(This series of writings will cover the importance of Babasaheb Ambedkar to various groups, communities, ideologies, and philosophies in celebration of his life as a part of his upcoming birth anniversary on 14th April 2018, and readers are requested to comment on how he contributed to the community in the discussion)

Many things have been written about Babasaheb Ambedkar’s contribution to the liberation of Scheduled Castes, the ex-untouchables of India and it will be great to recapitulate his great work for the untouchables.

Before his emergence, the untouchables all over India lived such wretched lives that they were treated not only less than the human beings, but also less than the animals. The animals could drink water from the public tanks and roam freely, but the untouchables have been confined in the concentration camps of Brahminical Hinduism in every village and every city of this country. Nothing much changed, but the path to their emancipation is now clearly laid down before them.

Babasaheb Ambedkar and his great stride bestowed humanity to the humans who not treated as humans. Thanks to the great life, mission, and struggle of Babasaheb Ambedkar.

Except, Babasaheb Ambedkar, no person attained to the education level even at the level of graduation. After the great struggle of Babasaheb Ambedkar, the community has seen not only graduates, but millions and millions not only graduated but became doctors, engineers, and advocates. This is all due to Babasaheb Ambedkar and his fight for representation for the untouchables in all walks of life. He gave them political representation and representation all over the places.

He united disparate untouchables under one movement and under one banner. This is perhaps one of the biggest gifts of Babasaheb Ambedkar that he forged the Scheduled Castes into one ideological movement and gave clear goals for the castes all over India.

One of the greatest contributions of Babasaheb was to give them a complete emancipatory path of Buddhism. Buddhism was the erstwhile religion of all the untouchables and because of it, the Brahminism imposed untouchability on them. Babasaheb proved that the untouchables throughout India have a common social/religious background and it is bound to forge a singular community of Buddhists all over India.

Babasaheb also tried to connect the untouchables to the exploited classes so that they can have an international movement, particularly with African Americans and Burakumin in Japan.

Author – Mangesh Dahiwale, Human Rights Activist

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