On 6th Dec 1956, India lost one of its most precious gems, Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar. His death anniversary is being mourned in the name of Mahaparinirvan Divas, i.e., ‘Nirvana after the death. According to Buddhism, ‘Mahaparinirvan’ is believed to be the death of Lord Buddha. Parinirvana literally means the breaking of the cycle of life and death, worldly possessions, and also liberation from karma (duty) & samsara (world). Ambedkar was very much influenced by Buddhism and later also adopted it. Among his followers, Ambedkar’s image was the same as that of the lord Buddha, as a liberator, protector, and reformer; that’s why his death anniversary is being mourned in the same manner as that of Buddha himself. Let us remember this legend and understand more about him.
Ideological significance of Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar as a social reformer.
Earlier in his life, Ambedkar faced many life challenges, both societal and religious. Being from a deprived section of the society facing untouchability and acts of social discrimination, his mind grew of a reformist and realist, and he decided to dedicate his life to uplifting marginalized communities, especially Dalits, women, and labourers, who faced systemic social discrimination.
Along with that, he also tried to improve the orthodox Hindu society and its practices, which, in the name of manuscriptal understanding, were trying to confuse the masses. Ambedkar’s philosophy was based on social justice; he believed that the upliftment of untouchables and ending their exploitation cannot be achieved until and unless the social order based on caste is destroyed.
He proposed revolutionary steps to empower the oppressed, including reservations in education, employment, and politics. Reservation was a compromise between him and Gandhi in the Poona Pact. He launched the newspaper Mooknayaka (Leader of the Silent) to amplify the voices of the unheard. He also launched Mahad Satyagraha; it was an assertion to take water from the same well that had been used by caste Hindus and banned for untouchables. He established the Bahishkrit Hitkarini Sabha (Outcastes Welfare Association) in 1923 to spread education, improve economic conditions, and address societal inequalities.
Laying the foundation of modern India:
Ambedkar was a modernist who believed in individual identity and not caste identity and that people are not differentiated on the basis of merit but on the basis of community. As Law Minister in Nehru’s government., he proposed reforms in Hindu personal laws in the form of the Hindu Code Bill, which could not be passed because of opposition from caste Hindus; he resigned after that. His vision of social justice is reflected in the Preamble of the Indian Constitution, especially in the context of justice—social, economic, and political rights. Directive principles of the state policy and fundamental rights also gained the support of Ambedkar.
He held that it is not enough to have one man, one vote, but we should have one man, one vote, one value. His contribution to the establishment of the Reserve Bank of India and the temples of modern India, i.e., the Damodar Valley Project, Hirakud Dam Project, and Sone River Project, is also of great importance. His contribution as the chairman of the drafting committee is known to all. Dr. Ambedkar was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna by the Indian government in 1990.
