B. R. Ambedkar

Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (14 April 1891 – 6 December 1956), popularly known as Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar was an Indian jurist, economist, politician, writer and social reformer. He inspired the Dalit Buddhist Movement and campaigned against social discrimination against Untouchables (Dalits), and also supported the rights of women and labour. He was independent India's first law minister, the principal architect of the Constitution of India.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]}

Dr.Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar भीमराव रामजी आंबेडकर
Babasaheb Ambedkar
Born	(1891-04-14)April 14, 1891 Mhow, Central Provinces, British India (now in Dr. Ambedkar Nagar, Madhya Pradesh, India)
Died	December 6, 1956(1956-12-06) (aged 65) New Delhi, India
Nationality	Indian
Spouse(s)	Ramabai Ambedkar Savita Ambedkar
Signature

In 1956, in Deekshabhoomi, he initiated a mass conversion of Dalit, converting to Buddhism with 600,000 supporters. He revived Buddhism in India. Ambedkar is regarded as a bodhisattva, and the Maitreya, among the Navayana Buddhists.^{[9][10][11][12]}

In 1990, the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, was posthumously conferred upon Ambedkar. Ambedkar's legacy includes numerous memorials and depictions in popular culture. Ambedkar's legacy as a socio-political reformer had a deep effect on modern India.^[13][14]

Ambedkar was voted "the Greatest Indian" in 2012 by a poll organised by History TV18 and CNN IBN, ahead of Vallabhbhai Patel and Jawaharlal Nehru.^[15]

Ambedkar Jayanti (Ambedkar's birthday) is an annual festival celebrated on 14 April. Ambedkar Jayanti is celebrated as an official public holiday in many states of India.^[16][17][18] The United Nations celebrated Ambedkar Jayanti in 2016, 2017 and 2018.^[19][20][21]

References

1. "Bhimrao Ambedkar". c250.columbia.edu. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
2. "Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar | Draft | Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University". baou.edu.in. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
3. "Bhimrao Ambedkar". c250.columbia.edu. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
4. "Ambedkar Jayanti 2019: Facts on Babasaheb to share with kids". The Indian Express. 14 April 2019. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
5. "How India's Most Downtrodden Embraced the Power of Statues". BloombergQuint. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
6. "Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar | Biography, Books, & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
7. "All You Need To Know About BR Ambedkar On His Birth Anniversary". NDTV.com. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
8. Buswell, Robert Jr; Lopez, Donald S. Jr., eds. (2013). Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. p. 34. ISBN 9780691157863.
9. "Why Ambedkar chose Buddhism over Hinduism, Islam, Christianity". 20 May 2019.
10. "Buddha Purnima: Why Ambedkar converted to Buddhism". The Indian Express. 8 May 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
11. Gopinath, Malavika Balasubramanian,Vishnu (13 October 2018). "Decoding Dr BR Ambedkar's Conversion to Buddhism". TheQuint. Retrieved 23 August 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
12. Christopher Queen (2015). Steven M. Emmanuel (ed.). A Companion to Buddhist Philosophy. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 529–531. ISBN 978-1-119-14466-3.
13. Joshi, Barbara R. (1986). Untouchable!: Voices of the Dalit Liberation Movement. Zed Books. pp. 11–14. ISBN 9780862324605. Archived from the original on 29 July 2016.
14. Keer, D. (1990). Dr. Ambedkar: Life and Mission. Popular Prakashan. p. 61. ISBN 9788171542376. Archived from the original on 30 July 2016.
15. "A Measure Of The Man | Outlook India Magazine". outlookindia.com. Archived from the original on 24 July 2021. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
16. http://ccis.nic.in/WriteReadData/CircularPortal/D2/D02est/12_6_2015_JCA-2-19032015.pdf Archived 5 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine Ambedkar Jayanti from ccis.nic.in on 19 March 2015
17. http://persmin.gov.in/ Webpage of Ministry of Personnel and Public Grievance & Pension
18. 125th Dr. Ambedkar Birthday Celebrations Around the World. mea.gov.in
19. "Ambedkar Jayanti celebrated for the first time outside India as UN organises special event - Firstpost". firstpost.com. 15 April 2016. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
20. "UN celebrates Ambedkar's legacy 'fighting inequality, inspiring inclusion'". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
21. "संयुक्त राष्ट्र में मनाई गई डॉ. बाबासाहेब भीमराव आंबेडकर जयंती - News State". newsstate.com. Archived from the original on 19 April 2019. Retrieved 9 November 2018.