Mahaparinirvan Diwas: Dr B. R. Ambedkar’s final speech in Constituent Assembly

Babasaheb Ambedkar. File Pic

Mahaparinirvan Diwas is observed on December 6 every year to mark the death anniversary of the chief architect of India's Constitution, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.

He was also an eminent thinker, social reformer, and economist who inspired and helmed the Dalit, Buddhist movement.

In Buddhism, parinirvana means nirvana-after-death and is linked to someone who has attained nirvana during their lifetime. It implies release from the world and rebirth.

Dr Ambedkar died in his sleep on December 6, 1956 at his home in Delhi. A Buddhist ceremony was organised at Mumbai's Dadar chowpatty (Chaitya Bhoomi) on December 7, 1956, which was attended by lakhs of Buddhists and Ambedkar followers.

Chaitya Bhoomi began to be known as a revered place of pilgrimage after Babasaheb was cremated there. Scores of Buddhists and followers of Ambedkar pay their respects at Chaitya Bhoomi every year on December 6.

Dr Ambedkar is hailed as an emancipator and liberator by his followers in not just India but across the world.

On his death anniversary, here are excerpts from his final speech in the Constituent Assembly.

Constitution depends on those who work for it

"…however good a Constitution may be, it is sure to turn out bad because those who are called to work it, happen to be a bad lot. However bad a Constitution may be, it may turn out to be good if those who are called to work it, happen to be a good lot.

…The Constitution can provide only the organs of State such as the Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary. The factors on which the working of those organs of the State depends are the people and the political parties they will set up as their instruments to carry out their wishes and their politics."

The perils of placing creed over nation

"…not only India has once before lost her independence, but she lost it by the infidelity and treachery of some of her own people."

"Will history repeat itself? It is this thought which fills me with anxiety. This anxiety is deepened by the realization of the fact that in addition to our old enemies in the form of castes and creeds we are going to have many political parties with diverse and opposing political creeds.

Will Indian place the country above their creed or will they place creed above country?

I do not know. But this much is certain that if the parties place creed above country, our independence will be put in jeopardy a second time and probably be lost for ever. This eventuality we must all resolutely guard against. We must be determined to defend our independence with the last drop of our blood."

Equality, liberty, fraternity…

"Political democracy cannot last unless there lies at the base of…social democracy. What does social democracy mean? It means a way of life which recognizes liberty, equality and fraternity as the principles of life…

…They form a union of trinity in the sense that to divorce one from the other is to defeat the very purpose of democracy …

Without equality, liberty would produce the supremacy of the few over the many.

Without fraternity, liberty would produce the supremacy of the few over the many.

Without fraternity, liberty and equality could not become a natural course of things. It would require a constable to enforce them."