B. R. Ambedkar

<p>A household name throughout India B. R. Ambedkar is one of the country's most important figures second only to Mahatma Gandhi. He played a major role in drafting the constitution for a newly independent India and led the fight against caste-based discrimination.<br><br>Ambedkar was born into a Dalit caste (the so-called 'untouchables') but his academic brilliance saw him study at Columbia University and London School of Economics. As a politician he fought to overturn centuries of discrimination and promoted liberal constitutionalism in a traditionally illiberal society. He did more than anyone to articulate a cogent and enduring case for the principles of democracy in a country emerging from imperial rule.<br><br>This book is also a reminder of how far the practice of politics has strayed from the high standards Ambedkar set - of intellectual distinction policy positions animated by serious scholarship the infusion of moral values and the upholding of democracy for the many not just the privileged few.</p>