Dr. Ambedkar was mentally very strong, worked extremely hard, and possessed great self-control and self-respect," Professor Dhananjay Keer is quoted as saying.Babasaheb's life was a remarkable journey of struggle, dignity and social justice. He led communities subjected to untouchability towards liberation through discipline, education and organised struggle.He firmly believed that justice could be achieved through representative government and constitutional rights. His words reflected the depth of his pain and determination:"In truth, I have no motherland. How can I call a country my motherland when its religion treats me as lower than dogs and cats, and when I cannot obtain even a handful of clean drinking water?"He also reminded his people:"Our future does not depend upon our birth, a previous life, or fate. Our future depends upon our own strength."I regard Ambedkar as a great liberator. His sacrifices, including the personal hardships faced by his family, became part of his lifelong struggle for equality and dignity.To understand his life and contribution, I studied Urdu, Hindi, Gujarati and Marathi literature. My academic work has focused on comparative studies of Indian languages, and I have supervised thirty M.Phil. and three Ph.D. studies.The Walking Light...Babasaheb Diary is based on research from Urdu, Marathi and Hindi sources, along with the writings of Bhagwan Das, Devi Dayal and Ambedkar himself.I thank Kasturi Vijayam for publishing this work. After the Telugu translation of Joothan, I hope The Walking Light...Babasaheb Diary will also reach a wide readership.
