We all know Dr Ambedkar as the emancipator of Dalits as the man who laid down his life for the welfare of his community. Born into the Mahar (Dalit) caste, he knew better than anyone the struggles his community faced while trying to find its place in modern India. He was strongly against the Brahmanical varna (caste) system, so he envisioned a place for the ‘untouchables’ in independent India. Through his relentless effort, he created reservations for his community in educational and government systems.
As the Constitution Drafting Committee chairman, Dr Ambedkar played a pivotal role in shaping various civil liberties our citizens enjoy today. Having studied the constitution of around 60 countries, he was a wise expert, and no one could have done a better job than he did then. We all know him as ‘the father of India’s constitution’. Let’s take a look at some of his lesser-known achievements, mainly the literary ones.
Dr Ambedkar came up with the slogan “educate – agitate – organise”. He spent a good amount of time educating the Dalit community and making them aware. In his lifetime Babasaheb Ambedkar wrote around 23 books, some of which were published when he was still alive and others after his death. He was the editor and publisher of various newsletters and magazines, which he started to spread a wave of consciousness among the Dalit community. His literary accomplishments have had a huge impact in mobilising the Dalit community to rally for their cause.
Let’s look at some of his publications and their agendas –
- Moon Nayak was the voice of the voiceless – Dalits. It served to agitate and inform the masses. It was published in Marathi. He chose to publish in Marathi despite mastering the English language because all the Dalits couldn’t read and understand English.
- Bahishkrit Bharat was another Marathi fortnightly that talked about the pains and problems of the untouchables. Ambedkar also used it to answer his critics. This publication played a seminal role in awakening the Dalits.
Some of his other publications include Samta, Janata and Prabuddha Bharat. Our country is alive with the rich history of thousands of freedom fighters who laid bare their lives for ‘purna swaraj’ we only need to take an interest and look.
