Statue of Social Justice: World’s Tallest BR Ambedkar Bronze Statue

PWOnlyIAS January 19, 2024 05:40 1738 0

Location of Statue of Social Justice: The Statue of Social Justice is the tallest Dr BR Ambedkar bronze statue in the world, and is situated at the Ambedkar Smriti Vanam in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh.

Statue of Social Justice: World’s Tallest BR Ambedkar Bronze Statue

Context

The Statue of Social Justice, featuring Dr BR Ambedkar Ambedkar, will be unveiled by the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh in Vijayawada.

Location of Statue of Social Justice: The Statue of Social Justice is the tallest Dr BR Ambedkar bronze statue in the world, and is situated at the Ambedkar Smriti Vanam in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh.
- The statue is 125 feet tall and is installed on an 81-foot pedestal.
- With a total height of 206 feet, it is the fourth tallest, and the second tallest standing statue in India.
Cost: The complete cost of the project is ₹404.35 crores.
Material: The statue of social justice is made of steel frame and bronze cladding and is completely made in India.
Base of the Statue: The 81-foot pedestal building Is designed as Kalachakra Maha Mandal of Buddhist architecture.
Complex areas also include the Dr BR Ambedkar Ambedkar Experience center under the statue where the exhibits of BR Ambedkar Ambedkar’s life are displayed.

BR Ambedkar

Life of Dr BR Ambedkar Ambedkar

About: Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar was an Indian polymath, economist, statesman, social reformer and the father of the Indian Constitution.
- Dr Ambedkar has also served as Law and Justice minister in the first cabinet of Jawaharlal Nehru, and inspired the Dalit Buddhist movement in India.
Early Life: Dr Ambedkar was born on 14 April 1891 in the town of Mhow (now officially known as Dr Ambedkar Nagar) in Madhya Pradesh as the last child of Ramji Maloji Sakpal, an army officer.
- The family of Dr Ambedkar belonged to the Mahar caste, who were treated as untouchables and subjected to socio-economic discrimination.
- His family traced their origin to the town of Ambadawe in Ratnagiri district of modern-day Maharashtra.

BR Ambedkar

Early Discrimination: Since Ambedkar’s father was in the army, he was allowed to attend the school. However, he was segregated and given little attention.
- Ambedkar and other students of the dalit castes had to sit outside the class on a gunny sack and were not even allowed to touch vessels containing drinking water.
Change in Name: In High School, his surname was registered as Ambadawekar in school, which was later changed to ‘Ambedkar’ in school records by his school teacher.
Higher Education: Ambedkar enrolled at Elphinstone High School, becoming the only person from untouchable castes to do so.
- Ambedkar enrolled at the Elphinstone College after passing his matriculation examination in 1907. He was the first person from his Mahar caste to do so.
- In 1912, he obtained his degree in economics and political science from Bombay University, and decided to get employment with the Baroda state government.
- However, he was awarded a Baroda State Scholarship to carry out postgraduate education at Columbia University in New York City.
Overseas Education: Ambedkar passed his M.A. exam in 1915, majoring in economics, and other subjects of Sociology, History, Philosophy and Anthropology.
- For his second M.A, he presented the National Dividend of India – A Historic and Analytical Study. He also presented a paper Castes in India: Their Mechanism, Genesis and Development.
- Ambedkar was admitted to the Gray’s Inn for Law and also allowed to prepare for the D. Sc. at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
- He obtained his Ph.D. degree on the thesis ‘National dividend for India — A Historic and Analytical Study’.
- He was called to the Bar in 1923 after he submitted his thesis “Problem of Rupee its Origin and Solution”, for the D.Sc. Degree. He later returned to India to serve the state of Baroda.
Fight Against Untouchability: After experiencing caste discrimination during his service, Ambedkar started an Association for the welfare of the depressed classes, with Sir Chimanlal Setalvad.

The Mahad Satyagraha

Mahad Satyagraha or Chavdar Tale Satyagraha was a social reform movement led by Dr B. R. Ambedkar in 1927 to allow untouchables to use water in a public tank in Mahad, Maharashtra.
Dr Ambedkar held a meeting at Mahad in 1927, and later proceeded to the ‘Chowder tank’, where he drank water.
As a response, upper caste members poured pots of cow dung and cow urine as a means to ‘purify’ the tank and make it fit for upper caste consumption.
Ambedkar decided to hold another satyagraha in Mahad but was not given permission as the tank was declared a public property. Ambedkar instead burnt ‘Manu Smriti’ as a token of protest.

