City Pulse

Road Name: B.R. Ambedkar Road named after Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (14 April 1981 - December 6, 1956)

Road Location: Vidhana Soudha

Famous for: Contributions to society 

Summary: Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar also known as Babasaheb, an Indian nationalist, jurist, Dalit political leader and a Buddhist revivalist. He was also the chief architect of the Indian Constitution.

Born into a poor untouchable family, Ambedkar spent his whole life fighting against social discrimination, the system of Chaturvarna - the Hindu categorization of human society into four varnas - and the Indian caste system. He is also credited with having sparked the Dalit Buddhist movement.

Detailed Description:

Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar was born in the British-founded town and military cantonment of Mhow in the Central Provinces (now in Madhya Pradesh).He was the 14th and last child of Ramji Maloji Sakpal and Bhimabai Murbadkar. His family was of Marathi background from the town of Ambavade in the Ratnagiri district of modern-day Maharashtra. They belonged to the Hindu Mahar caste, who were treated as untouchables and subjected to intense socio-economic discrimination. 

In 1907, he passed his matriculation examination and entered the University of Bombay, becoming one of the first persons of untouchable origin to enter a college in India. Successfully completed his Ph.D. from Columbia University, U.S.A in June 1927. He was awarded a D.Sc. by the University of London, and on finishing his law studies, he was simultaneously admitted to the British Bar as a barrister. On his way back to India, Ambedkar spent three months in Germany, where he conducted further studies in economics at the University of Bonn.

In his early career he was an economist, professor, and lawyer. His later life was marked by his political activities; he became involved in campaigning and negotiations for India's independence, publishing journals advocating political rights and social freedom for Dalits, and contributing significantly to the establishment of the state of India. In 1956 he converted to Buddhism, initiating mass conversions of Dalits. He also supported the rights of women.

On August 29, Ambedkar was appointed chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee, charged by the Assembly to write free India's new Constitution.He was Independent India's first law minister and the principal architect of the Constitution of India.

In 1990, the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, was posthumously conferred upon Ambedkar.

Contributed by: Aditya Shrivallabh Desai, 8, Sri Kumaran Children’s Home CBSE

References:

[1] anckarnataka.page.tl/Breif-History-Of-Dr-.-B-.-R-Ambedkar-.-.htm

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org.B._R._Ambedkar

Know your City is conducted in collaboration with the students of Sri Kumaran Children's Home. The main aim of the project is to create an awareness among Bengalureans about the history of the city's roads and streets.