/ Dr Shreeya Bakshi , Ambedkar on women "Daily Excelsior" 14/4/2017]
		+
		+	Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar was born on April 14, 1891 in a Mahar caste in Maharashatra. He was a Law graduate and did his PhD from London University. Dr. Ambedkar is an outstanding example of what Antonio Gramsci called an ‘organic intellectual’, that is, one who represents and articulates the interests of an entire social class. He was the Chairman of Constitution Drafting committee of India. He always advocated the inclusion of downtrodden sections of the society. He was of the opinion that society should be studied from ‘the below’ which means that the marginal or downtrodden sections must be given due importance including dalits, women, tribals etc.
		+
		+	As Ambedkar joined the Indian political arena, the social reforms achieved an altogether new dimension. He was of the opinion that unless and until the downtrodden themselves came forward to fight their battle, no one else could alleviate their grievances. He impressed up on the people to understand their own state of affairs. Self awakening, self elevation, liberation etc. were the mantras which Ambedkar taught to the millions of dumb minds who were forced to live the lives of sub-human beings in India.
		+
		+	Ambedkar’s perception of women’s question, emphasized their right to education, equal treatment with men, right to property and involvement in the political process resembled the global feminists demand. The vision of Dr. Ambedkar about women is explicitly depicted in Indian Constitution. Dr. Ambedkar tried an adequate inclusion of women’s right in the political vocabulary and constitution of India. i.e., Article14 Equal rights and opportunities in political, economic and social spheres, Article 15 prohibits discrimination on the ground of sex, Article 15(3) enables affirmative discrimination in favour of women, Article 39 Equal means of livelihood and equal pay for equal work, Article 42 Human conditions of work and maternity relief, Article 51 (A) (C) Fundamental duties to renounce practices, derogatory to the dignity of women, Article 46 The state to promote with special care, the educational and economic interests of weaker section of people and to protect them from social injustice and all forms of exploitation, Article 47 The state to raise the level of nutrition and standard of living of its people and the improvement of public health and so on, Article 243D (3), 243T (3) & 243R (4) provides for allocation of seats in the Panchayati Raj System and many others. The principle of gender equality is enshrined in the Indian Constitution in its Preamble, Fundamental Rights, Fundamental Duties and Directive Principles. He laid down the foundation of social justice and there can be no social justice without gender equality.
		+
		+	He encouraged women to organize themselves. In January 1928, a women’s association was founded in Bombay with Ramabai- Ambedkar’s wife, as its president. In the Kalram Temple Entry Satyagraha at Nasik in 1930, five hundred women participated and many of them were arrested along with men and were ill treated in jails. The encouragement of Dr. Ambedkar to empower women to speak boldly was seen when Radhabai Vadale addressed a press conference in 1931. She stressed “It is better to die a hundred times than live a life full of humiliation. We will sacrifice our lives but we will win our rights.”
		+
		+	The credit for this self – respect and firm determination of women goes to Ambedkar. He believed in the strength of women and their role in the process of social reform. The historic Mahad Satyagraha witnessed participation of three hundred women along with their male counterparts. Addressing another meeting of about 3000 women, he, very emphatically said, “I measure the progress of community by the degree of progress which women had achieved. Let every girl who marries stand by her husband, claim to be her husband’s friend and equal, and refuse to be his slave. I am sure if you follow this advice, you will bring honour and glory to yourselves.”
		+
		+	Dr. Ambedkar extensively studied the position of women and had thrown light on denial of rights to her. He stated that the consequences of purdah system on Muslim women were that it deprived her of mental and moral nourishment. Dr. Ambedkar wanted to free women from inhumane customs, rituals and superstitions and made the way for their liberation. He started involving women in the struggle, for eradication of caste systems and for upliftment of the underprivileged sections. He realized that this could not be achieved without liberating the women themselves. Impressed by the large gathering of women at women’s conference held at Nagpur on 20th July, 1942, he told women to be progressive and abolish traditionalism, ritualism and customary habits, which were detrimental to their progress.
		+
		+	Empowerment envelops developing and building capacities of individuals and communities to make them part of the main stream society. He stated “We shall see better days soon and our progress will be greatly accelerated if male education is persuaded side by side with female education…” So Ambedkar believed that education is the only mean by which societies could grow out of oppression to democratic participation and involvement. He put all his efforts to guarantee the educational opportunities without any discrimination to all the citizens of India.
