Mahaparinirvan Diwas | 07 Dec 2022

Why in News?

Recently, the Prime Minister paid homage to Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar on Mahaparinirvan Diwas and recalled his exemplary service to our nation.

What is Mahaparinirvan Diwas?

• Parinirvana, regarded as one of the major principles as well as goals of Buddhism, is a Sanskrit term which means release or freedom after death.
  • As per the Buddhist text Mahaparinibbana Sutta, the death of Lord Buddha at the age of 80 is considered as the original Mahaparinirvan.
• 6^th December is observed to commemorate the unfathomable contribution to society given by Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar and his achievements. Owing to Ambedkar’s status as a Buddhist leader, his death anniversary is referred to as Mahaparinirvan Diwas.

Who was Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar?

• About:
  • Babasaheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar was a social reformer, jurist, economist, author, polyglot (knowing or using several languages) orator, a scholar, and thinker of comparative religions.
• Birth:
  • He was born in 1891 in Mhow, Central Province (now Madhya Pradesh).
• Brief Profile:
  • He is known as the Father of the Indian Constitution and was India's first Law Minister.
  • He was the Chairman of the Drafting Committee for the new Constitution.
  • He was a well-known statesman who fought for the rights of the Dalits and other socially backward classes.
• Contributions:
  • He led the Mahad Satyagraha in March 1927 against Hindus who were opposing the decision of the Municipal Board.
    • In 1926, the Municipal Board of Mahad (Maharashtra) passed an order to throw open the tank to all communities. Earlier, the untouchables were not allowed to use water from the Mahad tank.
  • He participated in all three Round Table Conferences.
  • In 1932, Dr. Ambedkar signed the Poona pact with Mahatma Gandhi, which abandoned the idea of separate electorates for the depressed classes (Communal Award).
    • However, the seats reserved for the depressed classes were increased from 71 to 147 in provincial legislatures and to 18% of the total in the Central Legislature.
  • His ideas before the Hilton Young Commission served as the foundation of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
• Election and Designation:
  • In 1937, he was elected to the Bombay Legislative Assembly as a legislator (MLA).
  • He was appointed to the Executive Council of Viceroy as a Labour member in 1942.
  • In 1947, Dr. Ambedkar accepted PM Nehru's invitation to become Minister of Law in the first Cabinet of independent India.
• Shift to Buddhism:
  • He resigned from the cabinet in 1951, over differences on the Hindu Code Bill.
  • He converted to Buddhism in 1956.
  • He was awarded India’s highest civilian honour the Bharat Ratna in 1990.
• Important Works:
  • Journals:
    • Mooknayak (1920)
    • Bahishkrit Bharat (1927)
    • Samatha (1929)
    • Janata (1930)
  • Books:
    • Annihilation of Caste
    • Buddha or Karl Marx
    • The Untouchable: Who are They and Why They Have Become Untouchables
    • Buddha and His Dhamma
    • The Rise and Fall of Hindu Women
  • Organisations:
    • Bahishkrit Hitkarini Sabha (1923)
    • Independent Labor Party (1936)
    • Scheduled Castes Federation (1942)
• Death:
  • He died on 6^th December 1956.
    • Chaitya Bhoomi is a memorial to B R Ambedkar, located in Mumbai.
• Relevance of Ambedkar in Present Times:
  • Caste-based inequality in India still persists. While Dalits have acquired a political identity through reservation and forming their own political parties, they lack behind in social dimensions (health and education) and economic dimension.
  • There has been a rise of communal polarization and communalization of politics. It is necessary that Ambedkar's vision of constitutional morality must supersede religious morality to avoid permanent damage to the Indian Constitution.

Source: PIB