Guest Column| Dr BR Ambedkar, educationist for the marginalised

When discussing Dr BR Ambedkar, the advancement of minorities and the struggle against caste prejudice come first. He had far deeper and wider thoughts than that, though. The Mahars, a family from the lowest social class, gave birth to him in 1891. Dr Ambedkar experienced injustice from an early age because in Hindu tradition, Brahmins were regarded as the highest and most favoured caste and Shudras the lowest. He attended the University of Columbia in America, where he received his Master’s and PhD.

Education is a carefully thought-out activity having certain objectives in mind, such as the dissemination of knowledge or the growth of abilities and character. These goals could include developing understanding, reason, kindness, and honesty. Dr Ambedkar’s efforts to improve the morals and abilities of India’s oppressed were diversified. Hence, he is considered the educationist for the marginalised. Education was of utmost importance to him. Through volunteer work and organisations, he established educational institutions; he was a fervent supporter of state-sponsored modernisation of the educational system.

Dismantling caste barriers

Dr Ambedkar believed that universal education, especially for the downtrodden and disadvantaged, was the only way to erase the negative consequences of Hindu traditions.

To educate Dalit students, he founded the Peoples Education Society in Bombay and Aurangabad. His lectures, articles for journals and work in educational institutions all demonstrate his commitment to education. Every educational institution, according to him, ought to function as a force for social change. Education is what transforms a person’s life and even the well-being of society. In his speech at Elphinston College, Dr Ambedkar supported logical thinking and a scientific mindset among people in general and students in particular, drawing on the logical practices of Buddha in the East and John Dewey in the West. These thinkers and social reformers strongly impacted him and he added another pillar in the form of educational advancement for Dalits and minorities.

In his effort to free Dalits from the long-standing oppressive caste system, he placed a priority on education. His idea of giving people access to education and equal chances seeks to dismantle barriers in the Hindu caste system in India and to advance backward castes as well as all impoverished groups.

Key to societal change

He saw education to be an instrument for enacting societal change. In his opinion, education is the key to righting all wrongs. Education is a powerful foundation for a particular idea of humanity; it is more than mere instruction.

To address untouchables’ difficulties and voice their complaints to the government and to instil a new socio-political consciousness among them, Dr Ambedkar established the Bahiskrit Hilakarin Sabha. The sabha’s founding principles were to “educate, agitate, and organise”. To those who were in the growing stage, it was a powerful message.

Dr Ambedkar did not consider education only as a means of self-support or as a tool for a child’s personality development. He believed that education, which is also a prerequisite for every contemporary social movement because it calls for concerted effort, is the most efficient means of bringing about desired social change. He advocated for classes that expose students to a wider variety of knowledge and for disadvantaged people to receive free scholarships. He saw education to be a tool for achieving social justice. He made a contribution to education by not only involving the underprivileged in the development process but also by offering new perspectives on the use of education as a tool for achieving social justice. He firmly believed that education is crucial for reducing inequality and poverty. He believed that the key to societal change is through education.

Protection for minorities

As a result, Dr Ambedkar’s vision gave education a revolutionary role. He added Articles 29 and 30 to the Constitution after taking over as the chairman of the drafting committee to include protections for minorities. Under Article 29 of the Constitution, a person’s right to admission into educational institutions that the state manages or financially supports are guaranteed.

According to Article 30, all minorities should have the ability to construct and operate educational institutions of their choosing, independent of the basis for discrimination (religion or language). Dr Ambedkar passed specific constitutional clauses to safeguard some governmental commitments. All children are entitled to free and compulsory education under Article 45 of the Constitution’s Directive Principles of State Policy, and Article 46 of the same provision requires the state to take special care of socially disadvantaged, particularly Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and other backward classes, by providing education and redressing the long-standing injustice of denying them access to economic opportunities. He fought for social fairness and his beliefs are reflected in the Constitution.

Equitable social order

The establishment of an equitable social order is emphasised throughout the Preamble, Fundamental Rights, and Directive Principles of the Constitution. Dr Ambedkar thought that the lives of the untouchables would significantly improve with access to education. He always exhorted his followers to aim high in their academic pursuits. Knowledge has a potent liberating effect.

Why did Dr Ambedkar place such a high value on education? Because he believed that education is the best means of putting a stop to social captivity and that teaching the oppressed will help them advance in society and gain social status, economic growth, and political independence. The ideas of the great son of India, whose birth anniversary falls on April 14, are as relevant today as ever before.

The writer is Punjab minister of Powercom and PWD, and research scholar at Panjab University, Chandigarh.

Views expressed are personal