Research Paper: 125th Birth Anniversary of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar and Inspirational Facts Background
Dr B. R. Ambedkar, popularly known as Babasaheb Ambedkar, was one of the architects of the Indian Constitution. He was a well-known politician and an eminent jurist. Ambedkar's efforts to eradicate the social evils like untouchablity and caste restrictions were remarkable. The leader, throughout his life, fought for the rights of the dalits and other socially backward classes. Ambedkar was appointed as the nation's first Law Minister in the Cabinet of Jawaharlal Nehru. He was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honor in 1990.Dr. Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar was an outstanding leader of our freedom struggle and a staunch crusader for the rights of the down-trodden and backward sections of our society. A recipient of the Bharat Ratna, he was a scholar, journalist, educationist, legal luminary, social reformer and political leader. He was the principal architect of the Indian Constitution and shall always be remembered for his role in painstakingly drafting our founding document.
In July 1924, Ambedkar founded the ‘Bahishkrut Hitkaraini Sabha, to fight the evil of untouchability. The Sabha started free school for the young and the old and ran reading rooms and libraries. Ambedkar took the grievances of the ‘untouchables’ to court, seeking justice and equality. Soon he became a father figure to the poor and downtrodden and was respectfully called Babasaheb. Ambedkar became more sceptical of the Congress’s commitment to safeguard the rights of the depressed classes. He pressed for a separate electorate for the depressed classes. When a separate electorate was announced for the depressed classes, Gandhiji went on a ‘fast onto death’ against this decision. Leaders rushed to Ambedkar to drop his programme. Ambedkar held counter fast, but did not buckle under the immense pressure from the Gandhians and others.
In consequence, on 24 September 1932, Ambedkar and Gandhi signed the Poona Pact. According to the pact, the separate electorate demand was replaced with special concessions like ‘reserved seats’ in the regional legislative assemblies and Central Council of States. It was a major compromise that Ambedkar was compelled to make, as he regretted later on.
As part of his political activity, Ambedkar set up the Independent Labour Party in August 1936 to contest elections in the Bombay province. The British government held elections at the provincial level in 1937. On 17 February 1937, Ambedkar and many of his candidates won with a thumping majority, notwithstanding serious opposition from potential rivals belonging to Congress and other parties.
On August 29, 1947 Dr. Ambedkar was appointed the Chairman of the Drafting Committee that was constituted by Constituent Assembly to draft a Constitution for independent India. The draft Constitution was the result of the collective efforts of a galaxy of great leaders and legal scholars in the Constituent Assembly such as Jawaharlal Nehru, Rajendra Prasad, B.R. Ambedkar, Sardar Patel, B.N. Rao, Alladi Krishnaswamy Ayyar etc.
Dr Ambedkar played a seminal role in the framing of the Indian Constitution. He used all his experience and knowledge in drafting the Constitution. In his capacity as the Chairman of the Drafting Committee, he hammered out a comprehensive workable Constitution into which he incorporated his valuable views. He gave free India its legal framework, and the people, the basis of their freedom. To this end, his contribution was significant, substantial, and spectacular. Dr Ambedkar’s contribution to the evolution of free India lies in his striving for ensuring justice-social, economic and political-for one and all.
Fundamental Rights
Ambedkar was a champion of fundamental rights, and Part III of the Indian Constitution guarantees the fundamental rights to the citizens against the state. Some of the fundamental rights contained in Articles 15(2), 17, 23, and 24 are also enforceable against individuals as they are very significant rights relating to the prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth etc. The text prepared by Ambedkar provided constitutional guarantees and protections for a wide range of civil liberties for individual citizens, including freedom of religion, the abolition of untouchability and outlawing all forms of discrimination. Ambedkar argued for extensive economic and social rights for women.
Parliamentary Democracy
DR Ambedkar was a strong advocate of the parliamentary form of government right from the inception of the Government of India Act of 1935. He firmly believed that the parliamentary system of government alone can usher in an egalitarian society through the application of the principles of social democracy. Dr Ambedkar’s social democracy comprised politicians, political parties with high standards of political morality, honesty and integrity and strong and highly responsible Opposition party or parties committed to the cause of the downtrodden and depressed classes. The Preamble of the Indian Constitution echoes the principles of parliamentary democracy.
