Dr. BHIMRAO AMBEDKAR: ARCHITECT OF INDIA’S CONSTITUTION: MAHENDRA TIWARI

Dr. BHIMRAO AMBEDKAR: ARCHITECT OF INDIA’S CONSTITUTION: MAHENDRA TIWARI

14-APRIL-ENG 11

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA------------------------Born on April 14, 1891, in the military cantonment town of Mhow in Madhya Pradesh, Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar stands as one of those rare luminaries in Indian history who, despite facing countless struggles throughout his lifetime, left behind a legacy that continues to inspire millions of people to this day. His father, Ramji Maloji Sakpal, held the rank of Subedar in the British Indian Army; the family belonged to the Mahar caste, which was considered 'untouchable' in the society of that era. Among his 14 siblings, Bhimrao was the youngest. He endured the agony of caste-based discrimination right from his childhood, when, at school, he was not even permitted to sit alongside other children, and his teachers would refrain from touching his notebooks.

Despite these adverse circumstances, Bhimrao wielded education as his weapon. In 1907, he passed his matriculation examination and enrolled at Elphinstone College in Mumbai. In that era, this was an extraordinary achievement for a Dalit individual. Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III of Baroda recognized his brilliance and awarded him a scholarship, which enabled him to travel to the United States in 1913 for higher studies. At Columbia University, he earned a Master's degree and subsequently a Ph.D. in Economics. His doctoral thesis, titled "The Evolution of Provincial Finance in British India," was truly remarkable. Thereafter, he traveled to London, where he qualified as a Barrister-at-Law from Gray's Inn and obtained a Doctor of Science degree from the London School of Economics. Throughout his lifetime, he acquired a total of more than 32 titles and degrees, making him one of the most highly educated individuals in the world.

Even after completing his education and returning to India, Ambedkar continued to face the bitter reality of social discrimination. While working at the Baroda Court (Darbar), a Hindu colleague refused to hand him files directly; later, unable to find accommodation in a public rest house (Dharmashala), he was compelled to seek shelter in a Parsi inn. These experiences further solidified his conviction that India has no future without the abolition of the caste system. In 1920, he began publishing a fortnightly journal titled *Mooknayak* (Leader of the Mute), which became the first organized platform for the Dalit voice. Subsequently, through publications such as *Bahishkrut Bharat* (Excluded India) in 1927 and *Janata* (The People) in 1930, he spearheaded a campaign for mass awakening.

The Mahad Satyagraha of 1927 stands as a historic event in his leadership. In Mahad, Maharashtra, he led a Satyagraha—joined by thousands of followers—to assert the right to drink water from the Chavdar Tank. This struggle gave a new direction to the movement for Dalit access to public water sources. That same year, by publicly burning the *Manusmriti*, he declared that he would not accept any system that deems human beings inferior based on their birth. From 1930 onwards, he waged a five-year-long struggle to secure entry for Dalits into the Kalaram Temple in Nashik.

The ideological conflict between Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Ambedkar constitutes a significant chapter in Indian history. In 1932, British Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald announced the provision of separate electorates for Dalits under the "Communal Award." Gandhiji commenced a fast unto death in protest against this decision. Ultimately, on September 24, 1932, the "Poona Pact" was signed at Yerwada Jail in Pune; under this agreement, the number of seats reserved for Dalits within the joint electorate—replacing the separate electorates—was increased from 71 to 148. Ambedkar accepted this agreement under duress; however, throughout his life, he maintained the belief that Dalits should have been granted separate political representation.

Dr. Ambedkar's role in the political sphere was equally impactful. In 1936, he founded the "Independent Labour Party," and in the provincial elections of 1937, this party won 15 out of the 17 seats it contested in the Bombay Legislative Assembly. In 1942, he was appointed as a member of the Viceroy's Executive Council, where he assumed charge of the Department of Labour. During this tenure, he introduced numerous significant reforms related to the Factories Act, the Mines Act, and labour welfare. His role in establishing the eight-hour workday is considered to be of paramount importance.

