BR Ambedkar death anniversary: Inspiring quotes by Babasaheb

December 6 marks the death anniversary of BR Ambedkar, one of India's most prominent social reformers and the leader of the Drafting Committee of the Constitution of India. He is remembered for his fight against untouchability and struggle for the empowerment of Dalits. Political leaders and the people are paying tributes to him today. On this occasion, we look back on famous quotes, including those from his influential Annihilation of Caste speech. 

1) "An ideal society should be mobile, should be full of channels for conveying a change taking place in one part to other parts. In an ideal society there should be many interests consciously communicated and shared. There should be varied and free points of contact with other modes of association. In other words there should be social endosmosis. This is fraternity, which is only another name for democracy."

2) "Political tyranny is nothing compared to the social tyranny and a reformer, who defies society is a more courageous man than a politician who defies Government."

3) "For a successful revolution it is not enough that there is discontent. What is required is a profound and thorough conviction of the justice, necessity and importance of political and social rights."

4) "Unlike a drop of water which loses its identity when it joins the ocean, man does not lose his being in the society in which he lives. Man's life is independent. He is born not for the development of the society alone, but for the development of his self."

5) "Be educated, be organized and be agitated."

6) "I measure the progress of a community by the degree of progress which women have achieved.”

7) "Humans are mortal. So are ideas. An idea needs propagation as much as a plant needs watering. Otherwise both will wither and die."

8) “I do not want that our loyalty as Indians should be in the slightest way affected by any competitive loyalty whether that loyalty arises out of our religion, out of our culture or out of our language.
I want all people to be Indians first, Indian last and nothing else but Indians.”

9) "I like the religion that teaches liberty, equality and fraternity."

10) "So long as you do not achieve social liberty, whatever freedom is provided by the law is of no avail to you."