Mysuru: “Dr. B.R. Ambedkar stood for women’s education and equality. As a Labour Minister in the Viceroy Executive Council during 1940s he was instrumental in passing ’Mines Maternity Benefit Bill’ for women all over India,” said Prof. M.S. Shekar, Director, Centre for Gandhian Studies, University of Mysore .

He was speaking at Dr. Ambedkar’s 128th birth anniversary celebrations, organised by Basudev Somani College at its premises here recently and said, “Under this Act, a woman working in the mine is entitled to maternity benefit for a period of 8 weeks. And he conceptualised equal pay for equal work irrespective of the sex.”

Dr. Ambedkar insisted on the education of girls. He strongly believed that if a boy gets education, he is the only person to get educated in a family. Perhaps, if a girl child is educated in a family, the whole family is benefited. Furthermore, Ambedkar, who was the architect of the Hindu Code Bill which advocated property rights, adoption rights, widow remarriage even went on to resign from the post of Law Minister when he understood the inability of Nehru Cabinet to pass the Bill, he said.

Even though Ambedkar suffered discrimination by the people of upper caste, we should also look at the flipside as it was a Brahmin teacher who mentored Ambedkar, who also gave his surname, he added.

Dr. Bhargavi D. Hemmige, Media Faculty, at SBRR Mahajana College said that such celebrations become meaningful only when we understand, emulate and get inspired by people like Ambedkar.

Ambedkar founded and edited, five newspapers — Mook Nayak, Bahiskrit Bharat, Samata, Prabuddha Bharat and Janata and the very titles speak about the objectives of the papers. Ambedkar during his last days regretted that journalism which in India was once a service had become a trade, she said.

Women in India should remember and thank Babasaheb Ambedkar for Article 14, which gave equal rights and opportunities in political, economic and social spheres, Article 15 and 15 (3) which enables affirmative discrimination in favour of women, Article 42 which gives maternity benefits and finally, Article 243D (3), 243T (3) & 243R (4) which provides for the allocation of seats in the Panchayat Raj System. But it is unfortunate that we are yet to get 33 percent reservation in State Assembly and Parliament, she noted.

Managing Trustee Dr. M. Puttaswamy told the students to be good citizens and pursue excellence. Dr. M. Mahadevaiah presided. Faculty and students lighted candles as a mark of respect to Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, according to a release.