Google has celebrated the birth of one of the leading figures in the Indian freedom movement with a special doodle to commemorate the birthday of Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar.
Born in 1891, BR Ambedkar became an Indian jurist, economist and politician who was in charge of the drafting of the constitution of the Indian republic.
The Google homepage picture, 124 years after his birth, pays tribute to a figure who was credited with fighting for a free India and for the rights of persecuted classes within the state, including the dalits or “untouchables”.
The son of an army officer, he was born in the town of Mhow, then in the Central Provinces of British India. He became a keen student with encouragement from his father and later became known for his academic achievements.
Through his life, Ambedkar received doctorates from Columbia University and the London School of Economics. Popularly known as Babasaheb, he is described as being one of India’s first great economic thinkers. When he returned from England, he started to campaign against discrimination and organised marches.
He worked with Mahatma Gandhi to ensure all people were treated as equal parts of the electorate and was asked to be the first law minister in the newly independent country.
Following his death in 1956, a number of universities in India were named after the social campaigner. He converted to Buddhism in the same year as his death, prompting many dalits to follow him.
