“A great man is different from an eminent one in that he is ready to be the servant of the society.” – Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s legacy transcends the boundaries of caste and constitutionalism-he was a visionary economist whose thesis laid the intellectual foundation of the RBI, a pioneer of labour rights and gender justice through his bold push for the Hindu Code Bill, a reformer of water and irrigation policies, and a spiritual leader who redefined Buddhism through Navayana with rational, moral, and egalitarian ideals. His warnings against communal appeasement, emphasis on scientific temper, and foresight in environmental planning showcase a statesman far ahead of his time. As Bharat remembers him not just as the chief architect of the Constitution but as a Rishi of modern times, it becomes imperative to reclaim and honour the full spectrum of his genius-one that Congress regimes often sidelined, but which the nationalist thought and leadership of RSS and BJP have earnestly recognized and institutionalized.
Born on 14th April 1891, in the military cantonment town of Mhow in Madhya Pradesh, Bhimrao Ambedkar was the 14th child of Ramji Maloji Sakpal and Bhimabai. Though his family belonged to the Mahar caste-then considered ‘untouchable’-he inherited from his father a legacy of education and discipline. From his earliest days, Ambedkar faced the indignities of caste discrimination: made to sit outside the classroom, denied water, and treated as an outcaste.
Yet, these deprivations could not quell his thirst for knowledge. Babasaheb’s brilliance shone through early. Supported by progressive patrons and scholarships, he would eventually go on to study at Elphinstone College, Columbia University (USA), and the London School of Economics-achieving academic feats that few Indians, irrespective of caste, could match in that era.
At Columbia, under the guidance of scholars like John Dewey, Ambedkar absorbed liberal values and a scientific temper. He submitted a pioneering thesis titled “The Problem of the Rupee,” which would later guide India’s monetary policy. At the London School of Economics, his intellectual horizons expanded further-earning doctorates in Economics and Law. His academic journey was not just a personal triumph; it was a challenge to a system that deemed him unworthy.
In 1923, Dr. Ambedkar submitted his doctoral thesis at the London School of Economics titled “The Problem of the Rupee: Its Origin and Its Solution.” In this thesis, he offered a detailed analysis of India’s monetary problems and proposed a central banking institution to regulate currency and credit. His recommendations were so influential that they were later taken into account by the Hilton Young Commission (1926), which eventually led to the formation of the Reserve Bank of India in 1935.
This contribution underscores Ambedkar not just as a social reformer or constitutionalist, but also as a brilliant economist and monetary theorist whose vision helped shape Bharat’s financial architecture.
From Reformer to Revolutionary: The Emergence of a National Leader
Ambedkar returned to Bharat not merely with degrees but with a mission. He began writing, speaking, and organizing the Dalit community against centuries of oppression. His works like Annihilation of Caste and Who Were the Shudras? were path-breaking critiques-not only of Hindu orthodoxy but also of the socio-political passivity that had allowed caste to fester.
Unlike many of his contemporaries, Ambedkar did not seek sympathy; he demanded structural change. His politics was never sectarian but rooted in democratic and humanist values. He famously said, “I measure the progress of a community by the degree of progress which women have achieved.”
Constitution-Making: His Magnum Opus for Bharat’s Future
As Independent Bharat’s first Law Minister and the Chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee, Dr. Ambedkar played an unparalleled role in giving the nation its constitutional architecture. With patience and precision, he synthesized ideas from global jurisprudence and indigenous traditions to create a document that guarantees justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity.
He ensured safeguards for minorities, fundamental rights for all citizens, and special provisions for Scheduled Castes and Tribes-without undermining national unity. His constitutional vision was deeply moral, rooted in the idea that democracy is not just about political representation, but about social transformation.
Work as Law Minister: Building the Republic’s Legal Backbone
In his brief tenure as Law Minister, Ambedkar introduced several progressive reforms. He laid the groundwork for the Hindu Code Bill, which sought to secure rights for women in matters of property and marriage. Though it faced opposition and was diluted, it was a harbinger of future legal reforms. He also played a role in shaping Bharat’s civil and criminal codes, ensuring they were accessible, just, and egalitarian.
He introduced landmark legislations such as the Minimum Wages Act, Factories Act amendments, and Maternity Benefit Bill, which secured humane working conditions and fair pay. He was a firm believer that social justice could not be separated from economic justice, and hence advocated for the eight-hour workday, equal treatment for women workers, and the establishment of employment exchanges. His vision ensured that labour rights became a pillar of our republic-rooted in liberty, equality, and fraternity.
