BR Ambedkar: At a glance
Born: 14 April, 1891 AD
Place of Birth: Mhow (currently
Madhya Pradesh)
Parents: Ramji Maloji Sakpal and
Bhimabai Murbadkar Sakpal
Spouse(s): Ramabai Ambedkar
(1906-1935); Dr. Sharada Kabir rechristened Savita Ambedkar (1948-1956)
Children: Bhaiyasaheb Ambedkar
Education: Elphinstone High
School(1908 – 1912), Columbia University(1913 – 1915), London School of
Economics(1916 – 1917 and 1922)
Character Traits: Intelligent ,
Visionary, Humanitarian
Profession: Economist, social
reformer, Judiciary advisor
Religious Beliefs: Hinduism by
birth; Buddhism 1956 onwards
Publications: Essays on
Untouchables and Untouchability, The Annihilation of Caste, Waiting for a Visa
Passed Away: 6, December, 1956
at age of 65
Place of Death: Delhi
Cause of Death: Illness
Religion: COnverted to Buddhism
in 1956
Founder/ Co-founder: Buddhist
Society of India, Independent Labour Party, Scheduled Castes Federation, Samata
Sainik Dal , Cheif Architect of Constitution of Republic of India
Awards: Conferred Bharat Ratna
in 1990
Notable quotes:
I measure the progress of a
community by the degree of progress which women have achieved. The relationship between husband
and wife should be one of closest friends. If I find the Constitution being
misused, I shall be the first to burn it.
Some Facinating Facts:
Ambedkar, the first Indian to
complete Doctorate overseas, had a key role in forming RBI in 1935.
He wanted Sanskrit as official
language, also has a 20-page autobiography which was a text book in Columbia
University.
The Early Life:
Bhimrao Ambedkar was born in low
Dalit (Mahar) caste. This cast was treated as untouchables and subjected to
socio-economic discrimination.Being a native of 'Ambavade' village in Ratnagiri district, the surname
Ambavadekar comes from there. His teacher , Mahadev Ambedkar, was fond of him,
changed his surname from 'Ambavadekar' to his own surname 'Ambedkar'. Thus, the
‘Ambedkar’ surname was in school
records.
Education:
In 1907, he passed his
matriculation examination and in the following year he entered Elphinstone
College, which was affiliated to the University of Bombay. In 1913, Ambedkar moved to the
United States at the age of 22. He had been awarded a Baroda State Scholarship
of £11.50 (Sterling) per month for three years under a scheme established by
Sayajirao Gaekwad Baroda, which was designed to provide opportunities for
postgraduate education at Columbia University in New York City. In October 1916, he enrolled for
the Bar course at Gray's Inn, and at the same time enrolled at the London
School of Economics where he started working on a doctoral thesis.
Married life:
Ambedkar's first wife Ramabai
died in 1935 after a long illness. During his illness he met Dr. Sharada Kabir,
a Brahmin ay the hospital. He married her on 15 April 1948, at his home in New
Delhi.She adopted the name Savita Ambedkar and took care for him the rest of
his life.
Opposition and Protests:
Ambedkar opposed the Aryan
invasion theory where he concluded the Aryan homeland was India itself going
against thevarious hypotheses. One of the main protests by Dr.
Ambedkar was opposition to untouchability.He promoted education to
‘untouchables’ to uplift them while practicing law at Bombay (Mumbai) high
court.
Poona Pact:
In 1932, British announced the
formation of a separate electorate for "Depressed Classes" in the
Communal Award. On 25 September 1932, the
agreement known as Poona Pact was signed between Ambedkar (on behalf of the
depressed classes among Hindus) and Madan Mohan Malaviya (on behalf of the
other Hindus) which was for the formation of seperate electrolate for
“Depressed Classes.”
Drafting India's Constitution
Upon India's independence on 15
August 1947, the new Congress-led government invited Ambedkar to serve as the
nation's first Law Minister, which he accepted. On 29 August, he was appointed
Chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee, and was appointed by the
Assembly to write India's new Constitution.
End of Life:
Since 1948, Ambedkar suffered
from diabetes. He was bed-ridden from June to October in 1954 due to medication
side-effects and poor eyesight. His health worsened during 1955. Three days
after completing his final manuscript ‘The Buddha and His Dhamma’, Ambedkar
died in his sleep on 6 December 1956 at his home in Delhi.
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