B. R. Ambedkar

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 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.

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 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.

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

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.

Man’s life is independent. He is born not for the development of the society alone, but for the development of his self.

Generally speaking, the Smritikars never care to explain the why and the how of their dogmas.

Caste may be bad. Caste may lead to conduct so gross as to be called mans inhumanity to man. All the same it must be recognized that the Hindus observe caste not because they are inhuman or wrong headed. They observe caste because they are deeply religious.

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.

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.

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.

Life should be great rather than long.

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.

One can quite understand vegetarianism. One can quite understand meat-eating. But it is difficult to understand why a person who is a flesh-eater should object to one kind of flesh, namely cow's flesh. This is an anomaly which call for explanation.

Religion and slavery are incompatible.

Caste is not a physical object like a wall of bricks or a line of barbed wire which prevents the Hindus from co-mingling and which has, therefore, to be pulled down. Caste is a notion; it is a state of the mind.

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.

Political democracy cannot last unless there lies at the base of it social democracy. What does social democracy mean? It means a way of life which recognizes liberty, equality and fraternity as the principles of life.

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

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

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

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

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

A safe army is better than a safe border

Caste may be bad. Caste may lead to conduct so gross as to be called man's inhumanity to man. All the same, it must be recognized that the Hindus observe Caste not because they are inhuman or wrong-headed. They observe Caste because they are deeply religious.

An ideal society should be mobile, should be full of channels for conveying a change taking place in one part to other parts. In an ideal society, there should be many interests consciously communicated and shared.

Caste is not a physical object like a wall of bricks or a line of barbed wire which prevents the Hindus from co mingling and which has therefore to be pulled down. Caste is a notion it is a state of the mind.

However good a Constitution may be if those who are implementing it are not good it will prove to be bad. However bad a Constitution may be if those implementing it are good it will prove to be good.

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

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.

However good a Constitution may be, if those who are implementing it are not good, it will prove to be bad. However bad a Constitution may be, if those implementing it are good, it will prove to be good.

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