Mahaparinirvan Divas

December 6, Mahaparinirvan Divas marked the death anniversary of Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar. Fondly known as Babasaheb, Dr. Ambedkar took up causes like economic and social empowerment of Dalits in India, eradication of untouchability and promotion of  gender equality. Being among the seven members of the drafting committee who prepared a draft of the Constitution of independent India, Dr. Ambedkar is called The Father of the Indian Constitution. On his 66th death anniversary, let us take inspiration from some of his quotes which are timeless.

"I measure the progress of a community by the degree of progress which women have achieved." 

"So long as you do not achieve social liberty, whatever freedom is provided by the law is of no avail to you."

"If I find the constitution being misused, I shall be the first to burn it."

"I like the religion that teaches 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."

"Every man must have a philosophy of life, for everyone must have a standard by which to measure his conduct. And philosophy is nothing but a standard by which to measure." 
Law and order are the medicine of the body politic and when the body politic gets sick, medicine must be administered." 

"The outcast is a by-product of the caste system. There will be outcasts as long as there are castes. Nothing can emancipate the outcast except the destruction of the caste system." 

“Indians today are governed by two different ideologies. Their political ideal set in the preamble of the Constitution affirms a life of liberty, equality and fraternity. Their social ideal embodied in their religion denies them."

"Equality may be a fiction but nonetheless one must accept it as a governing principle."