Views of Dr BR Ambedkar

Religion: Dr Ambedkar was a staunch opponent of Hinduism and always considered the option of conversion to any other religion.
- Ambedkar also criticised Christianity and Islam, saying it did not offer egalitarian views. He also did not favour Sikhism.
Untouchability: Since untouchability was a defining feature of caste, social reform was possible only through the abolition of caste.
Marxism and Communism: He agreed with Karl Max’s views that the privileged few’s exploitation of the masses perpetuated poverty and its issues.
- However, he believed that cultural aspects of exploitation were as bad or worse than economic exploitation.
- Dr Ambedkar opposed Marxist idea of controlling all the means of production and ending private ownership of property.

Contributions of Dr BR Ambedkar Ambedkar

Fight for Depressed Classes	Separate Electorates: Ambedkar argued for separate electorates and reservations for untouchables and other religious communities in front of the Southborough Committee, which was preparing the Government of India Act 1919. Mahad Satyagraha: He led the Mahad satyagraha to fight for the right of the depressed classes to draw water from the main water tank of the town. Burning of Manusmriti: As part of his protests, Ambedkar publicly burnt the Manusmriti (Laws of Manu) in 1927, for ideologically justifying caste discrimination and “untouchability“. Temple Entry: In 1930, Ambedkar launched the Kalaram Temple movement in Nashik for opening the doors of the temple for depressed classes. Idea of Reservation: During drafting of the constitution, Ambedkar favoured introduction of a system of reservations of jobs in the civil services, schools and colleges for members of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes and Other Backward Class.
Political Participation	COMMUNAL AWARD, 1932: Ambedkar lobbied for getting separate electorates for depressed classes. The British colonial government announced separate electorate for “Depressed Classes” in the McDonald’s Communal Award, 1932. Poona Pact: Mahatma Gandhi undertook a fast in Yerwada Jail to oppose the separate electorate for untouchables, saying it will divide the Hindu Community. After a series of meetings, an agreement known as the Poona Pact was signed between Ambedkar (on behalf of the depressed classes) and Madan Mohan Malaviya (on behalf of the other Hindus). Under the Poona Pact, the Congress Party reserved seats for the depressed classes in the Provincial legislatures within the general electorate. Minister of Labour: Ambedkar formed the formed Independent Labour Party to safeguard the interest of the depressed classes and also served on the Defence Advisory Committee and the Viceroy’s Executive Council as minister of labour. Law Minister: After independence in 1947, Ambedkar got elected to the Constituent Assembly from Bengal and was appointed Law Minister. In 1951, he resigned from his position citing differences on Kashmir issue, India’s Foreign Policy and Nehru’s Policy towards the Hindu Code Bill. Chairman of Drafting Committee of Constitution: Ambedkar was also appointed Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Constitution for the future Republic of India.
Literature	In 1920, Ambedkar started the weekly publication Mooknayak in Mumbai with the help of Shahu of Kolhapur. He also started Bahishkrit Bharat and Equality Janta for the welfare of depressed classes. In 1936, he wrote a book Annihilation of Caste to strongly criticised Hindu orthodox religious leaders and the caste system in general.
Associations	Ambedkar established the Bahishkrit Hitakarini Sabha to promote education and socio-economic improvement, as well as the welfare of depressed class.
Anthropology	Aryan Invasion Theory: Ambedkar rejected the Aryan invasion theory by highlighting the flaws in the theories given by western scholars. He also rejected the view that Aryan homeland was outside India, and concluded the Aryan homeland was India itself.
Economic Contribution	Reserve Bank of India: The core idea of Reserve Bank of India was based on the concept presented by Babasaheb to the Hilton Young Commission. Industrialisation: Ambedkar believed that industrialisation and agricultural growth could enhance the Indian economy and stressed focusing on agriculture as the primary industry of India. Socio-economic Development: Ambedkar wanted India to focus on social development, education, public hygiene, community health, residential facilities as the basic amenities for socio-economic development. Currency Exchange: Ambedkar analysed Indian Rupee’s fall in value in his work *The problem of the Rupee: Its Origin and Solution. He favoured the gold standard and opposed the gold-exchange standard* favoured by Keynes, claiming it was less stable. Taxation: Ambedkar was in opposition to the idea of income tax for low-income groups. Land Revenue Reforms: Ambedkar felt that the caste system, due to its division of labourers and hierarchical nature, prevented movement of labour and movement of capital. Family Planning: He advocated birth control to develop the Indian economy by making better use of resources.