		+
		+	The British rule abolished detestable practices like sati but passed several laws to protect customs and traditions of Hindus. Dr. Ambedkar who was an architect of Indian Constitution, provided strong constitutional safeguards to women. The Special Marriage Act sets four essential conditions for a valid marriage i.e, monogamy, sound mind, marriageable age and the parties should not be too closely related. Violent and forceful abortions and abortions without consent of women were fair crimes under section 313. The Hindu Succession Act gives male and female heirs almost equal rights to inheritance. Section 14 of this Act says that any property possessed by a female Hindu shall be held by her as full owner and not a limited owner.
		+
		+	He strongly advocated for family planning measures for women in Bombay Legislative Assembly. In 1942, being a Labour Minister of Executive Council of Governor General, he introduced a Maternity Benefit Bill. He provided several provisions in the constitution for protecting the welfare and civil rights of women.
		+
		+	He always honored women for their work and hardships. While addressing in conferences to women he could easily communicate with them as a homely person and conversation. He evoked women in the following words. “Never wear such clothes which will degrade our personality and character. Avoid wearing the jewellery on your body everywhere. It is not fair to make hole on nose and wear nath”. In this he condemned all the bad traditions, habits and ways of life which made life difficult and complex. And to the surprise, even the illiterate women followed his advice from the bottom of their heart. Dr. Babasaheb spent his life for the betterment of women even involved in bad practices and professionals like prostitutions. The greatest example of it was seen in Kamathipura. There was a person named David who was the mediator working in brothel. He left his profession persuaded by the thoughts and teachings of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. He evoked the entire prostitutes to give up their profession and lead the life of honour.
		+
		+	The most firm step took by him was the introduction of The Hindu Code Bill in 1948 which was revolutionary in confinement of proprietary rights to women but when not accepted by the Parliament. The Hindu Code Bill-the most formidable legislative measure of modern India, sought among other reforms, to put an end to a variety of marriage systems prevailing in India and legalize only monogamous marriages. The Code also sought to confer on women the right of property and adoption which had been denied by Manu. It put men and women on an equal level in all legal matters. Dr. Ambedkar said, “I should like draw attention of the house to one important fact. The great political philosopher Burke who wrote his great book against the French Revolution said that those who want to conserve must be ready to repair. And all I am asking this House is: If you want to maintain the Hindu system, Hindu culture and Hindu society, do not hesitate to repair where repair is necessary. This Bill asks for nothing more than to repair those parts of the Hindu system which have become dilapidated”. But when this Bill was not accepted and passed by parliament, Ambedkar resigned from his ministerial post. In his letter of resignation dated the 27 September, 1951 to the Prime Minister, he wrote “For a long time I have been thinking of resigning my seat from the Cabinet. The only thing that had held me back from giving effect to my intention was the hope that it would be possible to give effect to the Hindu Code Bill before the life of present Parliament came to an end. I even agreed to break up the bill and restricted it to Marriage and Divorce in the fond hope that atleast this much of our labour may bear fruit. But even that part of Bill had been killed. I see no purpose in my continuing to be a Member of your Cabinet”
		+
		+	In his last speech in Indian Parliament he quoted the famous thoughts of an Irish Patriot Daniel O Connal as, “No man can be grateful at the cost of his honour, no woman can be grateful at the cost of her chastity. And no nation can be grateful at the cost of his liberty.” In his famous book “Pakistan and partition of India” he expressed his views about Muslim women and their religious traditions, about wearing veil, their marriages and so on. Muslim women were suppressed under various religious traditions.
		+
		+	Towards all the women, irrespective of their religion, castes and class, Ambedkar had a particular humanitarianism view. He frequently raised his voice against all sorts of injustice towards women. His deep concerns and feelings for all round development of women are expressed from his each sentence and word. Thus, it would be appropriate to call him- a true feminist of independent India.
		+
		+	(The author is Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology, Central University of Himachal Pradesh, HP.)
		+
		+	[[Category:India\|A DR. BHIMRAO RAMJI AMBEDKAR
		+	DR. BHIMRAO RAMJI AMBEDKAR]]
		+	[[Category:Politics\|A DR. BHIMRAO RAMJI AMBEDKAR
		+	DR. BHIMRAO RAMJI AMBEDKAR]]

@@ Line 69: / Line 69: @@
 DR. BHIMRAO RAMJI AMBEDKAR]]
-As Ambedkar joined the Indian political arena, the social reforms achieved an altogether new dimension. He was of the opinion that unless and until the downtrodden themselves came forward to fight their battle, no one else could alleviate their grievances. He impressed up on the people to understand their own state of affairs. Self awakening, self elevation, liberation etc. were the mantras which Ambedkar taught to the millions of dumb minds who were forced to live the lives of sub-human beings in India.
