Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was a staunch opponent of untouchability and dedicated his life to eradicating caste-based discrimination in India. His opposition to untouchability was reflected in various ways:
- Legal Reforms – As the chief architect of the Indian Constitution, he ensured the inclusion of Article 17, which abolished untouchability in all forms.
- Temple Entry Movements – He led movements like the Kalaram Temple entry protest (1930) to assert the rights of Dalits to enter temples.
- Mahad Satyagraha (1927) – He organized this movement to allow Dalits to use public water sources, particularly the Chavdar Tank in Mahad, Maharashtra.
- Conversion to Buddhism – In 1956, he and thousands of followers embraced Buddhism as a protest against caste oppression.
- Publications & Advocacy – Through books like Annihilation of Caste, he strongly criticized the caste system and untouchability.