Life story · Chapter 13 of 13

1956–today

Legacy

How a movement, a religion and a nation remember Babasaheb

The Statue of Social Justice, a giant statue of Ambedkar in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh. Photographed in 2024.
The Statue of Social Justice, a giant statue of Ambedkar in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh. Photographed in 2024. — Photo: Mr Nerd 96 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Dr. Ambedkar died only weeks after starting the biggest change of his life. Yet his work did not stop. His followers kept his party, his religion and his campaigns going. Over the decades his ideas spread through politics, literature, law and universities, in India and abroad.

Columbia University’s timeline puts it simply: he “remains a symbolic presence and rallying point for Dalits”, both those who became Buddhists and those who did not 1. (Dalit, meaning “broken” or “oppressed”, is the name many communities once called “untouchable” chose for themselves.)

A new party: the Republican Party of India

On 13 October 1956, the day before his conversion, Dr. Ambedkar told journalists he wanted to start a new political party called the Republican Party. It would be open to everyone who accepted three principles: liberty, equality and fraternity 2. On 4 December 1956, two days before he died, he wrote to Maharashtra leaders P. K. Atre and S. M. Joshi, inviting them to join it 2.

After his death his followers formed the Republican Party of India (RPI) in 1957 2. His biographer Dhananjay Keer was critical. He wrote that it was mostly the old Scheduled Castes Federation under a new name, that no major leader from other communities joined, and that it soon split into factions 2.

Bhim Janmabhoomi, the memorial at Dr. Ambedkar's birthplace in Dr. Ambedkar Nagar (Mhow), Madhya Pradesh. Photographed in 2020.
Bhim Janmabhoomi, the memorial at Dr. Ambedkar's birthplace in Dr. Ambedkar Nagar (Mhow), Madhya Pradesh. Photographed in 2020.Photo: Shraddha rahul waghmare · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

The Buddhist movement keeps growing

Conversions continued after 1956. His book The Buddha and His Dhamma was published in 1957 3. It became like a gospel for the new Buddhists. The scholar-monk Bhadant Anand Kausalyayan translated it into Hindi in 1961 4.

India’s 2011 Census counted about 84.4 lakh (8.44 million) Buddhists. About 65.3 lakh of them lived in Maharashtra, where the 1956 conversions began 5.

Every year on Dussehra, Ambedkarite Buddhists gather at Deekshabhoomi in Nagpur for Dhammachakra Pravartan Din (“the day the wheel of the Dhamma was set turning again”). In 2024 it was celebrated for the 68th time 6.

Dalit Panthers and a new literature

In the 1960s a new wave of Dalit writing grew in Marathi, and young readers turned to authors such as Anna Bhau Sathe and Baburao Bagul. In 1972, young Ambedkarite Buddhists in Bombay, many of them poets, formed the Dalit Panther. Its founders included Namdeo Dhasal, J. V. Pawar and Raja Dhale, and its aim was to fight atrocities against Dalits 7.

Co-founder J. V. Pawar dates its launch to 29 May 1972. He wrote that Dr. Ambedkar “was standing on the shoulders of Buddha and Krantiba Jotiba Phule”, and that the movement after his death rested on the foundation he had built 8. Dhasal’s poetry book Golpitha, published around the same time, is now seen as a milestone in Marathi literature 7.

The house at 10 King Henry's Road, Primrose Hill, London, now known as Ambedkar House, where Ambedkar lived while studying in London. Photographed in 2021.
The house at 10 King Henry's Road, Primrose Hill, London, now known as Ambedkar House, where Ambedkar lived while studying in London. Photographed in 2021.Photo: Spudgun67 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Namantar: a university takes his name

In 1978 a campaign began to rename Marathwada University after Dr. Ambedkar. It was called the Namantar (“renaming”) movement. Some groups opposed to the change attacked the campaigners, and a memorial in Nagpur remembers 27 activists who were killed 9.

After 16 years, on 14 January 1994, a compromise was reached. The institution became Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, adding his name instead of replacing the old one 9.

His words, collected at last

For years most of his writings were hard to find. Many were unpublished typescripts and handwritten drafts found among his papers 10. On 14 April 1979 the Education Department of the Government of Maharashtra began publishing Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar: Writings and Speeches (BAWS). Volume 1 was compiled by Vasant Moon 11 12.

The series grew slowly over two decades. For example, Volume 14 first appeared in 1995 and Volume 16 in 1998 13 14. The Dr. Ambedkar Foundation of the central government has reprinted the set, and published Hindi volumes in 2019 15. By 2003 the collected works had been translated into 11 Indian languages 16.