+[[Category:India|A DR. BHIMRAO RAMJI AMBEDKAR
+DR. BHIMRAO RAMJI AMBEDKAR]]
-Ambedkar’s perception of women’s question, emphasized their right to education, equal treatment with men, right to property and involvement in the political process resembled the global feminists demand. The vision of Dr. Ambedkar about women is explicitly depicted in Indian Constitution. Dr. Ambedkar tried an adequate inclusion of women’s right in the political vocabulary and constitution of India. i.e., Article14 Equal rights and opportunities in political, economic and social spheres, Article 15 prohibits discrimination on the ground of sex, Article 15(3) enables affirmative discrimination in favour of women, Article 39 Equal means of livelihood and equal pay for equal work, Article 42 Human conditions of work and maternity relief, Article 51 (A) (C) Fundamental duties to renounce practices, derogatory to the dignity of women, Article 46 The state to promote with special care, the educational and economic interests of weaker section of people and to protect them from social injustice and all forms of exploitation, Article 47 The state to raise the level of nutrition and standard of living of its people and the improvement of public health and so on, Article 243D (3), 243T (3) & 243R (4) provides for allocation of seats in the Panchayati Raj System and many others. The principle of gender equality is enshrined in the Indian Constitution in its Preamble, Fundamental Rights, Fundamental Duties and Directive Principles. He laid down the foundation of social justice and there can be no social justice without gender equality.
+[[Category:Politics|A DR. BHIMRAO RAMJI AMBEDKAR
+DR. BHIMRAO RAMJI AMBEDKAR]]
-He encouraged women to organize themselves. In January 1928, a women’s association was founded in Bombay with Ramabai- Ambedkar’s wife, as its president. In the Kalram Temple Entry Satyagraha at Nasik in 1930, five hundred women participated and many of them were arrested along with men and were ill treated in jails. The encouragement of Dr. Ambedkar to empower women to speak boldly was seen when Radhabai Vadale addressed a press conference in 1931. She stressed “It is better to die a hundred times than live a life full of humiliation. We will sacrifice our lives but we will win our rights.”
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-The credit for this self – respect and firm determination of women goes to Ambedkar. He believed in the strength of women and their role in the process of social reform. The historic Mahad Satyagraha witnessed participation of three hundred women along with their male counterparts. Addressing another meeting of about 3000 women, he, very emphatically said, “I measure the progress of community by the degree of progress which women had achieved. Let every girl who marries stand by her husband, claim to be her husband’s friend and equal, and refuse to be his slave. I am sure if you follow this advice, you will bring honour and glory to yourselves.”
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-Dr. Ambedkar extensively studied the position of women and had thrown light on denial of rights to her. He stated that the consequences of purdah system on Muslim women were that it deprived her of mental and moral nourishment. Dr. Ambedkar wanted to free women from inhumane customs, rituals and superstitions and made the way for their liberation. He started involving women in the struggle, for eradication of caste systems and for upliftment of the underprivileged sections. He realized that this could not be achieved without liberating the women themselves. Impressed by the large gathering of women at women’s conference held at Nagpur on 20th July, 1942, he told women to be progressive and abolish traditionalism, ritualism and customary habits, which were detrimental to their progress.
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-Empowerment envelops developing and building capacities of individuals and communities to make them part of the main stream society. He stated “We shall see better days soon and our progress will be greatly accelerated if male education is persuaded side by side with female education…”  So Ambedkar believed that education is the only mean by which societies could grow out of oppression to democratic participation and involvement. He put all his efforts to guarantee the educational opportunities without any discrimination to all the citizens of India.
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-The British rule abolished detestable practices like sati but passed several laws to protect customs and traditions of Hindus. Dr. Ambedkar who was an architect of Indian Constitution, provided strong constitutional safeguards to women. The Special Marriage Act sets four essential conditions for a valid marriage i.e, monogamy, sound mind, marriageable age and the parties should not be too closely related. Violent and forceful abortions and abortions without consent of women were fair crimes under section 313. The Hindu Succession Act gives male and female heirs almost equal rights to inheritance. Section 14 of this Act says that any property possessed by a female Hindu shall be held by her as full owner and not a limited owner.
