Among the many heroes who fought for India and it’s peoples right, Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar was one of them who took his stand and raised his voice against the discrimination faced by the ‘Dalits’ and the women of economically and socially backward and lower castes. He had a strong belief in himself that he could stop the exploitation of the vulnerable classes with education playing a key role, which led to the advent of new India.
BACKGROUND & EDUCATION:
Babasaheb Ambedkar being born into a Dalit Marathi family on 14th April,1891 was the last child of Ramji Maloji Sakpal, had to face untouchability since childhood.
Receiving education was also a survival fight for him. In his early school days, he and his other Dalit friends were not allowed to sit with the students of upper castes.
“NO PEON, NO WATER”
One of the writings of Ambedkar described the conditions of the Dalit’s in school. In that, he showed the world how they were not allowed to touch the water container to drink water. The peon used to pour water from a height for them to drink and also sometimes had to go without water if the peon was not available. The teachers at the school did not pay proper attention to them and he had to sit on gunny sack which he was required to take home with him.
Babasaheb’s surmane was Sakpal but came to be known as Ambedkar when his family shifted to Satara and his father registered him as ‘Ambadawekar’ in school and his Brahmin teacher Krishnaji Keshav Ambedkar changed Babasaheb’s surname in school records from ‘Ambadawekar’ to ‘Ambedkar’.
A celebration was done by his community upon his passing the matric exam and entering into a Bombay University affiliated college- Elphinstone College. He was given the biography of the Buddha on the occasion. Later, he went to U.S. for his post-graduation with the help of Baroda scholarship and enrolled for the Bar course at Gray’s Inn in 1916.
RETURN TO INDIA:
When the Baroda scholarship ended, he returned to India in 1917, where he could only see the miserable condition of his people.
He tried to make a living by working as a private tutor, as an accountant and other consulting work only till his clients did not know about him being a Dalit, after which they refused to work with an untouchable.
Even while working as a professor in the Sydenham College of Commerce and Economics in Mumbai, his fellow professors refused to share the water jug with him.
WORK IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION & FIGHT AGAINST UNTOUCHABILITY:
He started working in the Bombay High Court and simultaneously tried to educate and uplift the untouchables by organising the Bahishkrit Hitakarini Sabha and publishing Mook Nayak, Bahishkrit Bharat and Equality Janta to defend the rights of Dalit’s.
This movement marked the beginning of the change which India could see in the long run.
“Caste cannot be abolished by inter caste dinners or stray instances of inter caste marriages. Caste is a state of mind”
In 1925, he was appointed to work with the European Simon Commission at the Bombay Presidency Committee. He worked for the removal of untouchability and started various movements and marches for opening up of drinking water resources for the Dalit’s and also led a satyagraha in Mahad for the community to draw water from the main water tank and also inspired women who were not allowed to participate, to raise their voice.
MANUSMRITI DAHAN DIN:
25th December, 1927 was celebrated as the Manusmriti Dahan Din by Ambedkar and his Dalit followers.
“Let’s destroy the authority of ancient Hindu scriptures that are borne in inequality. Religion and slavery are not compatible. ”
This day was marked as historic when Ambedkar condemned the Laws of Manu stating it to be one of the causes of discrimination. The event led to the burning of the copies of the text.
“Even though I am born as a Brahmin, I condemn the Doctrines of Manusmriti. It is a symbol not of religion but of inequality, cruelty and injustice. I move a resolution that the Manusmriti which has been the cause of sufferings for generations, should be publicly burned. ” – Bapusaheb Sahastrabuddhe (associate).
KALARAM TEMPLE MOVEMENT:
This movement showed yet another discrimination which was faced by them. The Dalit’s were not allowed to enter into the temples. Kalaram temple in Nashik was chosen by them to break the walls between the upper and lower castes. The movement had gathered around 15,000 people to make an entry into the temple and marched towards it singing bhajans.
It continued till 5 years and finally the untouchables were able to enter the temple.
“We don’t want to go to temples though but we should have rights.”– Ambedkar.
Women Empowerment:
Ambedkar not only fought for the rights of the women and the underprivileged but also made them know their right’s and to raise their voices.
He said- “I measure the progress of community by the degree of progress which women had achieved.”
He requested and urged the Devadasi women to give up the practice of offering pre-pubescent girls in the temples to the deities. These women belonged to the Dalit and other depressed classes. He also urged them to stop becoming sexually available to the community members.
Ambedkar’s wife Ramabai became the president of the women’s association and helped him in making a better society for these women.