His Views on Islam, Christianity, and Communism
Ambedkar was deeply critical of Islam &Christianity which denied individual freedom-be it religious or political. He critiqued their theological dogmas and conversion strategies. He warned that conversion without moral and social awakening could become escapism.
He was equally critical of Communism, especially its atheism and class-violence. He felt that Communist movements in Bharat ignored the caste reality and thus failed to address the deepest faultline in Indian society. Ambedkar’s alternative was a society grounded in liberty, equality, and fraternity-not enforced by revolution, but realized through education, law, and ethics.
The Turn to Buddhism: A Spiritual and Political Rebirth
In one of the most profound acts of spiritual defiance in history, Babasaheb renounced Hinduism and embraced Buddhism on 14th October 1956 in Nagpur, along with over half a million followers. For him, Buddhism was not merely a religion; it was a philosophy of human dignity and rational ethics.
He declared, “I like the religion that teaches liberty, equality, and fraternity.” By converting to Buddhism, he returned to Bharat’s ancient dharmic roots, choosing a path that rejected ritualism and hierarchy, and embraced compassion, reason, and moral responsibility.
His Remarkable Observation of RSS
In his quest for a casteless society, Baba Saheb Ambedkar remained open to observing social models that challenged the rigidity of the varna system. One such moment came during his visit to a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) camp in Pune. He observed the striking absence of caste hierarchies and remarked on the spirit of equality and discipline among swayamsevaks.
How Bharat Reclaims Baba Saheb Ambedkar’s True Legacy
Despite being the principal architect of the Constitution, Baba Saheb Ambedkar was systematically sidelined by the Congress leadership, which reduced his towering intellect to a token of Dalit representation rather than embracing his deeper civilizational vision of liberty, equality, and fraternity. His resignation from Nehru’s Cabinet over the Hindu Code Bill reflected that marginalization. For decades, his ideas were celebrated symbolically but ignored politically. In contrast, the ideological tradition of the RSS and the BJP later began to recognize Ambedkar as more than a social reformer-as a Rishi of Modern Bharat whose philosophy of harmonious society resonated with the essence of cultural nationalism. It is telling that Baba Saheb once visited an RSS camp and was struck by the absence of caste distinctions, an experience that echoed his own pursuit of an egalitarian social order. Today, his legacy finds deeper roots not in Congress rhetoric, but in the nationalist thought that seeks to realize Bharat as a just and inclusive Rashtra.
True Custodians of Dr Ambedkar’s Heritage
The real tribute to Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s towering legacy has come not through ceremonial rhetoric, but through committed action. While successive Congress governments led by Nehru and Indira failed to honour Baba Saheb during his lifetime and thereafter, it was under the BJP-led government that substantial steps were taken to institutionalise his memory. Notably, the house in London where Dr. Ambedkar lived and studied and was acquired and converted into a memorial by the BJP government-a symbolic yet profound gesture acknowledging his intellectual journey and global stature. From the establishment of the Ambedkar Mahaparinirvan Sthal and memorials in Mhow and Mumbai, to the belated yet rightful conferment of the Bharat Ratna, it was the nationalist leadership-guided by the RSS’s inclusive vision-that preserved and promoted Baba Saheb’s contribution in its truest essence. Far from tokenism, these actions reflect a genuine recognition of a leader who envisioned a just, harmonious, and united Bharat.
Legacy: A Civilization Reclaimed, A Republic Awakened
Dr. Ambedkar was not just a Dalit icon or a legal luminary; he was one of the greatest civilizational thinkers of Bharat. He redefined the idea of nationhood-not based on blood or race-but on shared values and moral commitment. His mission was to awaken the moral conscience of the country, to challenge it to live up to its highest ideals.
Today, when identity politics, social fragmentation, and ideological extremism threaten Bharat’s unity, Babasaheb’s vision offers not just guidance, but salvation. He believed in Bharat-not as a fragmented society, but as a unified moral community.
Remembering a Rishi of Modern Bharat
As we commemorate his Jayanti, let us remember that Babasaheb was a blend of saint and statesman, rebel and reformer. In him, Sant Ravidas’s dream of a casteless society, Jyotiba Phule’s passion for education, and the constitutional wisdom of a modern Rishi converged.
He was not merely born in Bharat; he redefined Bharat.
Let us honour him not just in statues and slogans-but in striving to build a nation where liberty is real, equality is lived, and fraternity is felt.
Comments