Dr. Ambedkar saw education as a tool for the liberation of the socially backward from illiteracy, ignorance and superstition. He founded the People's Education Society in 1945 with the aim of advancing the educational interests of weaker sections of society.
Dr. Ambedkar was also a crusader for gender equality and fought for equal rights for women in inheritance and marriage. He resigned from the Cabinet in 1951 when his draft Hindu Code Bill failed to receive the support of the Parliament.
Dr. Ambedkar saw great potential in using the Indian Constitution as a powerful instrument of socio-economic transformation and with this intention, introduced into the draft Constitution a variety of provisions which would enable full accountability of the Government, checks and balances, protection of fundamental rights, independent institutions and consistent movement towards social democracy.
Dr. Ambedkar’s speeches in the Constituent Assembly are of great educational value to students of our Constitution and modern political history. Dr. Ambedkar explained to the Constituent Assembly in a speech introducing the draft Constitution on November 4, 1948 the pros and cons of the Parliamentary form of Government vis-a-vis the Presidential system. He also explained why the Draft Constitution, in recommending an Executive based on the Parliamentary system preferred ‘responsibility’ to ‘stability’.
Dr. Ambedkar ensured the inclusion of a well defined and comprehensive chapter on Fundamental Rights which specifically abolished untouchability, guaranteed equal rights to all citizens and prohibited discrimination of all kinds in social relations. Dr. Ambedkar believed that protection of minorities and their religion was of paramount importance. Thus, the Constitution grants each person the freedom of faith, religion and worship and gives the minorities freedom to manage their religious affairs.
Dr. Ambedkar played a crucial role in laying down the Directive Principles of State Policy, a unique feature of the Indian Constitution. These principles mandate that the State shall strive to promote the welfare of the people by securing and protecting a just social order. These principles lay the foundation for a social democracy.
Dr. Ambedkar called upon the socially and economically disadvantaged to ‘educate, agitate and organise’. Nevertheless, his commitment to constitutional methods was unwavering and he advocated a path of informed and reasoned public engagement. Dr. Ambedkar believed that strong independent institutions constituted the fundamental pillars of a democracy and it is they who would ensure its survival. Dr. Ambedkar called for an independent Election commission and instituted the same through Article 324 of the Constitution.
Dr. Ambedkar was clear that no Constitution is perfect and ultimately the working of the Constitution will depend upon the people, the political parties and their politics. He stated emphatically about the Constitution. Dr. Ambedkar’s commitment to the building of strong institutions and constitutional methods has resulted in many interesting modern day manifestations. For example, the Right to Information Act is a unique and powerful instrument created by law to empower people and enable them access information from any department of the Government.
Ambedkar’s major contribution towards reconstituting the Indian social structure was dismantling the hierarchical Indian society based on abstractive and particularistic cultural traits and establishment of parliamentary democracy. He saw that democracy would ensure equality, liberty, fraternity, prosperity and happiness to common man. Therefore, he emphasized that social and economic democracies are sine qua non for a successful political democracy. But, he cautioned against leaders taking a superficial view of democracy.
Ambedkar envisaged establishment of equality, social, economic and political, not just as a slogan but also as a concrete policy. He made equality of opportunity a fundamental right. But, he was conscious that in an unequal society, equality of opportunity could lead to further production of inequality because those groups which were already ahead in the social ladder would always have an advantage.
Conclusion
Dr. Ambedkar’s message, work and life are a constant reminder of the outstanding Constitution, strong democracy and effective, independent institutions we have inherited from the founding fathers of our nation. At the same time, it also reminds us of the distance we still need to travel in building an egalitarian society where there will be no distinction between man and man.
Till this population is left behind, Ambedkar and his vision will remain relevant. Finally, Baba Saheb Ambedkar has more ideological followers than any leader born in the last 1,000 years. There are more statues and busts of Ambedkar than any individual born after Lord Buddha and Jesus Christ.
Ambedkar the true rebel and rationalist played a major role in the creation of new India. He has shown to the Indians that the goal under the fabric of Constitution is nothing but to establish social, economical and political democracy for the betterment of all Indians. In May 1956, shortly before his death, Ambedkar announced that he was embracing Buddhism. With him his wife and some three lakh (30, 0000) followers also converted to the faith. Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar is true social reformer of great India and also an incarnation of humanity.
-Mukesh Shankar Bharti
Research Scholar JNU
and Erasmus Mundus Fellow,
Sofia University, Bulgaria
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