Publisher's Synopsis
My desire is indeed grand. It is to make my people embrace not just the colossal admiration for Babasaheb but also the indomitable thoughts of the same learned Doctor. It is to make my people turn the entire pages of 'Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Writings and Speeches' (BAWS). To turn the pages first; to understand his thoughts next; and eventually to embrace his path after self-contemplation.
It is possible to limit the selected writings and speeches of Babasaheb to a single book. Such attempts have already been effectively accomplished by many. But still such compilations have compelled the editors to leave out the corpus of high standard of arguments placed by Dr. Ambedkar on various subjects. Hence, I decided not to pick and choose among his best. Rather I have followed a stern approach of sequencing all his thoughts and arguments as it appears in each Volume of BAWS and this has inevitably led to a book series. However, I have intruded in one aspect and that is to shuffle the order of the 17 Volumes while compiling. I have done this keeping one eye on the precedence while presenting his works and the other eye on the theme. As a result, this book which is the third of 'Mastering Babasaheb' is a compilation of Part I, II and III of Volume 17 of BAWS respectively.
The texts about the event, place, date and year with regard to the speeches found in the 3 parts of Volume 17 have not been 'completely' included in this compilation. Since this Book Series should be treated as a revision material I have taken the liberty to leave out such details in order to better highlight the significant portions of Babasaheb's Writings and Speeches. Curious readers interested in understanding the complete context can make use of the end notes to trace the complete texts as found in BAWS.
Nonetheless, a glimpse of important dates highlighted throughout the book as well as in end notes would assist in understanding the turn out of events. For example, Section II (Dr. B. R. Ambedkar on Cabinet Mission And Transfer of Power ) as found in Volume 17(II) reveals in timeline about the relentless struggle of Babasaheb in securing separate political representation for the Depressed Classes when India was on the verge of attaining Independence.
Some parts of the BAWS traces its source to the books authored by Dhananjay Keer and Khairmode. The readers should take note of them by referring to the end notes. Equally, I encourage due attention to be given to the Appendix which is not included in this compilation but can be found in BAWS.
While I am confident that 'Mastering Babasaheb' would acquaint the readers with the complete works of Dr. Ambedkar I earnestly hope that this compilation would hold my people and lead them to that grand desire of turning the entire pages of 'Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Writings and Speeches'- to turn the pages first; to understand his thoughts next; and eventually to embrace his path after self-contemplation.
The compilation of 'Mastering Babasaheb' was done by A.B. Karl Marx Siddharthar. He is the author of 'UNCASTE' otherwise subtitled as 'Understanding Unmarriageability: The Way Forward To Annihilate Caste'.
