B R Ambedkar

            Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar was born on 14^th April, 1891 in Mhow in Madhya Pradesh. He passed Matriculation examination from Bombay University. He graduated in Political Science and Economics from the same university. Bhimrao decided to accept the opportunity to go to USA for further studies at Columbia University for which he was awarded a scholarship by the Maharaja of Baroda. Columbia University had awarded him the PhD for his thesis, which was later published in a book form under the title "The Evolution of Provincial Finance in British India". His first published article was "Castes in India - Their Mechanism, Genesis and Development". During his sojourn in London from 1920 to 1923, he also completed his thesis titled "The Problem of the Rupee” for which he was awarded the degree of DSc.

Before his departure for London he had taught at a College in Bombay and also brought out Marathi weekly 'Mook Nayak' ('Leader of the Silent'). In 1923, he set up the 'Bahishkrit Hitkarini Sabha (‘Outcastes Welfare Association’), which was devoted to spreading education and culture amongst the downtrodden. In 1927, he led the Mahad March at the Chowdar Tank at Colaba, near Bombay, to give the untouchables the right to draw water from the public tank where he burnt copies of the 'Manusmriti' publicly. The temple entry movement launched by Dr. Ambedkar in 1930 at Kalaram temple.

In the context of the Communal Award announced by the British Prime Minister Ramsay McDonald, Ambedkar and Gandhiji signed the famous Poona Pact on 24^th September 1932. Dr. Ambedkar attended all the three Round Table Conferences in London. Ambedkar organised the Independent Labour Party and participated in the provincial elections and was elected to the Bombay Legislative Assembly. In 1947, when India became independent, Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru invited Dr. Ambedkar, who had been elected as a Member of the Constituent Assembly from Bengal, to join his Cabinet as a Law Minister. In the Constituent Assembly Dr. Ambedkar was elected as Chairman of the Drafting Committee. In 1956 he embraced Buddhism along with many of his followers. The same year he completed his last writing 'Buddha and His Dharma'. He died on 6^th December, 1956. In 1990 Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was bestowed with Bharat Ratna posthumously. The year 1990 to 1991 was observed as 'Year of Social Justice' in the memory of Ambedkar.