Phule and Ambedkar

In some of India’s darkest hours, only Mahatma Jyotirao Phule and Dr. B. R. Ambedkar could have accomplished what they did. Social reform is never easy—standing up to the majority and confronting entrenched oppression requires an extraordinary courage.

When I reflect on Jyotiba Phule and Babasaheb Ambedkar in our own times, I am filled with awe and inspiration. They opened the doors of education for people like me—and for countless others.

But their legacy isn’t just about schooling; it’s about asserting your own dignity and rights. As India continues to simmer with hatred, the memory of these heroes must not only endure but their lessons must be shared throughout India—and indeed, around the world.

We must also remember Savitribai Phule for her pioneering work in women’s education. To do justice to the contributions of these three visionaries would require far more than a single post.

Social reform in nineteenth-century India was an immense challenge. Yet today’s technological advances rest on that very foundation. We owe a debt of gratitude to the land that produced champions like Phule and Ambedkar—and I count it a privilege simply to have gone to school and to have studied a variety of subjects.

In modern India, where prejudice still runs rampant, many decry reservation policies as an affront to “merit.” These critics—have they paused to consider the centuries of oppression that granted some a head start, while condemning millions to poverty?

Education is a fundamental right—for everyone, without exception. Every human being deserves the opportunity to learn and to enrich themselves with knowledge.