Dispelling 'limited, narrow' views on Ambedkar

Branding Dr B R Ambedkar just as a leader of the Dalits or even as Father of the Constitution is "insulting" as people are not aware of his contribution to the "social consciousness" of modern India, says the author of a new trilogy on the political leader.
"By branding Dr Ambedkar as the leader of Dalits I think we are insulting him because he was the one who has always said, 'I am first Indian and I am Indian in the end.' I have not seen any other leader who has spoken like that. To my mind Ambedkar was the social conscious of modern India," says author and member of Planning Commission, Narendra Jadhav.

Jadhav's compilation of 301 speeches made by Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar in Gujarati, Hindi, Marathi and English, has been released recently in a three-volume book "Ambedkar Speaks" in English by Konark Publishers. The series was first launched in Marathi.
"Ambedkar has always been a national leader and people do not have any idea of the various different facets of his personality. They don't know that he was the most well trained economist in the country. He earned a Masters in Economics and PHD from the Columbia University and also had a Doctor of Sciences degree from the London School of Economics," says Jadhav.

The author, who has written 14 books on various subjects says he wants to remove the distorted information prevailing in society about Ambedkar. Jadhav is currently engaged in penning two more books on Babasaheb, which he says will be released soon.
"Most people have a very narrow and very limited view of Ambedkar. They either look at him as the messiah of Dalits which is 95 per cent of people; others talk about him as the architect of the Indian Constitution. Dr Ambedkar was an economist, a sociologist, an anthropologist, a historian a legal luminary, so many different aspects to the man," Jadhav told PTI.

Jadhav, who has penned dozens of research papers on various social issues, points out that Ambedkar was also vociferous in promoting the cause of women, a fact few know.
Ambedkar as the first Law Minister of independent India promoted the Hindu Code Bill, which called for dignity for women and equal rights for boys and girls in a male dominated society.
"It was the most revolutionary reform. For three-and-half years he fought for the dignity of women and resigned from the cabinet post when he could not get the bill passed. Is it not ironical that we don't even recognise him as a champion of women's right?" asks Jadhav.