Dr. Ambedkar's most historic contribution to the building of independent India lay in the drafting of its Constitution. On August 29, 1947, the Constituent Assembly appointed him as the Chairman of the Drafting Committee. Over a period of approximately two years, eleven months, and eighteen days, this committee drafted the Indian Constitution after studying the constitutions of more than sixty countries. This Constitution was adopted on November 26, 1949, and came into force on January 26, 1950. It comprised 395 Articles, 8 Schedules, and 22 Parts. Dr. Ambedkar ensured that the principles of Fundamental Rights, Directive Principles of State Policy, social justice, and equality were adequately enshrined within the Constitution. The abolition of untouchability under Article 17, equality before the law under Article 14, and the prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth under Article 15 are the direct outcomes of this foresight.

In the first government of independent India, Dr. Ambedkar was appointed as the Minister of Law. While holding this office, he introduced the "Hindu Code Bill," which proposed granting women equal rights with men in matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, and adoption. However, the bill faced fierce opposition in Parliament and failed to garner support even within the government itself. Disillusioned by this, Dr. Ambedkar resigned from the post of Law Minister in 1951. This marked a major political defeat in his life; yet, even after this setback, he did not retreat from the struggle for social justice.

Dr. Ambedkar's intellectual legacy is enshrined in his voluminous body of literature. *Annihilation of Caste* (1936) remains his most widely discussed work, in which he launched a profound assault on the very roots of the caste system. *The Buddha and His Dhamma* stands as his final and most deeply personal masterpiece. Furthermore, numerous other treatises—such as *Pakistan or the Partition of India*, *Who Were the Shudras?*, *The Untouchables: Who Were They and Why They Became Untouchables?*, *The Problem of the Rupee*, and *Castes in India*—reveal the depth of his philosophical, economic, and sociological thought. He was not merely a leader of the Dalits, but a holistic thinker who possessed an equally firm command over economics, political science, sociology, history, and religion.

On October 14, 1956, at a massive ceremony held in Nagpur, Dr. Ambedkar embraced Buddhism. This constituted an immensely significant decision in his life. On that very day, approximately 500,000 followers joined him in taking initiation into the Buddhist faith. For him, this conversion was not merely a religious transition, but a symbol of a social and humanistic revolution. He had famously declared that while he was born a Hindu, he would not die as one. In Buddhism, he discovered the egalitarian foundation he had long been seeking. This historic event is referred to as the "Dhamma Revolution," and in its wake, millions of Dalits across the country sought refuge in Buddhism.

Dr. Ambedkar passed away on December 6, 1956, at his residence in Delhi. He was 65 years old at the time and had been suffering from several serious ailments, including diabetes. Upon receiving the news of his demise, a wave of mourning swept across the entire nation. His final rites were performed in Mumbai in accordance with Buddhist rituals, and it is estimated that over 1.5 million people participated in his funeral procession. His memorial shrine, known as *Chaityabhoomi*, is located in Dadar, Mumbai, and remains a pilgrimage site for millions of devotees to this day.

In 1990, the Government of India posthumously conferred upon him the nation's highest civilian honor, the "Bharat Ratna." April 14th—his birthday—has been declared a national holiday observed as "Ambedkar Jayanti." His portrait hangs in the Parliament House, and hundreds of universities, institutions, roads, and intersections across the country bear his name. In 2015, the Government of India acquired the London residence where he lived during his studies and developed it into the "Dr. Ambedkar National Memorial."

The life of Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar stands as a testament to the fact that, even amidst the most adverse circumstances, a human being can scale extraordinary heights through the power of knowledge, determination, and compassion. He was not merely the messiah of millions of Dalits, but also the architect of the constitutional soul of independent India. He envisioned an India where every citizen would be recognized not by their caste, religion, or birth, but by their inherent human dignity. His ideas and his struggle remain just as relevant today as they were during his lifetime. As long as the aspiration for social justice and equality lives on in India, the memory of Dr. Ambedkar will remain immortal.