On B R Ambedkar's 65th Death Anniversary, We Look At 10 Famous Quotes By 'Father Of Constitution'

On the occasion of Mahaparinirvan Day, we look at some of the top 10 quotes by Bhimrao Ambedkar.

Bhim Rao Ambedkar played an instrumental role in defining the constitution of India. He was the first Law Minister of Independent India. Despite being a critic of Jawaharlal Nehru, he worked closely with the first Indian PM in drafting the constitution of the country. All his life, he was an advocate of equality and equal rights. 

His fight was for the rights of Dalits, who had been denied basic rights for the longest time in India. In 1927, Ambedkar decided to launch a satyagraha to assert the rights of Dalits to use water in public places. It was the 'Mahad Satyagraha' at Chavdar lake. Later on, he went on to conduct a lot of social meetings for the upliftment of the poor and underprivileged.  

Today, on his 65th death anniversary, the country observes Mahaparinirvan Day. Lakhs of people flock towards Mumbai's Shivaji Park to commemorate the death of the great man at the Chaitya Bhoomi. Ambedkar was of the opinion that caste has caused more harm to Indian society than any other factor. His book 'Annihilation of Caste' is still used as a reference by scholars around the world to study the effects of caste on the people of India. 

On the occasion of Mahaparinirvan Day, we look at some of the top 10 quotes by Bhimrao Ambedkar:

• “If I find the constitution being misused, I shall be the first to burn it.”


• “Men are mortal. So are ideas. An idea needs propagation as much as a plant needs watering. Otherwise, both will wither and die.”


• “Unlike a drop of water which loses its identity when it joins the ocean, man does not lose his being in the society in which he lives. Man's life is independent."


• “Though, I was born a Hindu, I solemnly assure you that I will not die as a Hindu”


• "There is an element of flexibility inherent in it (Buddhism), which is not found in any other religion.”


• “It is not enough to be electors only. It is necessary to be law-makers; otherwise, those who can be law-makers will be the masters of those who can only be electors.”


• “Justice has always evoked ideas of equality, of proportion of compensation... In short justice is another name of liberty, equality and fraternity.”


• “A great man is different from an eminent one in that he is ready to be the servant of the society.”


• “Slavery does not merely mean a legalised form of subjection. It means a state of society in which some men are forced to accept from others the purposes which control their conduct.”


• “Freedom of mind is the real freedom. A person whose mind is not free though he may not be in chains, is a slave, not a free man. One whose mind is not free, though he may not be in prison, is a prisoner and not a free man.

These were some of the famous quotes by the great man. He always fought for the upliftment of the people who are low down in the social structure. It is due to his efforts that Dalits and other "lower castes" in India are able to live their life with dignity.