Title: Celebrating the 129th anniversary of the birth of Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar.
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
This resolution celebrates the life and accomplishments of Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, an Indian politician and jurist who campaigned against social discrimination and drafted the Constitution of India. The resolution also recognizes equality, justice, and liberty as essential rights.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 921 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 921

    Celebrating the 129th anniversary of the birth of Bhimrao Ramji 
                               Ambedkar.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 14, 2020

  Mr. Khanna (for himself, Mr. Engel, Mr. Bera, Ms. Jayapal, and Mr. 
Krishnamoorthi) submitted the following resolution; which was referred 
                  to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
    Celebrating the 129th anniversary of the birth of Bhimrao Ramji 
                               Ambedkar.

Whereas Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar is recognized as a singular historical figure, 
        celebrated in India and around the world for his lasting contributions 
        as a jurist, economist, socioeconomic reformer, civil rights leader, 
        spiritual icon, freedom fighter, feminist, and the architect of India's 
        constitution;
Whereas Ambedkar's slogan, ``Educate, Agitate, Organize'' mobilized millions 
        around the world to organize against discrimination based on religion, 
        gender, race, class, and caste, and to promote universal equality and 
        human rights;
Whereas Ambedkar was born on April 14, 1891, in the town and military cantonment 
        of the Mhow in the Central Provinces in the modern-day state of Madhya 
        Pradesh, India, and April 14, 2020, represents the 129th anniversary of 
        his birth;
Whereas Ambedkar was born into a family that belonged to the Hindu Mahar 
        community, one of the untouchable castes in India at the time;
Whereas Ambedkar overcame systemic discrimination and went on to succeed against 
        the odds to champion the rights of the most marginalized people in 
        Indian society;
Whereas Ambedkar became one of the first Indians to gain international repute as 
        a scholar for his research in law, economics and political science, 
        earning doctorates in economics from Columbia University and the London 
        School of Economics;
Whereas Ambedkar was deeply moved by witnessing the discrimination against 
        African Americans and women in the United States, which informed his 
        pursuit to guarantee equal rights for all in the Constitution of India;
Whereas Ambedkar contacted W.E.B. Du Bois in the 1940s, writing that ``there is 
        so much similarity between the position of the Untouchables in India and 
        of the position of the Negroes in America that the study of the latter 
        is not only natural but necessary'', and Du Bois wrote with 
        encouragement that he had ``every sympathy with the Untouchables of 
        India'';
Whereas, on August 29, 1947, Ambedkar was appointed as the Chairman of India's 
        Constitution Drafting Committee, and became the father and architect of 
        the Constitution of India;
Whereas Ambedkar advocated for the inclusion of women's rights in the 
        Constitution of India and India's political system, writing ``I measure 
        the progress of a community by the degree of progress which women have 
        achieved'';
Whereas Ambedkar served as India's first Minister of Law and Justice from August 
        29, 1947, to January 24, 1950, when he resigned after India's parliament 
        stalled his draft of legislation enshrining gender equality in the laws 
        of inheritance and marriage;
Whereas Ambedkar led one of the largest civil rights movements in history, 
        working to establish basic rights for hundreds of millions of Dalits, 
        and succeeded in including Article 17 in the Constitution of India which 
        abolishes untouchability and its practice in any form;
Whereas Ambedkar devoted his life to fighting the segregation, stigma, and 
        discrimination against Dalits, and was a leader of the 1927 Mahad 
        Satyagraha March in which Dalits crossed caste lines to desegregate 
        water tanks, temples, and common roadways to oppose the illegal but 
        pervasive segregation against Dalits;
Whereas Ambedkar's influence as an economist is evidenced by his seminal texts 
        on India's financial systems, his establishment of the Finance 
        Commission of India, and his role in the creation of The Reserve Bank of 
        India (RBI);
Whereas Ambedkar championed labor reforms such as changing the daily work 
        schedule from 12 hours to 8 hours and introduced measures like employee 
        insurance, medical leave, ``dearness pay'', equal pay for equal work for 
        women, minimum wages, and timely revision of scale of pay;
Whereas Columbia University honored Ambedkar as one of the top ``250 Columbians 
        Ahead of Their Time'', and American democratic intellectual Dr. Cornel 
        West called Ambedkar ``one of the greatest public intellectuals'';
Whereas the Constitution of India enshrined fundamental human rights for all, 
        preventing discrimination against any citizen on grounds only of 
        religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth;
Whereas the Constitution of India was the first legal document in Indian history 
        to have Dalits at the helm of its creation, and influenced the inclusion 
        of minority rights in postcolonial constitutions around the world;
Whereas in Ambedkar's final speech in India's Constituent Assembly on November 
        25, 1949, Ambedkar advocated for the active preservation of democracy, 
        warning: ``If we wish to preserve the Constitution in which we have 
        sought to enshrine the principle of Government of the people, for the 
        people and by the people, let us resolve not to be tardy in the 
        recognition of the evils that lie across our path and which induce 
        people to prefer Government for the people to Government by the people, 
        nor to be weak in our initiative to remove them'';
Whereas President Barack Obama invoked Ambedkar's contribution to the Indian 
        constitution and Indian society in an address before the Indian 
        parliament in 2010, affirming ``We believe that no matter who you are or 
        where you come from, every person can fulfill their God-given potential. 
        Just as a Dalit like Dr. Ambedkar could lift himself up and pen the 
        words of the constitution that protects the rights of all Indians,'';
Whereas former Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh encouraged the people of 
        India and all peoples around the world to take inspiration from Ambedkar 
        on the 70th anniversary of the adoption of the Indian Constitution in 
        2019, remarking that ``Dr. Ambedkar once worried that the day may come 
        when people may prefer government for the people to government by and of 
        the people. He saw that as a great danger. On this 70th anniversary, we 
        must ensure that we do not fall into the trap of choosing government for 
        the people over government by and of the people.'';
Whereas Ambedkar's birthday is observed as an annual official public holiday 
        throughout India, and his birth month of April is observed worldwide as 
        Dalit History Month; and
Whereas Dr. Ambedkar's contributions to economics, political science, civil 
        rights, religious harmony, and jurisprudence have had a profound impact 
        around the world, promoting democratic values, unfettered equality, and 
        justice for peoples of all castes, races, genders, religions, and 
        backgrounds: Now therefore, be it:
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) celebrates the life of Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar on the 
        129th anniversary of his birth;
            (2) honors the accomplishments of Ambedkar and the impact 
        of his legacy on the Constitution of India and jurisprudence 
        and legal scholarship around the world;
            (3) affirms the prohibition of untouchability and birth-
        descent discrimination in all forms as proclaimed by the 
        Universal Declaration of Human Rights; and
            (4) recognizes that equality, justice, and liberty are 
        essential rights for all people.
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