“I was born among the classified people. I had vowed from a young age to dedicate my life to their progress. Throughout my life, many temptations have come and gone that could have deviated me from this promise. If I had decided in my childhood to only work towards my own good, then I could have attained any prestigious position I desired, and had I joined Congress, then I would have enjoyed the highest esteemed position within it. However, I have decided to devote my entire life for the betterment of the classified people and, with this goal in mind, I have been following a principle. The principle is that, if someone feels immense enthusiasm for accomplishing a task and that task remains constantly on their mind, it will be commendable for them to adopt a focused way of thinking and action to accomplish it. The issue of the welfare of classified people has been left hanging in limbo by the government for too long. You can imagine (from the above facts) how much pain this must have caused my heart.”
– Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar
In 1947, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar submitted States and Minorities to the Sub-Committee on Fundamental Rights of the Constituent Assembly of India. As a member of this Sub-Committee, tasked with drafting the Fundamental Rights for the Constitution, Ambedkar created the document on behalf of the Scheduled Caste Federation, an organization he founded in the early 1940s, intending to propose safeguards for the Scheduled Castes.
However, Ambedkar expanded the scope of his mandate. States and Minorities resembled a mini- constitution, featuring a Preamble and draft articles on “Fundamental Rights of Citizens” and “Admission of States into the Union.” It laid out a comprehensive constitutional framework aimed at protecting and empowering the Scheduled Castes. Notably, the document’s section on “Remedies against Invasion of Fundamental Rights” advocated for “State Socialism” and “Economic Democracy.”
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