Week 7: Pavitra Naidu




Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s 129th birthday witnessed countless workers, majority from SC/STs and OBCs crossing borders on foot in dire conditions, when whole of India was in state of a lock-down. They were sprayed upon like non-livings beings, in an attempt to ‘sanitize’ them and once again we could see the practice of untouchability re-surfacing. Even during a pandemic, Indians (government authorities and a large number of consenting population) fell back in the trap of the caste system and did not refrain from debasing other human beings.  


Ambedkar as a Feminist

 Ambedkar was a man ahead of his time and his ideals are testament to the same. He always envisioned a free and equal India, with no caste discrimination and no sexism. He tried approaching the problem of empowerment through changing the script that surrounds women in society, for this script perpetuates discrimination and weakens them. By burning old Hindu texts, Ambedkar wanted to do away with the dis-empowering way women were addressed in our Indian society. He wanted to replace them with strong tales of women who were courageous. He did this to inspire women to take hold of their lives.

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