I was walking home from class. While I was walking, I noticed that my Crocs were broken. Then, I went to the cobbler-which was on my way home. And a strange thing I noticed was on every cobbler's shop, there was a picture of a man wearing glasses.
I asked my mother-Who is that man on every cobbler's shop, and my mother said: This man is B R Ambedkar.
So today I learned that he was India's first law minister.
He was born in a poor family, in a low caste called Maahars and he had 14 brothers and sisters.
Here are some stories about B R Ambedkar which I copied from the internet.
Two brothers who were studying at school went to see their father. They alighted at the Masur Railway Station, engaged a cart and continued their journey. They went some distance; then the cart driver came to know that they belonged the Mahar cast. He at once stopped the cart and raised one end of it; the poor boys tumbled down and fell on the ground. He shouted at them and scolded them as he pleased.
It was afternoon. The boys were thirsty. They begged for water but no one would give them a drop. Hours passed. Still no one gave them water. They were not allowed even to go near tanks and wells.
The younger brother’s name was Bhimrao Ambedkar.
One day Bhim felt unbearable thirst. He drank water from a well. Someone noticed it. A few people gathered and beat the boy mercilessly. The boy had to get his hair cut. Even a barber who used to cut the hair of a buffalo would not touch the boy’s hair.
On another day, the boy was going to school. It was raining heavily. He took shelter near the wall of a house. The lade of the house saw this. She was very angry. She pushed him into the rain. The boy fell into the muddy water. All his books fell into the water too. In this way, again and again, the young boy was humiliated. The boy had not committed any sin. But he was born into the Mahar caste. It was the belief of many Hindus that this caste is low and those born in this caste should not be touched by others. Like the people of the Mahar caste, people of many other castes are called 'untouchables' and have suffered for hundreds of years.
Of all his brothers and sisters, only Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar studied well enough to pass his exams and go to high school. After he became a great and well known man, he worked for the poor and suffering people who suffered like him.
In India, some people call cobblers 'Low Castes' and this is why they have Ambedkar as their symbol of hope on their cobbler shop.
I asked my mother-Who is that man on every cobbler's shop, and my mother said: This man is B R Ambedkar.
So today I learned that he was India's first law minister.
He was born in a poor family, in a low caste called Maahars and he had 14 brothers and sisters.
Here are some stories about B R Ambedkar which I copied from the internet.
Two brothers who were studying at school went to see their father. They alighted at the Masur Railway Station, engaged a cart and continued their journey. They went some distance; then the cart driver came to know that they belonged the Mahar cast. He at once stopped the cart and raised one end of it; the poor boys tumbled down and fell on the ground. He shouted at them and scolded them as he pleased.
It was afternoon. The boys were thirsty. They begged for water but no one would give them a drop. Hours passed. Still no one gave them water. They were not allowed even to go near tanks and wells.
The younger brother’s name was Bhimrao Ambedkar.
One day Bhim felt unbearable thirst. He drank water from a well. Someone noticed it. A few people gathered and beat the boy mercilessly. The boy had to get his hair cut. Even a barber who used to cut the hair of a buffalo would not touch the boy’s hair.
On another day, the boy was going to school. It was raining heavily. He took shelter near the wall of a house. The lade of the house saw this. She was very angry. She pushed him into the rain. The boy fell into the muddy water. All his books fell into the water too. In this way, again and again, the young boy was humiliated. The boy had not committed any sin. But he was born into the Mahar caste. It was the belief of many Hindus that this caste is low and those born in this caste should not be touched by others. Like the people of the Mahar caste, people of many other castes are called 'untouchables' and have suffered for hundreds of years.
Of all his brothers and sisters, only Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar studied well enough to pass his exams and go to high school. After he became a great and well known man, he worked for the poor and suffering people who suffered like him.
In India, some people call cobblers 'Low Castes' and this is why they have Ambedkar as their symbol of hope on their cobbler shop.
Very Interesting Ishaan! Funny that I have lived in Bangalore more than 30 years, and have seen that picture so often, and always thought the man looked like one of my uncles. I only knew that his name was Ambedkar, and nothing else.
ReplyDeleteI learnt something from you today. Thanks!!
Cobblers in Goa have his picture? Must check. That was a great article Ishaan. You have captured the plight of the low caste people so beautifully that it makes me want to help them get justice. Anytime you want to watch a documentary on Ambedkarji, please do come visit us and borrow the CD.
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