Many leaders of the Indian freedom movement are known for their work towards varied, important causes, making them national icons in more than one regard.
But with Babasaheb, it’s been more about appropriation instead of national glory.
The architect of India’s constitution, BR Ambedkar was a pioneer of women’s rights and worked relentlessly for the oppressed classes – but is remembered solely as a Dalit icon today.
Which is why a series on Ambedkar and how he continues to be in the daily lives of people is refreshing.
Padma Shri Sudharak Olwe – an acclaimed photographer who has repeatedly brought to the fore stories of oppression, prejudice and class division through his lens – has put together an exhibition on Ambedkar, called ‘Blue Icon: Contemporary reiterations’ about which he says,
The first law minister of Independent India, Ambedkar was a pioneer of women’s rights. “We shall see better days soon and our progress will be greatly accelerated if male education is persuaded side by side with female education…” wrote a young Ambedkar, during his studies in New York.
Ratnesh Katulkar, an Ambedkarite activist from Madhya Pradesh and Research Scholar further says that apart from his academic writings, women’s issues came foremost in his fortnightly Mook Nayak and Bahiskrit Bharat.
He believed in women led movements and in July 1927, he addressed a meeting of about 3,000 women of depressed classes, where he said that “I measure the progress of community by the degree of progress which women had achieved” and said to these women –
The series of photographs showcased by Olwe capture this facet of Ambedkar beautifully.
Dr MR Singariya, in his research paper, talks about how Ambedkar stressed on women’s right to education, equal treatment with men, right to property and involvement in the political process – all of which resemble today’s global feminist demands.
He strongly advocated for family planning measures for women in the Bombay Legislative Assembly and even introduced a Maternity Benefit Bill in 1942. Ambdekar also introduced the Hindu Code Bill in the Parliament and highlighted the issues of women’s property rights – which found strong opposition from many well-known political leaders.
He went on to resign from the cabinet because of the bill’s non acceptance.
The series that has been showcased in Mumbai and Ahmedabad, consists of photographs sourced from the Ambedkar family and the government and these were first digitally restored.
The other half of the series was clicked by children of conservancy workers in Mumbai.
The children, most of whose fathers work as sweepers with Mumbai’s municipal corporation, revere Ambedkar as god.
(Runa Mukherjee Parikh has written on women, culture, social issues, education and animals, with The Times of India, India Today and IBN Live. When not hounding for stories, she can be found petting dogs, watching sitcoms or travelling. A big believer in ‘animals come before humans’, she is currently struggling to make sense of her Bengali-Gujarati lifestyle in Ahmedabad.)
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