Ambedkar Jayanti or Bhim Jayanti is celebrated to pay respect and homage to the father of the Constitution of India Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar. He was a jurist, economist, politician, philosopher, historian, anthropologist and the social reformer of India, who raised his voice against the Indian caste system.
Babasaheb Ambedkar, himself was born in a Dalit family who grew up watching the people of his community being exploited, discriminated and considered untouchables.
He was the key member and Chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee and is also considered the chief architect of the constitution of India. All his life, he worked for the upliftment of Dalits and mentioned special rights for them while making the constitution of India.
He was appointed as the first Law and Justice Minister of Independent India by the first Prime Minister Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru on August 29, 1947.
Ambedkar struggled throughout his life for equality and hence in India his birth anniversary is celebrated as the Equality Day, and the demand to declare this day as International Equality Day goes to the United States.
Ambedkar Jayanti 2023 Date
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, also known as Babasaheb Ambedkar was born on April 14, 1891 and to pay tribute to his contribution to our country, every year 14th April is celebrated as Ambedkar Jayanti, Bhim Jayanti or Equality Day in India. This year the Jayanti will fall on Thursday, 14th April.
B.R. Ambedkar Early Life
Babasaheb was to Ramji Maloji Sakpal, a Subedar in India Army and Bhimabai Sakpal in the town and the military cantonment of Mhow, which is now officially known as Ambedkar Nagar and is situated in the Indore district of Madhya Pradesh.
His family was of Marathi background from the town of Ambawade (Mandangad taluka) in Ratnagiri district of Modern day Maharashtra.
Having been born into a Mahar (dalit) family, he along with his community was treated as untouchables and subjected to socio- economic discrimination.
Even in schools, Ambedkar and other dalit students were segregated and given little attention and help by teachers. They were not allowed to sit in the class and to touch the water vessels.
Despite facing all the difficulties, he never gave up on his studies and in 1897, his family moved to Mumbai where he became the only untouchable enrolled at Elphinstone High School. He had also been a student at Columbia University, United States and London School of Economics.
Before his death in 1956, he along with his wife converted to Buddhism and is seen as the driving force in the surge of converts that saw many thousands of his followers becoming buddhists.
Ambedkar Jayanti History
On April 14, 1928, in Pune, the birth anniversary of Babasaheb Ambedkar was celebrated for the first time by Janardan Sadashiv Ranapisay, an Ambedkarite and social activist.
He was the one who started the tradition of celebrating the birth anniversary of Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar and since then, the tradition of observing the day began and every year we celebrated his birth anniversary on 14th April.
Ambedkar Jayanti Significance
The Ambedkar Jayanti has lots of significance as it grab our attention towards the caste-based discrimination which still exists in our society, even after 75 days of Independence.
By celebrating the day, we remember the contribution of Babasaheb for the upliftment of the dalits and untouchables. He framed a constitution which provides equal rights to every citizen of this country irrespective of caste, creed, religion, race and culture.
To promote the basic rights and education for untouchables, he established the Central institution Bahishkrit Hitakarini Sabha and also initiated the movements to provide dalits the access to public drinking water resources and the right to enter to Hindu temples.
Ambedkar Jayanti 2023 Celebration
The Amedkar Jayanti is celebrated with full enthusiasm among his followers, especially by dalits, adivasis, labor workers etc. across the world. People visit local statues of Ambedkar and pay tribute to him.
Processions are carried out by his followers at Chaitya Bhoomi, Mumbai and Deeksha Bhoomi Nagpur. In school, colleges and other institutional organizations, plays and dramatic adaptations based on the life of B.R.Ambedkar are being organized.
Other than this, there is a tradition that the President, the Prime Minister and the leaders of all major political parties also pay homage at the statue of Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar at the Parliament of India, New Delhi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, top leaders, celebrities to other famous personalities give tribute on social media. People across the nation, celebrating the day with enthusiasm and cultural programs.
