Authored by – Dr. Mukesh Bairwa
By labelling Dr. B.R as a Dalit leader, some people have truncated his high stature. Dr. B.R Ambedkar ji has attained global recognition as a jurist, philosopher, economist, human rights crusader and as a humanist. Many foreign universities are offering papers on Ambedkar, and his bust has been installed in many foreign institutions. He is not just a national figure, actually, he has emerged as a global leader. He has contributed to all the fields. It is really sad that it took decades for Ambedkar to receive Bharat Ratna.
First and foremost, Ambedkar ji established the norm of equality by initiating Mahad Satyagrah for water rights. As a visionary, he interpreted access to water and space as basic human rights. In fact, he paved ground for the discourse of human rights. He fought not just against caste discrimination, as a true humanist, he opposed all kinds of discrimination be it on the basis of race, colour, language or gender. When the world did not even think about labour rights, Ambedkar enunciated the discourse of labour rights, without either siding with capitalism or communism. He represented the third way while conceptualizing the paradigm of labour welfare. In 1936, he founded the Independent Labour Party (ILP) which came up with a substantative manifesto on labour rights. ILP won 15 out of the 17 seats in the Indian provincial elections held in 1937 contested in the Bombay Legislative Assembly. Recognizing his deep sectoral expertise, Ambedkar was inducted as the labour member of the viceroy’s Executive Council from 1942 to 1946. In the National Labour Conference held in New Delhi on August 7, 1942, Ambedkar ji laid stress on the universality of labour legislation and internationalism.
In the times, when the question of women’s rights was inconceivable, Dr. Ambedkar envisaged the discourse of women’s equality. The introduction of the Hindu Code Bill was a revolutionary act by Ambedkar as this bill offered equal rights for all Hindu women, and enunciated the discourse of gender equality for all women in the world. This bill had universal resonance for women’s rights. The Hindu Code Bill aimed to end gender discrimination and endow women with property rights, divorce right, maintenance and marriage rights. Moreover, Ambedkar has made an important contribution to water resource development in India. He performed a pivotal role in the formation of Damodar Valley Corporation, Hirakund Dam, Sone and Kosi River Projects. He envisioned the notion of a central authority for water issues in India. Recognizing his contribution, our honourable Prime Minister Shri Narender Modi ji described Ambedkar ji as the architect of the water and river navigation policy in India.
No country in the world imagined about voting right to all individuals but Ambedkar ji advocated for voting rights for all. His nationalism was not limited to just the transfer of power from the British to the Indians, it entailed sustainable reconstruction of Bharat. He argued for investment in agricultural growth; he laid emphasis on industrialization which could solve the problem of unemployment. He laid the foundation for the Finance Commission of India and RBI. He was a proponent of food security, community health and hygiene. He advocated for birth control for the development of India. Ambedkar ji’s teachings had global reach and impact. Ambedkar’s global vision is reflected in his concern for the Blacks who were suffering in America and England due to racism. He expressed his solidarity with all the suffering masses. This universality of Ambedkar’s approach makes him a global leader. His global approach and concern for collective well-being embodies the Bharatiya vision manifested in our “Vasudhaiva kutumbakam”. (the world is one family). Dr B.R Ambedkar’s work for the workers, the poor, women, blacks, new idea of democracy and modernity firmly places him the category of a global leader. History has been unkind to Ambedkar ji, but now he is receiving his due respect and acceptance worldwide, not just in India.
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