14 April Ambedkar Jayanti 2024: Life History and Significance

Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, also known as Babasaheb Ambedkar, is widely recognized as the visionary who drafted the Indian Constitution. He served as India's first Law Minister in the Cabinet of Jawaharlal Nehru. 

• In 1990, Dr. Ambedkar was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna, which is India's highest civilian honour. His birthday is celebrated every year as Ambedkar Jayanti, honoring his legacy and contributions to Indian society.

Ambedkar Jayanti 2024: Date and History

• Ambedkar Jayanti is celebrated every year on April 14 with great enthusiasm throughout the country. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was born on April 14, 1891, near Indore, which is now in Madhya Pradesh. The first public celebration of Ambedkar's birthday was organized on April 14, 1928, in Pune by activist Janardan Sadashiv Ranapisay. 
• After this, April 14 has been celebrated as Ambedkar Jayanti or Bhim Jayanti. Despite his humble origins, Dr. Ambedkar became one of the most respected legal minds in the country. On March 31, 2011, the Government of India declared April 14 a public holiday in the honor of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar's birthday.

Ambedkar Jayanti 2024: Significance

• After returning to India from his studies abroad, Bhimrao Ambedkar noticed that caste discrimination was causing fragmentation in the nation. To uplift the downtrodden, Ambedkar implemented reservations for Dalits and other religious communities.
• In 1923, he founded the 'Bahishkrit Hitkarini Sabha (Outcastes Welfare Association)' to spread education and culture among the downtrodden, improve their economic status, and raise their problems in the proper forums to find solutions.
• In 1927, he led the Mahad March at the Chowdar Tank, which marked the beginning of the anti-caste and anti-priest movement.  Dr. Ambedkar at Kalaram temple in Nasik in 1930 launched the temple entry movement, which was a landmark in the struggle for human rights and social justice.
• Dr. Ambedkar attended all three Round Table Conferences in London and each time, strongly advocated for the interests of the 'untouchable'. He urged the downtrodden sections to enhance their living standards and acquire as much political power as possible.

Article 32 Heart and Soul of the Constitution

Dr. Ambedkar believed that among the various provisions of the Constitution, Article 32 was of utmost importance. 

In the constituent assembly debates, he referred to it as the "heart and soul" of the Constitution, without which the Constitution would be meaningless. 

Article 32 guarantees the implementation of Fundamental Rights that are enshrined in Part III of the Constitution, including the right to equality, life, and freedom from discrimination.