Dr. Bhimrao R Ambedkar: An economist, jurist, social reformer and a human rights champion

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            Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s 65th death anniversary was observed in India and abroad on December 6. The day is now popularly known as the Dr. Ambedkar Maharprinirvan Day. Here in Vancouver, the Consul General of India, Mr. Manish garlanded the portraits of Dr. Ambedkar in the Consulate building, at Burnaby City Hall, at Guru Ravidass Sabha Burnaby and his bust at Simon Fraser University.  He shed light on different facets of Ambedkar’s life.

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, also known as Babasaheb Ambedkar, was born on 14 April 1891 in Mhow, a town and military cantonment in the Central Province (now Madhya Pradesh) He was the 14th and the last child of Ramji Sakpal, an Army officer who held the rank of Subedar. He died at 26, Alipur Road in Delhi in 1956.

Dr. Ambedkar was an economist, jurist, social reformer, politician and a human rights champion. He is also known as the Father of Indian Constitution. His efforts to eradicate social evils like untouchability and caste restrictions were remarkable. Throughout his life he fought for the rights of the Dalits and socially backward classes. Ambedkar was made India’s first Law Minister in the Cabinet of Jawaharlal Nehru.

            In order to pay allegiance to his legacy and a gratitude to his marvellous contribution in making a New India, the Government has undertaken the following projects:

Statue of Equality : Foundation was laid by Prime Minister Shri Narendra

Modi of a 150 feet tall statue and a 140 feet high dome Stupa in 12 -acre space in Mumbai overlooking the sea near Chaityabhumi where Ambedkar’s last rites were performed. The complex will have a research centre, auditorium, library and museum, park, pond and plaza. Also, a Vipassana (meditation) Hall which can accommodate 13000 people. All the works of Babasaheb will be displayed at the Memorial.

            Ambedkar Museum London: A three-storey 2050 sq. ft. House at 10 King

Henry’s Road in northwest London where Dr. Ambedkar stayed while doing his PhD at London School of Economics and was purchased by the Indian Government.  The Prime Minister inaugurated it as a museum called the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Museum. The building already has a memorial plaque of “Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, Indian Crusader for Social Justice”. Speaking in the British Parliament PM Modi said that Babasaheb was not just the architect of the Indian Constitution, but also the architect of our parliamentary democracy”

Dr Ambedkar National Memorial: 26 Alipur Road, Delhi where Dr. Ambedkar lived from 1951 to 1956 was dedicated to him.

Ambedkar International Centre at 15 Janpath, New Delhi. Union Minister said

that Ambedkar was a proven architect of modern India.

Constitution Day: For the first time in 2015, November 26 was declared as the Constitution Day and a special session of Parliament is called every year for two days on November 26-27.

Republic Day Parade: Beginning 2020, it has been decided that a  float of Dr. Ambedkar would be included every year in the Republic Day Parade at Rajpath.

            Some important facts about Dr. Ambedkar

Article 370 of the Constitution: This Article gives a Special Status to Jammu

and Kashmir. Dr. Ambedkar was totally against this Article. He refused to draft it. He walked out of the meeting when the Constituent Assembly was deliberating on this Article. It was approved in his absence.

Hindu Code Bill: As the Law Minister he introduced the Bill in the Parliament

which sought to enshrine gender equality in the laws of inheritance and marriage. Jawaharlal Nehru told Dr. Ambedkar that the nation was not ready to accept your modern thoughts of giving these rights to women. The Bill failed and as a moral duty Dr. Ambedkar, the first- ever Minister, resigned from the Cabinet. He was not after power but for the weaker sections of society.

Uniform Civil Code: During the debates in the Constituent Assembly Dr. Ambedkar demonstrated his will to reform Indian society by recommending the adoption of a Uniform Civil Code.

Reserve Bank of India: The RBI was conceptualized as per the guidelines,

working style and outlook presented by Ambedkar in his book “The Problem of the Rupee – Its origin and its solution”. He recommended that the currency should be demonetized every ten-year.

Economic Planning: Dr. Ambedkar was the first Indian to pursue a doctorate in Economics abroad. He stressed investment in agriculture as the primary industry of India. Ambedkar advocated national economic and social development stressing education, public hygiene, community health, residential facilities as the basic amenities. In 1951, he established the Finance Commission of India. He opposed income tax for the low-income groups. Dr. Amartya Sen, the Nobel Laureate in Economics said, “Dr. Ambedkar is the father of my economics”.

Labour Rights: Without Dr. Ambedkar, most of the protective and benevolent

rights enjoyed by the labourers in India would have been a big question mark. He is called “A Saviour of Labour Rights in India”

Family Planning: Dr. Ambedkar was the first scholar to express concern on population control. He moved a non-official Bill on population control in the Bombay Assembly in November,1938.

River and Water Management: Prime Minister Modi said that many of us

may not know that Dr Ambedkar was the architect of the water and river

navigation policy of India.

The Partition of India: “More brain, O Lord, more brain! Or we shall mar,

utterly this fair garden we might win”. This is a quotation from the title page of

Thoughts on Pakistan by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.

According to him, “Untouchability has ruined the untouchables, the Hindus and ultimately the nation as a whole.”