DR. BABA SAHEB AMBEDKAR'S STRUGGLED FOR UPLIFTMENT OF INDIAN WOMEN

Dr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar’s struggled for uplifment of Indian women and their right to equality

Jai Bheem to all!

      Bharat Ratna Dr.B.R.Ambedkar ji was the greatest champion of women’s right to equality, the women’s right to dignified life and status in the society. He wanted to reform Hindu society in such a way that the women gets her due place in the society and her right to equality and freedom is perfectly protected under the Law of the Land.

            Under Manusmruti (Symbol of inequality and injustice), the code of Manu, which has always been treated by Hindu sages and commentators from the earliest times, as of paramount authority and under various other Hindu scriptures, women had no right o knowledge and property. She had no right to study Vedas. She had no knowledge of religion because she had no right to know vedas. She was completely deprived the rights of self-development. Without knowledge she was help less . She had no independent economic status. Whatever she earned belong to her husband. Economic dependence debarred her to perform any religious rites, as she had no right to owe wealth. Manu smruti treated women even less than any animal.

            As the Sudras and the anti-sudras were deprived of all avenues of there self-development and were made slaves of the Hindu social orders of this country. Similarly the women of this country were also neglected, deprived and were treated like slaves in the system. All the sudras, anti-sudras and Hindu women were at par at the socio-religious standing under the code of Manu. After Buddha and Jyothiba phule- savitri bai, it was Babasaheb Dr.Ambedkar, maseeha of the  millions and billions of the oppressed and exploited people of this land, who took up the case of women’s liberation from the age old, heinous, torturous and discriminatory social system of the Hindu scriptures, Including Manu smriti, Dr.Ambedkar through his Hindu code bill took up and initiative for liberation of Hindu women for the cultures of unjust, biased and discriminatory laws of Hindu society. For that purpose he worked hard and prepared a draft for Hindu code bill. His focus of attention of this bill was his pragmatic approach to reorganize and restructure and reform the patriarchal family for repairing the dilapidated, Indian society namely women. Basically, the main objective of the Hindu code bill was not only to codify the rules of Hindu laws, created, prescribed, contained and recognized by nearly 137 smritis, but to liberate the Hindu women from the slavery of custom, traditions, rituals and raise the status of Hindu women In the society equal to that of men. Dr.Ambedkar wanted to uplift the status of women through comprehensive Hindu code bill. This was the pioneer work to improve the status of women by granting fundamental rights to all the citizens irrespective of caste, creed, race and sex.

                 The bill would have totally and successfully revolutionized the life of Hindu women but for the protagonists of orthodox Hindu social order of manu, opposed the bill and they said Hindu code bill could shutter the magnificent of Hindu culture of stultify a dynamic and catholic way of life that had wonderfully adopted to changes for centuries. Another stenches orthodox supporter of discriminatory Hindu social order had also opposed the bill saying that “the very fiber of the Hindu society could be weakened”. Many other organizations of Hindu women also opposed the bill without knowing the contents of the bill. Though Hindu code bill could not be passed as a whole the same was split and later on passed in four different Acts. Dr. Ambedkar as an architect of Indian constitution through article 14, 15,16,39 & 325, all together, have given Indian women all opportunities of equality before law, equal protection of all equal protection, equal opportunities in the matter of employment and there shall be no discrimination on the grounds of sex. Thus, restrictions imposed upon their freedom by Manusmriti and other Hindu religious scriptures, were totally removed, shackles of bondage of rituals, slavery of customs and tradition were totally blown up into pieces through the Indian constitution. Now, Indian women can join police, administration, army, navy and air force, ETC. thus women could join any service of the state and central government to contribute her share of national development. There is no bar on her entry into politics, social service, arts, culture, diplomacy. She has proved her capability an talents during the Last 64 years .i.e. after the passing of constitution of India on 26^th January 1950. As such this credit goes to Dr.B.R.Ambedkar’s contribution for upliftment and liberation of Indian women.