The blue plaque at 10 King Henry's Road, London, which reads that Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, "Indian crusader for social justice", lived there in 1921–1922. Photographed in 2021.
The blue plaque at 10 King Henry's Road, London, which reads that Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, "Indian crusader for social justice", lived there in 1921–1922. Photographed in 2021.Photo: Spudgun67 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Bharat Ratna, 1990

In 1990, more than thirty years after his death, India gave him the Bharat Ratna, its highest civilian award 17.

Memorials: the Panchteerth

The central government calls five places linked to his life the Panchteerth (“five places of pilgrimage”). In 2018 it listed them as: his birthplace at Mhow (Madhya Pradesh); Deekshabhoomi in Nagpur; the house in London where he lived as a student; the Mahaparinirvan Bhoomi at 26 Alipur Road, Delhi; and Chaitya Bhoomi in Mumbai 18.

  • Deekshabhoomi, Nagpur. A large stupa stands on the conversion ground. It was inaugurated on 18 December 2001 by President K. R. Narayanan 19.
  • Chaitya Bhoomi, Mumbai. The memorial at his cremation site in Dadar draws lakhs of visitors every 6 December 20.
  • 26 Alipur Road, Delhi. Dedicated to the nation in 2003. A new memorial shaped like an open book, in honour of his role in drafting the Constitution, opened on 13 April 2018 16 18.
  • London. The Dr. Ambedkar Memorial at King Henry’s Road, which the Prime Minister called the place where Dr. Ambedkar “pursued his quest for knowledge”, was inaugurated on 14 November 2015 21.
  • Mhow. His birthplace in Madhya Pradesh is part of the same list 18.

In Delhi, the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre at 15 Janpath, with a library and research centre, opened on 7 December 2017 22.

On 25 September 1973 the Dr Ambedkar Memorial Committee of Great Britain presented a portrait of Ambedkar, painted by G. S. Nagdeva, to the London School of Economics. Those shown include Professor Arthur John, D. A. Clarke, M. Rasgotra, Sir Walter Adams and Ven. Dr H. Saddhatissa.
On 25 September 1973 the Dr Ambedkar Memorial Committee of Great Britain presented a portrait of Ambedkar, painted by G. S. Nagdeva, to the London School of Economics. Those shown include Professor Arthur John, D. A. Clarke, M. Rasgotra, Sir Walter Adams and Ven. Dr H. Saddhatissa.Photo: LSE Library (photographer unknown) · No known copyright restrictions (Flickr Commons) · Wikimedia Commons

Giant statues

Statues of Dr. Ambedkar stand in towns and cities all over India. Columbia’s timeline notes they often “become sites of political struggle” 1. Recent ones are enormous:

  • Hyderabad (2023). A 125-foot statue on a 50-foot pedestal beside Hussain Sagar lake, unveiled on 14 April 2023 by Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao 23.
  • Vijayawada (2024). The “Statue of Social Justice”: a 125-foot bronze statue on an 81-foot base, 206 feet in all, unveiled on 19 January 2024 by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy 24.
  • Maryland, USA (2023). A 19-foot “Statue of Equality” by sculptor Ram Sutar, unveiled on 14 October 2023 near Washington, D.C. 25.

Honoured around the world

Columbia University, where he studied, gave him an honorary doctorate in 1952. It called him “one of India’s leading citizens—a great social reformer and a valiant upholder of human rights” 10. Columbia installed a bust of him in 1995, and held a conference on caste and his legacy in 2009 1. India has sent research students on study tours to Columbia and to the London School of Economics, where he also studied 18.

The United Nations marked his birth anniversary for the first time on 13 April 2016, at an event in New York on fighting inequality. The UNDP head, Helen Clark, called him “an icon for marginalised people in India and in other countries”, according to the news agency PTI 26. India’s mission in Geneva held a similar event on 14 April 2016 17.

Others have followed. British Columbia in Canada declared 14 April 2021 “Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Equality Day” 27. New York City proclaimed 14 April 2025 “Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar Day” 28.

A bronze bust of Ambedkar outside the Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar Memorial (Ambedkar House) in London, photographed on 14 November 2015.
A bronze bust of Ambedkar outside the Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar Memorial (Ambedkar House) in London, photographed on 14 November 2015.Photo: Prime Minister's Office, Government of India (via PIB) · GODL-India (Government Open Data License – India) · Wikimedia Commons

Ambedkar Jayanti, 14 April

His birthday, 14 April, is celebrated as Ambedkar Jayanti or Bhim Jayanti, with huge processions 1. Keer records that Maharashtra declared it a public holiday under Chief Minister Yashwantrao Chavan 2. India’s mission to the UN in Geneva describes it today as a public holiday 17.

