1. 1 Hearty Welcome to

2. 2 Speech by Dr. N. Prabhu Dev Vice-Chancellor Bangalore University at the 118th Birth Day of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar on 13th April 2009 at Jnana Jyothi Auditorium, Central College Campus

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4. 4 Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar also known as Babasaheb, was an Indian nationalist, jurist, Dalitv political leader and a Buddhist revivalist. He was also the chief architect of the Indian Constitution. Born into a poor Untouchable Marathi family on April 14, 1891, 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 a great economist, educationist, politician, champion of human rights and emancipator of millions of untouchable downtrodden whom he taught to hold their heads high and live like a lion.

5. 5 Overcoming numerous social and financial obstacles, Ambedkar became one of the first "untouchables" to obtain a college education in India. Eventually earning law degrees and multiple doctorates for his study and research in law, economics and political science from Columbia University and the London School of Economics, Ambedkar returned home a famous scholar and practiced law for a few years before publishing journals advocating political rights and social freedom for India's untouchables.

6. 6 In 1937, Dr. Ambedkar introduced a Bill to abolish the "khoti" system of land tenure in the Konkan region, the serfdom of agricultural tenants and the Mahar "watan" system of working for the Government as slaves. A clause of an agrarian bill referred to the depressed classes as "Harijans," or people of God. Bhimrao was strongly opposed to this title for the untouchables. He argued that if the "untouchables" were people of God then all others would be people of monsters. He was against any such reference. But the Indian National Congress succeeded in introducing the term Harijan. Ambedkar felt bitter that they could not have any say in what they were called.

7. 7 In 1947, when India became independent, the first Prime Minister Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, invited Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, who had been elected as a Member of the Constituent Assembly from Bengal, to join his Cabinet as a Law Minister. He was the first Law Minister of India; conferred Bharat Ratna in 1990. The Constituent Assembly entrusted the job of drafting the Constitution to a committee and Dr. Ambedkar was elected as Chairman of this Drafting Committee. In February 1948, Dr. Ambedkar presented the Draft Constitution before the people of India; it was adopted on November 26, 1949.

8. 8 In October 1948, Dr. Ambedkar submitted the Hindu Code Bill to the Constituent Assembly in an attempt to codify the Hindu law. The Bill caused great divisions even in the Congress party. Consideration for the bill was postponed to September 1951. When the Bill was taken up it was truncated. A dejected Ambedkar relinquished his position as Law Minister. On May 24, 1956, on the occasion of Buddha Jayanti, he declared in Bombay, that he would adopt Buddhism in October. On 0ctober 14, 1956 he embraced Buddhism along with many of his followers. On December 6, 1956, Baba Saheb Dr. B.R. Ambedkar died peacefully in his sleep.

9. 9 The famous vows of Dr. Ambedkar are : I shall not act in a manner violating the principles and teachings of the Buddha. I shall believe in the equality of man. I shall endeavour to establish equality. I shall follow the noble eightfold path of the Buddha. I shall follow the paramitas prescribed by the Buddha. I shall have compassion and loving kindness for all living beings and protect them. I shall not steal. I shall not tell lies. I shall not commit carnal sins.

10. 10 The famous vows of Dr. Ambedkar are : I shall not take intoxicants like liquor, drugs etc. I shall endeavour to follow the noble eightfold path and practise compassion and loving kindness in every day life. I firmly believe the Dhamma of the Buddha is the only true religion. I believe that I am having a re-birth. I solemnly declare and affirm that I shall hereafter lead my life according to the principles and teachings of the Buddha and his Dhamma.

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