A few excerpts from the speech to the Constituent Assembly on November 25, 1949 – 

On 26th January 1950, India will be an independent country. What would happen to her independence? Will she maintain her independence or will she lose it again? This is the first thought that comes to my mind. It is not that India was never an independent country. The point is that she once lost the independence she had. Will she lose it a second time? It is this thought which makes me most anxious for the future.

What perturbs me greatly is the fact that not only India has once before lost her independence, but she lost it by the infidelity and treachery of some of her own people.

Will history repeat itself? It is this thought which fills me with anxiety. This anxiety is deepened by the realisation of the fact that in addition to our old enemies in the form of castes and creeds we are going to have many political parties with diverse and opposing political creeds. Will Indians place the country above their creed or will they place creed above country? I do not know. But this much is certain that if the parties place creed above country, our independence will be put in jeopardy a second time and probably be lost forever. This eventuality we must all resolutely guard against. We must be determined to defend our independence with the last drop of our blood.

On the 26th of January 1950, India would be a democratic country in the sense that India from that day would have a government of the people, by the people and for the people. The same thought comes to my mind. What would happen to her democratic Constitution? Will she be able to maintain it or will she lose it again? This is the second thought that comes to my mind and makes me as anxious as the first.

Read also – Babasaheb Ambedkar On Independence Of Untouchables And Congress’s Struggle For Power

A few more quotes from Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar on Independence

“…there is a wrong approach to the question of independence and a misunderstanding about its importance. The independence of a nation “ex hypothesi” does not tie it up to any particular form of government or organisation of society. External independence is quite compatible with internal slavery.

While dedicating his book “Who were the Shudras?” to Mahatma Jotiba Fule (1827—1890), Dr B R Ambedkar wrote, “The Greatest Shudra of Modern India who made the lower classes of Hindus conscious of their slavery to the higher classes and who preached the gospel that for India social democracy was more vital than independence from foreign rule.”

For Babasaheb Ambedkar, social democracy was more important than anything else and until today India has failed to achieve that.

“It is not enough to have just a politically independent India. What is also needed is to have an Indian nation where every citizen will have religious and political rights, so that every person will have equal opportunity to develop.”

“Independence is no doubt a matter of joy. But let us not forget that this independence has thrown on us greater responsibilities. By independence, we have lost the excuse of blaming the British for anything going wrong. If hereafter things go wrong, we will have nobody to blame except ourselves. There is a greater danger of things going wrong. Times are fast-changing.”

“There is no nation of Indians in the real sense of the world, it is yet to be created. In believing we are a nation, we are cherishing a great delusion. How can people divided into thousand of castes be a nation? The sooner we realise that we are not yet a nation, in a social and psychological sense of the world, the better for us.”

“Freedom of mind is the real freedom. A person, whose mind is not free though he may not be in chains, is a slave, not a free man. One, whose mind is not free, though he may not be in prison, is a prisoner and not a free man. One whose mind is not free though alive is no better than dead. Freedom of mind is proof of one’s existence.”

“I call him free who with his conscience awake realises his rights, responsibilities and duties.”

While others were only fighting for the freedom of India, Babasaheb Ambedkar was fighting for two freedom struggles i.e. freedom for the country and also freedom of untouchables which no one else fights for. He is the true son of India.

“He who is not a slave of circumstances and is always ready and striving to change them in his favour, I call him free. One who is not a slave of usage, customs, of meaningless rituals and ceremonies, of superstitions and traditions; whose flame of reason has not been extinguished, I call him a free man.”

Check also – 

Dr. B. R. Ambedkar on Republic Day (26th January)

26 facts you need to know about 26th January – Indian Republic Day

How Indian Independence was ‘Introduced’

What Does Azadi (Independence) Mean to You?