B. R. Ambedkar: The Man Who Gave Hope to India's Dispossessed (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781526173584)

A household name throughout India, B. R. Ambedkar is one of the country's most important figures, second only to Mahatma Gandhi. He played a major role in drafting the constitution for a newly independent India and led the fight against caste-based discrimination.

Ambedkar was born into a Dalit caste (the so-called 'untouchables'), but his academic brilliance saw him study at Columbia University and London School of Economics. As a politician, he fought to overturn centuries of discrimination and promoted liberal constitutionalism in a traditionally illiberal society. He did more than anyone to articulate a cogent and enduring case for the principles of democracy in a country emerging from imperial rule.

This book is also a reminder of how far the practice of politics has strayed from the high standards Ambedkar set - of intellectual distinction, policy positions animated by serious scholarship, the infusion of moral values and the upholding of democracy for the many, not just the privileged few.

Author: Shashi Tharoor
ISBN-10: 1526173581
ISBN-13: 9781526173584
Publisher: Manchester University Press
Language: English
Published: 05/02/2023
Pages: 248
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.05lbs
Size: 8.58h x 5.35w x 1.10d

Review Citation(s):
Choice 03/01/2024