His influence on law and society

  • The Constitution and reservations. As chief drafter, he helped write a Constitution that abolished untouchability and banned discrimination. He also won support for reserved places in government jobs, schools and colleges for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other backward classes 17.
  • Labour law. As Labour Member in the Government of India, on 21 February 1946 he moved a bill to cut the factory working week from 54 to 48 hours in factories that worked all year 29.
  • Women’s rights. He also moved changes to maternity benefits for women working in mines 30. As Law Minister he drafted the Hindu Code Bill, which “included greatly expanded rights for women”, and resigned in 1951 when it was not backed 10.
  • Anti-caste movements worldwide. In February 2023 Seattle became the first city in the United States to ban caste discrimination. Ambedkarite groups welcomed the move, while some Hindu American groups opposed it 31.
The Mooktibhoomi memorial at Yeola, Maharashtra, at the site of Ambedkar's 1935 conference. Photographed in 2019.
The Mooktibhoomi memorial at Yeola, Maharashtra, at the site of Ambedkar's 1935 conference. Photographed in 2019.Photo: Sandesh Hiwale (संदेश हिवाळे) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Why his work is still scattered

Even today, reading Dr. Ambedkar is not simple. In 2026 the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment set Smart India Hackathon problem SIH26096. It asks students to build an AI-powered digital archive of his life and work. Its background says that his writings, speeches, constitutional debates and manuscripts are:

“spread across libraries, memorials, archives, and fragmented digital sources, making them difficult to access and preserve.”

— Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Smart India Hackathon 2026 brief SIH26096 32

Our own research for this website shows why:

  • His papers were split up. Some manuscripts reached the Maharashtra government only in 1979, from the Administrator General of Maharashtra 33 34. Another typed outline was held by the People’s Education Society in Bombay 35.
  • Some books were never finished. Editors had to rebuild Buddha or Karl Marx from three typed copies, and could find only parts of Revolution and Counter-Revolution 36.
  • Pieces went missing. The preface he wrote for The Buddha and His Dhamma was left out of the 1957 book. Keer called this “a mystery”, and the full text appeared only later 2 37.
  • Many speeches were in Marathi, such as his Nagpur speech of 15 October 1956, so English readers depend on different translations (see chapter 10) 38.

This website is one attempt to bring these scattered pieces together in one place, with a link to the source of every fact.

Where sources disagree

  • Dalit Panther founding date. J. V. Pawar gives 29 May 1972. Other accounts say “around June–July 1972” and note “a fair bit of controversy” over the exact date 8 7.
  • When BAWS volumes first appeared. Most reprinted volumes print “First Edition … 14 April, 1979”, the start date of the series. But Columbia gives 1992 for Volume 11, and Volumes 14 and 16 print 1995 and 1998 39 40 14.
  • Which five places are the Panchteerth. A 2017 government release listed the Indu Mill memorial site in Mumbai instead of Chaitya Bhoomi; the 2018 release lists Chaitya Bhoomi 22 18.
  • “World’s tallest” statue. Both the Hyderabad and Vijayawada statues are 125 feet tall. Vijayawada is taller overall because of its 81-foot base, against Hyderabad’s 50-foot pedestal 23 24.
  • Wording of the SIH26096 brief. The brief says “spread across”, not “scattered across”, as it is sometimes paraphrased 32.