Being a member of the Legislative Council of Bombay, he showed his support to the paid maternity leave for women working in factories and also that good facilities to be made available to women.
HINDU CODE BILL:
Babasaheb drafted this bill with its main focus to give absolute right to women over property, right to divorce and relieve from polygamy. He urged people to provide education to their children and not marriage at an early age as he called marriage a liability. Also, he was the one who helped changing the working hour from 12 to 8 in India at the 7th session of the Indian Labour Conference, New Delhi.
POONA PACT:
Signed between Babasaheb Ambedkar and Madan Mohan Malaviya, the pact was to give reserved seats to the depressed classes in the Provincial Legislature. Thus, total 148 seats were given to these classes instead of 71 and were also allowed to choose their candidates.
Gandhi strongly opposed making of a separate electoral for the depressed classes and protested by fasting. M.M. Malaviya and Palwankar Baloo organised meetings and thus, led to signing of the pact.
CONSTITUTION DRAFTING:
Being the chairman of the Drafting Committee, Ambedkar meticulously guided the members and made the worlds most detailed and explained constitution. It largely derived itself from the Government of India Act, 1935. Here also, he played a great role and worked for the rights of women. Also, introduced reservation system for the SC, ST and OBC in school, colleges and jobs, established the Finance Commission of India. He introduced the Fundamental Rights, and Freedom, Equality, Fraternity, Rule of law and many more which became the ideals of the Constitution.
While drafting the constitution Ambedkar had opposed Article 370, which granted a special status to the State of Jammu & Kashmir and would give no rights to Indians in the state. According to him, it could destroy the unity and integrity of India. However, the Article was included in the Constitution. He played an important role in the establishment of the Reserve Bank of India in 1935.
Ambedkar recommended the adoption of Uniform Civil Code as he wanted to restructure the Indian society. Thus, the Constitution of India was adopted on November 26, 1949 and came into effect on January 26, 1950.
WORK AS A LAWYER:
To start his life as a lawyer he had refused the British government job and also turned down the offer to join the Kolhapur State Services. But was not able to get because he was an untouchable Dalit. Still the hopes were not lost and he set his office which eventually with the help from others could get cases.
He was a professional when it came to pleading in the court of law and many people came to the court just to see him and the way he argued.
Even Justice John Newmont, a Bombay High court judge admired him because of the way he handled criminal cases.
Dinkarao Jawalkar’s case in 1926, gave an onset to Ambedkar’s career in law.
A case was filed against Jawalkar when his book ‘Deshanche Dushman’ was published which described Lokmanya Tilak and Chiplunkar as the ‘enemies of the country’ as they had spread wrong rumours about Jotirao Phule having embraced Christianity. Jawalkar stated Gandhi being much better than them. The Judge believing Jotirao having embraced Christianity ruled in favour of Tilak. However, Ambekdar won the case afterwards when he argued that these personalities were not alive and thus, there was no defamation.
He defended Philip Spartt, a British communist against whom charges of sedition were levied. He argued that whatever have been said was with reference to the British Imperialism and did not show anything which could lead to incitement.
He also pleaded the case of Raghunath Karve against whom charges of spreading vulgarity were levied for his journal Samaj Swasthya. In this, he said that “Vulgarity is not in the content but in the expression”.
At that time sex education, birth control was important to be taught to people and Ambedkar, J R D Tata were the ones who took the stand with Karve against the rigid orthodox who were against it.
His defence for the trade union leaders cannot be ignored. The members being communist leaders did not concern him and defended Maniben Kara, VB Karmik, Abdul Majid and BT Ranadive and others. His defence also led to identification of the various mistakes in the Trade Disputes Act, 1929.
Many more cases were fought by him while working as a lawyer which showed his love towards justice and also what necessary changes were required for better establishment of law and order.
DALIT BUDDHIST MOVEMENT:
This movement was started by B.R. Ambedkar in 1956 where he and his wife converted their religion to Buddhism. He renounced Hinduism and the Indian caste system and also attended the World Fellowship of Buddhists. He also helped convert 500,000 supporters of him.
Thus, by converting himself to Buddhism he showed the Dalit’s a way to a different society and an escape from discrimination.
References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B._R._Ambedkar
https://feminisminindia.com/2020/04/22/ambedkar-understand-feminism-better/
https://www.fortuneindia.com/opinion/the-feminist-in-ambedkar/104444
https://gaurilankeshnews.com/babashaheb-ambedkar-champion-of-womens-rights/
