Quotes By B. R. Ambedkar

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.

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

What are we having this liberty for? We are having this liberty in order to reform our social system, which is full of inequality, discrimination and other things, which conflict with our fundamental rights.

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

The sovereignty of scriptures of all religions must come to an end if we want to have a united integrated modern India.

We are Indians, firstly and lastly.

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.

History shows that where ethics and economics come in conflict, victory is always with economics. Vested interests have never been known to have willingly divested themselves unless there was sufficient force to compel them.

In Hinduism, conscience, reason and independent thinking have no scope for development.

Religion must mainly be a matter of principles only. It cannot be a matter of rules. The moment it degenerates into rules, it ceases to be a religion, as it kills responsibility which is an essence of the true religious act.

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

Life should be great rather than long.

A great man is different from an eminent one in that he is ready to be the servant of the society.

Every man who repeats the dogma of Mill that one country is no fit to rule another country must admit that one class is not fit to rule another class.

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.

A people and their religion must be judged by social standards based on social ethics. No other standard would have any meaning if religion is held to be necessary good for the well-being of the people.

The relationship between husband and wife should be one of closest friends.

Law and order are the medicine of the body politic and when the body politic gets sick, medicine must be administered.

I measure the progress of a community by the degree of progress which women have achieved.

Indians today are governed by two different ideologies. Their political ideal set in the preamble of the Constitution affirms a life of liberty, equality and fraternity. Their social ideal embodied in their religion denies them.

Cultivation of mind should be the ultimate aim of human existence.