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| A Relevance of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in Today’s India — A representative image. |
File Information
| Document Information | Details |
|---|---|
| Title | A RELEVANCE OF DR. B.R. AMBEDKAR IN TODAY’S INDIA |
| Article Credit | International Journal of Education, Modern Management, Applied Science & Social Science (IJEMMASSS), ISSN: 2581-9925, Vol.: 06, Issue: No. 01(IV), Year: 2024, (Pubd in: researchgate.net) |
| Author | B. Vivilia Arivu Mani (PhD Research Scholar, Department of English, Thiruvalluvar University, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India.) |
| Subject | This article examines Dr. B. R. Ambedkar's continuing relevance in India through constitutional morality, social justice, equality, education, and opposition to caste discrimination. It links Ambedkar's ideas to present-day Dalit oppression, welfare debates, and inclusive development. |
| Category | Journal article |
| Institution | International Journal of Education, Modern Management, Applied Science & Social Science (IJEMMASSS) |
| Country of Publication | India |
| Main Topics | Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, constitutional legacy, social justice, caste discrimination, Dalit oppression, equality and fraternity, inclusive development, reservations and welfare policy |
| Number of Pages | 3 |
| Language | English |
| File Type | |
| File Size | 197.9 KB |
Summary Note of this Document
A RELEVANCE OF DR. B.R. AMBEDKAR IN TODAY’S INDIA
This article discusses the continuing relevance of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar in contemporary India. It argues that Ambedkar’s ideas remain important because issues he confronted, especially caste oppression, discrimination, and the exclusion of Dalits, continue to shape Indian society. The essay connects his constitutional role as chairman of the drafting committee with his broader emphasis on constitutional morality, equality, fraternity, and social justice. It also places his thought in relation to education, empowerment, and the need for a responsible state that actively protects vulnerable communities. The introduction uses a recent caste murder case and the commemoration of Ambedkar’s birth anniversary to underscore the persistence of caste violence and social injustice. The article further refers to Ambedkar’s criticism of Hindu social hierarchy, his concern about women’s status, and his warnings about the limits of legal equality without social transformation. It presents reservations, welfare schemes, and development policies as important but insufficient unless matched by genuine commitment to Dalit uplift and inclusive citizenship. The overall focus is on Ambedkar as a thinker whose ideas still frame debates on democracy, rights, social reform, and the unfinished struggle against caste inequality in India.
Core Themes
- Ambedkar's constitutional morality
- social justice and equality
- Dalit oppression and untouchability
- fraternity and inclusive citizenship
- education and empowerment
- state responsibility and welfare policy
- caste discrimination and violence
Keywords
About Dr. B. R. Ambedkar
Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar was born in 1891 as the fourteenth and youngest child of an army Subedar in Mhow. Born into the Mahar caste, which was considered untouchable, Bhimrao faced many hardships at school. He had to sit on a gunny sack that he brought from home. He was not allowed to touch the water vessel or cup, so he could drink water only when the school peon was present to pour it for him. He later described this experience with the words, “No peon, no water.” His mother died when he was very young, and he had a difficult childhood. However, he was the only one of his siblings to pass his examinations and continue to high school, becoming the first person from his community to attend Elphinstone College. With a scholarship from the Maharaja of Baroda, he went on to study at Columbia University and the London School of Economics. He earned doctorates in economics and trained as a barrister at Gray’s Inn. According to the account supplied for this biography, his books were lost when his ship was torpedoed during the First World War.
Despite his education, Ambedkar continued to face prejudice. When he returned to India, he was required to work in Baroda but had to leave the position because of discrimination. His business providing investment consultancy failed when clients learned that he belonged to a community considered untouchable. While working as a professor in Mumbai, his colleagues objected to the idea of him sharing a water jug with his students. These experiences helped spur his activism. He established newspapers to give a voice to marginalized people. He led the Mahad Satyagraha, asserting Dalits’ right to collect water from a public tank, and publicly burned the Manusmriti in 1927. In 1932, he negotiated the Poona Pact with Mahatma Gandhi. Although it involved a difficult compromise, the pact provided reserved seats in legislatures for the Depressed Classes. Ambedkar was outspoken in public life but private by nature. His wife Ramabai died in 1935, and he filled his home in Bombay with a large personal library reported to contain more than 50,000 books. He declared, “I am born a Hindu, but I will not die as one.”
During the period of Indian independence, Jawaharlal Nehru invited Ambedkar to become India’s first Law Minister. Ambedkar chaired the Drafting Committee that prepared the Constitution of India, which abolished the practice of untouchability and established civil liberties and constitutional safeguards, including reservations for historically oppressed communities. He acknowledged the contribution of other constitutional experts, including B. N. Rau, who had prepared an earlier draft. Because of his poor health, including diabetes, Ambedkar married Savita, a doctor who cared for him. In October 1956, he converted to Buddhism in Nagpur along with a vast gathering of followers, commonly estimated at around half a million. He died in his sleep just weeks later, shortly after completing his final major work, The Buddha and His Dhamma. He was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1990. His message, “Educate, agitate, organise,” continues to inspire people seeking equality and social justice.
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