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-He strongly advocated for family planning measures for women in Bombay Legislative Assembly. In 1942, being a Labour Minister of Executive Council of Governor General, he introduced a Maternity Benefit Bill. He provided several provisions in the constitution for protecting the welfare and civil rights of women.
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-He always honored women for their work and hardships. While addressing in conferences to women he could easily communicate with them as a homely person and conversation. He evoked women in the following words. “Never wear such clothes which will degrade our personality and character. Avoid wearing the jewellery on your body everywhere. It is not fair to make hole on nose and wear nath”. In this he condemned all the bad traditions, habits and ways of life which made life difficult and complex. And to the surprise, even the illiterate women followed his advice from the bottom of their heart. Dr. Babasaheb spent his life for the betterment of women even involved in bad practices and professionals like prostitutions. The greatest example of it was seen in Kamathipura. There was a person named David who was the mediator working in brothel. He left his profession persuaded by the thoughts and teachings of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. He evoked the entire prostitutes to give up their profession and lead the life of honour.
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-The most firm step took by him was the introduction of The Hindu Code Bill in 1948 which was revolutionary in confinement of proprietary rights to women but when not accepted by the Parliament. The Hindu Code Bill-the most formidable legislative measure of modern India, sought among other reforms, to put an end to a variety of marriage systems prevailing in India and legalize only monogamous marriages. The Code also sought to confer on women the right of property and adoption which had been denied by Manu. It put men and women on an equal level in all legal matters. Dr. Ambedkar said, “I should like draw attention of the house to one important fact. The great political philosopher Burke who wrote his great book against the French Revolution said that those who want to conserve must be ready to repair. And all I am asking this House is: If you want to maintain the Hindu system, Hindu culture and Hindu society, do not hesitate to repair where repair is necessary. This Bill asks for nothing more than to repair those parts of the Hindu system which have become dilapidated”. But when this Bill was not accepted and passed by parliament, Ambedkar resigned from his ministerial post. In his letter of resignation dated the 27 September, 1951 to the Prime Minister, he wrote “For a long time I have been thinking of resigning my seat from the Cabinet. The only thing that had held me back from giving effect to my intention was the hope that it would be possible to give effect to the Hindu Code Bill before the life of present Parliament came to an end. I even agreed to break up the bill and restricted it to Marriage and Divorce in the fond hope that atleast this much of our labour may bear fruit. But even that part of Bill had been killed. I see no purpose in my continuing to be a Member of your Cabinet”
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-In his last speech in Indian Parliament he quoted the famous thoughts of an Irish Patriot Daniel O Connal as, “No man can be grateful at the cost of his honour, no woman can be grateful at the cost of her chastity. And no nation can be grateful at the cost of his liberty.” In his famous book “Pakistan and partition of India” he expressed his views about Muslim women and their religious traditions, about wearing veil, their marriages and so on. Muslim women were suppressed under various religious traditions.
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-Towards all the women, irrespective of their religion, castes and class, Ambedkar had a particular humanitarianism view. He frequently raised his voice against all sorts of injustice towards women. His deep concerns and feelings for all round development of women are expressed from his each sentence and word. Thus, it would be appropriate to call him- a true feminist of independent India.
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-(The author is  Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology, Central University of Himachal Pradesh, HP.)
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+=The Economist =
 [http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/ambedkar-as-a-visionary-economist/ Dr. Kakali Majumdar , Ambedkar as a visionary economist "Daily Excelsior" 14/4/2017]
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 (The author teaches at Department of Economics, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University)
+[[Category:India|A DR. BHIMRAO RAMJI AMBEDKAR
+DR. BHIMRAO RAMJI AMBEDKAR]]
 = Women =

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 Brahm Dutt, an engineer turned businessman, played a key role through Ambedkar International Mission in installing the bust at York University. “We now want that Ambedkar should be part of school curriculum in Canada, there should be essays written about him in universities,” he said.
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 As Ambedkar saw it, Communists were blind to caste oppression. He spoke up for the worth of private property and money , he defended constitutionalism against the “the dictatorship of the proletariat“ that the Left sought.
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 =A profile=
 '''See graphic'''
 =Ideological and legal issues=