Final Days of Dr BR Ambedkar

Conversion to Buddhism: During the provincial conference of the depressed classes held at Yeola in Nashik District, Ambedkar had said that “I was born in Hinduism but I will not die as a Hindu”.
- In this regard, Ambedkar had been studying various religions of the world before choosing the faith he would be converting to.
- In 1950s, he began devoting his attention to Buddhism and travelled to Sri Lanka to attend a meeting of the World Fellowship of Buddhists.
- He founded the Bharatiya Bauddha Mahasabha, or the Buddhist Society of India and also finished his final work, The Buddha and His Dhamma.
- In 1956, he organised a public ceremony for himself and his supporters in Nagpur for mass conversion. He accepted the Three Refuges and Five Precepts from a Buddhist monk in the traditional manner to accept Buddhism.
Mahaparinirvana: Ambedkar passed away on December 6, 1956. At the “Jagatik Buddhism Council”, he was conferred with the title of “Bodhisattva” by the Buddhist monks.

Honours and Legacy of Dr BR Ambedkar

India’s Greatest Socio-economic Reformer: Ambedkar is termed as India’s greatest socio-economic reformer by uplifting Dalits and backward classes.
Reviving Buddhism: His interest and studies in Buddhism sparked a revival in interest in Buddhist philosophy in India and abroad.
Death Anniversary: Dr B.R. Ambedkar’s death anniversary is observed as Mahaparinirvan Diwas across the country
Bharat Ratna: Dr Ambedkar was posthumously conferred with Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award, in 1990.

Famous Quotes of Dr BR Ambedkar

“Be Educated, Be Organised and Be Agitated”.
“They cannot make history who forget history”.
“Men are mortal. So are ideas. An idea needs propagation as much as a plant needs watering. Otherwise, both will wither and die.”
“If I find the constitution being misused, I shall be the first to burn it”.
“Political tyranny is nothing compared to social tyranny and a reformer who defies society is a more courageous man than a politician who defies Government.”
“I like the religion that teaches liberty, equality and fraternity”.
“Cultivation of mind should be the ultimate aim of human existence”.
“I measure the progress of a community by the degree of progress which women have achieved.”

Conclusion

Dr BR Ambedkar Ambedkar was an exceptional once-in-a-generation scholar whose knowledge of Economics, Politics, Law, Philosophy and Sociology shaped India’s modern society and politics.
Despite having opportunity to settle abroad, he dedicated his life towards equality, brotherhood and humanity, working for the upliftment of the depressed classes.

Must Read
NCERT Notes For UPSC	UPSC Daily Current Affairs
UPSC Blogs	UPSC Daily Editorials

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Frequently Asked Questions

The statue of social justice is the tallest Ambedkar statue in the world

Statue of Social Justice is located in Smriti Vanam, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh.

Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar was an Indian polymath, economist, statesman, social reformer and the father of the Indian Constitution.

Dr Ambedkar launched the Kalaram Temple movement in Nashik for opening the doors of the temple for depressed classes.

The core idea of Reserve Bank of India was based on the concept presented by Babasaheb to the Hilton Young Commission.

Dr Ambedkar was posthumously conferred with Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, in 1990.

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Statue of Social Justice: World’s Tallest BR Ambedkar Bronze Statue

Context

About Statue of Social Justice or Dr. BR Ambedkar Smriti Vanam

Life of Dr BR Ambedkar Ambedkar

The Mahad Satyagraha

Views of Dr BR Ambedkar

Contributions of Dr BR Ambedkar Ambedkar

Fight for Depressed Classes

Political Participation

Literature

Associations

Anthropology

Economic Contribution

Final Days of Dr BR Ambedkar

Honours and Legacy of Dr BR Ambedkar

Famous Quotes of Dr BR Ambedkar

Conclusion

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the ‘Statue of Social Justice’?

Where is the ‘Statue of Social Justice’ located?

Who was Dr BR Ambedkar Ambedkar?

What was Dr BR Ambedkar Ambedkar’s role in Social Justice?

What is the major Economic Contribution of Dr BR Ambedkar Ambedkar?

When was Dr BR Ambedkar Ambedkar honoured with Bharat Ratna?

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