Dr. B. R. Ambedkar
Born: (14 April 1891 – 6 December 1956)
Place of Birth: Mhow in Central Provinces (currently Madhya Pradesh)
Parents: Ramji Maloji Sakpal (father) and Bhimabai Murbadkar Sakpal (mother)
Spouse: Ramabai Ambedkar (1906-1935); Dr. Sharada Kabir rechristened Savita Ambedkar (1948-1956)
Education: Elphinstone High School, University of Bombay, Columbia University, London School of Economics
Associations: Samata Sainik Dal, Independent Labour Party, Scheduled Castes Federation
Political Ideology: Right winged; Equalism
Religious Beliefs: Hinduism by birth; Buddhism 1956 onwards
Publications: Essays on Untouchables and Untouchability, The Annihilation of Caste, Waiting for a Visa
| 1st Minister of Law and Justice | |
|---|---|
| In office 15 August 1947 – September 1951 | |
| Prime Minister | Jawaharlal Nehru |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Charu Chandra Biswas |
| Chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee | |
| In office 29 August 1947 – 24 January 1950 | |
| Prime Minister | Jawaharlal Nehru |
| Labour Member, Viceroy's Executive Council | |
| In office 1942–1946 | |
| Preceded by | Feroz Khan Noon |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 14 April 1891 Mhow, Central Provinces, India (now in Madhya Pradesh) |
| Died | 6 December 1956 (aged 65) Delhi, India |
| Political party | Samata Sainik Dal |
| Other political affiliations | Independent Labour Party, Scheduled Castes Federation |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Alma mater | |
| Profession | Jurist, economist, politician, social reformer |
| Religion | Hinduism (1891–1956) Buddhism (1956) |
| Awards | Bharat Ratna (posthumously in 1990) |
Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, popularly known as Babasaheb Ambedkar, was a jurist, social reformer and politician. He is also known as the Father of Indian Constitution. A well-known politician and an eminent jurist, his efforts to eradicate social evils like untouchablity and caste restrictions were remarkable. Throughout his life, he fought for the rights of the dalits and other socially backward classes. Ambedkar was appointed as India’s first Law Minister in the Cabinet of Jawaharlal Nehru. He was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honor, in 1990.
Childhood & Early Life
Bhimrao Ambedkar was born to Bhimabai and Ramji on 14 April 1891 in Mhow Army Cantonment, Central Provinces (Madhya Pradesh). Ambedkar’s father was a Subedar in the Indian Army and after his retirement in 1894, the family moved to Satara, also in Central Provinces. Shortly after this, Bhimrao’s mother passed away. Four years later, his father remarried and the family shifted to Bombay. In 1906, 15 year old Bhimrao married Ramabai, a 9 year old girl. His father Ramji Sakpal died in Bombay, in 1912.
Throughout his childhood, Ambedkar faced the stigmas of caste discrimination. Hailing from the Hindu Mahar caste, his family was viewed as “untouchable” by the upper classes. The discrimination and humiliation haunted Ambedkar at the Army school. Fearing social outcry, the teachers would segregate the students of lower class from that of Brahmins and other upper classes. The untouchable students were often asked by the teacher to sit outside the class. After shifting to Satara, he was enrolled at a local school but the change of school did not change the fate of young Bhimrao. Discrimination followed wherever he went. After coming back from the US, Ambedkar was appointed as the Defence secretary to the King of Baroda but there also he had to face the humiliation for being an ‘Untouchable’.
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