Global Journal of Human Social Science, C: Sociology and Culture, Volume 22 Issue 6

Babasaheb: The Unsung Hero of India Guru Dev Teeluckdharry “If I find the constitution being misused, I shall be the first to burn it”. - Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar Abstract- Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar also known as Babasaheb was the Father of the Indian Constitution. Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (born on 14 th April 1891 and passed away on 6 th December 1956) was an Indian barrister, economist, social reformer, educationist, polymath, visionary, freedom fighter, liberator, humanist and political le ader who drafted the Constitution of India. He also served as Law and Justice minister in the first cabinet of Jawaharlal Nehru, and was an unfathomable inspiration for the Dalits after r enouncing Hinduism and e mbr acing Buddhism. According to many historians he was mor e eminent than Mahatma Gandhi. Bu t he is the unsung hero of India due to his Dalit caste. Babasaheb recognised the immense and precious value of his Western Education that played a vital role in the upliftment and enshrinement of modern India. Keywords: dr. bhimrao ramji ambedkar, mahatma gandhi, dalit caste, poona act, buddhism, hinduism. I. I ntroduction e was popularly known as “Babasaheb” which is a symbolic name and honorary title. “Babasaheb” is a Marathi expression which means "Respected Father" (Baba stands for father and Saheb stands for sir). T his rever ed appellation is commonly applied to Dr. B himrao Ramji Am bedkar w ho was bo rn into a Ma har D alit caste which was treated as untouchable. As such Babasaheb and all the Indians born in this particular caste were subjected to socio- economic di scrimination which was outlawed by the Constitution of 1949. [1 II. E arly L ife ] The untouchables in India prior to 1949 were considered inferior to even the Shudras who were the lowest caste in Hinduism. Even today in India the untouchables are regarded with contempt by the society. Babasaheb’s ancestors worked for the army of the British East India Company, and his father served in the British Indian Army at the Mhow cantonm ent. [2 1 https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/357931/Mahar ] At sc hool Babasaheb and other un touchable children were isol ated on the basis on their Dalit caste and given li ttle attention, guidance and supervision by their teachers. They were also not allowed to sit inside the class in 2 Ahuja, M. L. (2007). "Babasaheb Ambedkar". Eminent Indians: administrators and political thinkers. New Delhi: Rupa. pp. 1922–1923. ISBN 9 78-8129111074 order to study like normal students. When they were thirsty and needed to drink water, someone from a higher caste such as Vaishya, Kshatriya or Brahman had to pour that water from a height as they were not allowed to touch either the water or the vessel that contained it. This degrading, weird and humiliating task to quench the thirst of the Dalit students was usually performed by the school peon, and if the peon was not available then they had to remain thirsty; Babasaheb described this discriminatory and problematic situation, and social agony later in his writings as “No peon, No Water”. [ 3 III. E ducation ] Once when Babasaheb was found furtively drinking water from a public tap, he was severely thrashed. Of his two brothers (Balaram and Anandrao) and two sisters (Manjula and Tulasa), only Babasaheb passed his examinations and went to high school. After passing the matriculation examinations in 1907, the young Babasaheb got married at the age of 15. His wife Ramabai was just 9 years old then. In the following year he joined Elphinstone College which was affiliated to the University of Bombay, and was the first member of the Dalit caste to accomplish this monumental feat. When he passed his English fourth standard examinations, the people of the Dalit caste celebrated his very achievements because they considered that his academic education had reached a spectacular horizon. A public ceremony was carried out to celebrate his success by the Dalit community, and it was at this special occasion that he was presented with a biography of Gauta m Buddha ( founder of Buddhism) by Dada Keluskar, the author and a family friend. [ 4 In 1913, at the age of 22, Babasaheb was awarded a Baroda State Scholarship of £11.50 (Sterling) per month for three years under a scheme created by Maharaja ] In 1912, he obtained a degree in economics and political science from the University of Bombay, and took up a job position in the Baroda State Government. Sayajirao Gaekwad III (Gaekwad of Baroda) whose purpose was to offer opportunities for postgraduate education to Indian students at the University of Columbia in New York City. Babasaheb arrived in New York in July 1913. He first stayed at 3 Ambedkar, B. R. "Waiting for a Visa" . Frances Pritchett, translator. Columbia.edu. Archived f rom the original on 24 June 2010 . Retrieved 17 July 2010 . 4 Pritchett, Frances . "In the 1890s" ( PHP) . Archived f rom the original on 7 September 2006 . Retrieved 2 August 2006 . H © 2022 Global Journals Volume XXII Issue VI Version I 1 ( ) Global Journal of Human Social Science - Year 2022 C Author: MBA (Finance) – University of Leicester, UK (accredited by Association of MBAs (AMBA)). e-mail: vishalgurudev@hotmail.com