Today marks the 128th birth anniversary of Babasaheb BR Ambedkar, the father of Indian constitution. Known for his campaigns against social discrimination towards the untouchables, he was independent India’s first Minister of Law and Justice. Ambedkar was a prolific student earning doctorates in economics from both Columbia University and Economics and gained a reputation as a scholar for his research in law, economics, and political science. In 1990, the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, was posthumously conferred upon Ambedkar.
Ambedkar Jayanti 2019: Here are top 5 quotes by the father of the Indian constitution
1. “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.
One whose mind is not free though alive, is no better than dead.
Freedom of mind is the proof of one's existence.”
2. “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.
He is born not for the development of the society alone, but for the development of his self too.”
3. “Humans are mortal. So are ideas. An idea needs propagation as much as a plant needs watering. Otherwise both will wither and die.”
4. “History shows that where ethics and economics come in conflict, victory is always with economics. Vested interests have never been known to have willingly divested themselves unless there was sufficient force to compel them.”
5. “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.”