Read more

Sources

  1. Columbia University – Pritchett timeline, “since then” franpritchett.com ↗ ↩
  2. Keer, Dr. Ambedkar: Life and Mission, 3rd ed., p. 498 archive.org ↗ ↩
  3. BAWS Vol. 11, title page Read this page on the site · Official PDF ↗ ↩
  4. BAWS Vol. 11, Vasant Moon’s preface, pp. vii–viii Read this page on the site · Official PDF ↗ ↩
  5. Pew Research Center – 2011 Census counts by state pewresearch.org ↗ ↩
  6. The Hitavada, 12 October 2024 thehitavada.com ↗ ↩
  7. The Quint – “50 Years On, Legacy of Dalit Panther…” thequint.com ↗ ↩
  8. Forward Press – J. V. Pawar, “The day when they said ‘enough is enough’…” forwardpress.in ↗ ↩
  9. Scroll – “Why the 16-year campaign to rename Marathwada University after BR Ambedkar still matters” (2026) scroll.in ↗ ↩
  10. Columbia University – Pritchett timeline, 1950s franpritchett.com ↗ ↩
  11. BAWS Vol. 1, front matter Read this page on the site · Official PDF ↗ ↩
  12. BAWS Vol. 1, publication details Read this page on the site · Official PDF ↗ ↩
  13. BAWS Vol. 14 Part 1, front matter Read this page on the site · Official PDF ↗ ↩
  14. BAWS Vol. 16, front matter Read this page on the site · Official PDF ↗ ↩
  15. BAWS Vol. 17 Part 3, front matter Read this page on the site · Official PDF ↗ ↩
  16. PIB, 2 December 2003 archive.pib.gov.in ↗ ↩
  17. Permanent Mission of India to the UN, Geneva pmindiaun.gov.in ↗ ↩
  18. PIB, 13 April 2018 pib.gov.in ↗ ↩
  19. Deekshabhoomi official website deekshabhoomi.org ↗ ↩
  20. Forward Press forwardpress.in ↗ ↩
  21. PIB, 14 November 2015 pib.gov.in ↗ ↩
  22. PIB, 7 December 2017 pib.gov.in ↗ ↩
  23. DT Next, 14 April 2023 dtnext.in ↗ ↩
  24. The South First thesouthfirst.com ↗ ↩
  25. DT Next / PTI, 15 October 2023 dtnext.in ↗ ↩
  26. The Quint / PTI, 14 April 2016 thequint.com ↗ ↩
  27. The Sentinel, 12 April 2021 sentinelassam.com ↗ ↩
  28. The Tribune, 15 April 2025 tribuneindia.com ↗ ↩
  29. BAWS Vol. 10, p. 326 Read this page on the site · Official PDF ↗ ↩
  30. BAWS Vol. 10, p. 87 Read this page on the site · Official PDF ↗ ↩
  31. Scroll, 22 February 2023 scroll.in ↗ ↩
  32. SIH26096 problem statement (copy of the official listing) zaidsayyed.in ↗ ↩
  33. BAWS Vol. 17 Part 2, p. 96 Read this page on the site · Official PDF ↗ ↩
  34. BAWS Vol. 16 Read this page on the site · Official PDF ↗ ↩
  35. BAWS Vol. 12, p. 77 Read this page on the site · Official PDF ↗ ↩
  36. BAWS Vol. 3, pp. 149 and 439 Read this page on the site · Official PDF ↗ ↩
  37. Columbia University – unpublished preface franpritchett.com ↗ ↩
  38. BAWS Vol. 17 Part 3, p. 533 Read this page on the site · Official PDF ↗ ↩
  39. BAWS Vol. 11, front matter Read this page on the site · Official PDF ↗ ↩
  40. Columbia – editor’s introduction franpritchett.com ↗ ↩

Key dates in this chapter

  1. The Scheduled Castes Federation is turned into the Republican Party of India, as he had planned source
  2. The Buddha and His Dhamma is published in Bombay Writings & Speeches
  3. Dalit Panther launched in Bombay (date given by co-founder J. V. Pawar; others give a later date) source
  4. Namantar (renaming) movement for Marathwada University begins source
  5. Government of Maharashtra begins publishing Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar: Writings and Speeches Writings & Speeches
  6. Awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour, after his death source
  7. Marathwada University renamed Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University source
  8. Stupa at Deekshabhoomi, Nagpur, inaugurated by President K. R. Narayanan source
  9. 26 Alipur Road, Delhi, dedicated to the nation source
  10. Dr. Ambedkar Memorial at King Henry's Road, London, inaugurated source
  11. First observance of his birth anniversary at UN Headquarters, New York source
  12. Dr. Ambedkar International Centre opens at 15 Janpath, New Delhi source
  13. Dr. Ambedkar National Memorial opens at 26 Alipur Road source
  14. British Columbia, Canada, marks Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Equality Day source
  15. Seattle becomes the first US city to ban caste discrimination source
  16. 125-foot statue unveiled beside Hussain Sagar, Hyderabad source
  17. 19-foot 'Statue of Equality' unveiled in Accokeek, Maryland, USA source
  18. 'Statue of Social Justice' (125-foot statue on an 81-foot base) unveiled in Vijayawada source
  19. New York City proclaims 'Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar Day' source
  20. Smart India Hackathon brief SIH26096 (Ministry of Social Justice) calls for a digital archive of his scattered works source
See the full timeline →
Cite this page

“Legacy: How a movement, a religion and a nation remember Babasaheb.” Prabuddha Pathak — Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, in his own words, prabuddhapathak.com. https://prabuddhapathak.com/life/legacy/

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