The following is from serious of questions answered by Shekhar Bodhakar
QUESTION 1: Why don’t Dalits acknowledge the Brahmin teacher of Ambedkar who gave him the knowledge and also his surname?
ANSWER:
Brahmins say that Bhimrao Ambedkar was given a Brahmin Surname. It seems to many Ambedkarites that the Brahmins will next popularise Dr Ambedkar to be a brilliant Brahmin..
Firstly, the question doesn’t make sense, once the meaning of the word dalit is understood
What is the exact meaning of hindi word Dalit?
Secondly, the question is wrongly phrased as if it’s a fact that Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar’s Brahmin school teacher gave the young Bhimrao his own ‘Brahmin surname’. AMBEDKAR IS NOT A BRAHMIN SURNAME
Thirdly, it is NOT ONLY those who you call ‘dalits’ who think that the Brahmin surname story is a fake story. I’m not a dalit and I don’t believe that story either. Nor do many others who are not dalits.
Fourthly, there are NO concrete proofs that this story of a “compassionate Brahmin teacher, who loved the young Bhimrao so much that he gave him his own surname”, is a true story!!
Lastly, there is overwhelming evidence that it must be a fake story.
NOTE:
AFTER the system of surnames was adopted, Babasaheb’s father name was written as ‘Ramji Maloji AMBEDKAR’.
Comments from Rajratna Ambedkar (great grand nephew of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar)
“There is no concrete proof that the said Brahmin teacher existed. It was the thoughtful initiative of Babasaheb Dr. Ambedkar’s father, Subhedar Major Ramji Ambedkar, not to use Sapkal as his surname and only to be recognized by the name of his native place ‘ambadave’ – still a village in Kokan region of Maharashtra. He suggested both his son’s (Anandrao and Bhimrao) name to be registered as ‘ambevadekar’ in School at Satara. As the surname ‘ambevadekar’ was difficult to pronounce and was a tongue twister, the administration renamed it (could be in error too) as ‘ambedkar’ in their records. And from then onwards Ambedkar surname came into existence.”
“We visited the school at Satara, Pratap Singh High School. We have seen the register in which Dr. B.R Ambedkar’s name was mentioned as Bhiva Ramji Ambedkar and also verified the roll of headmasters of the school.”
“To date, there is NOT A SINGLE TEACHER mentioned as ‘Ambedkar’ in the school record.
It was not the Brahmin teacher who gave the surname, it was Dr.B.R. Ambedkar’s father.”
आंबेडकर सरनेम ब्राम्हण ने दिया, ये झूठा प्रचार है।
खुला चैलेंज
अगर बाबासाहब डॉ. भीमराव रामजी आंबेडकर जिस स्कूल में पढ़ा करते थे, उस प्रतापसिंह हाइस्कूल की अटेंडेंस रजिस्टर में बाबासाहब के नाम के आगे #आंबेडकर, ये सरनेम, दर्ज किया हुवा दस्तावेज #प्रतापसिंह_हाइस्कूल से मिल सकता है,
तो जिन्होंने ये नाम दिया, वो आंबेडकर सरनेम वाले ब्राम्हण_शिक्षक की अटेंडेंस रजिस्टर (या सैलरी रजिस्टर) में उनका आज तक कोई जिक्र क्यों नही है?
– राजरत्न अम्बेडकर
(आनंदराव रामजी अम्बेडकर और डॉ. भीमराव रामजी आंबेडकर का वंसज
=================
#आंबेडकर सरनेम किसी ब्राम्हण ने नही दिया।
#ये_रहा_सबूत!
#ब्राम्हण और #आरएसएस से जुड़े हुए लोग आज अचानक इस बात का प्रचार करना शुरू कर दिए है कि बाबासाहब को ब्राम्हण मुख्याध्यापक ने अपना खुद का नाम दिया है।
तो आज मैं आप लोगों के सामने #दो_महत्वपूर्ण_दस्तावेज रखना चाहता हु।
पहला, #प्रतापसिंह हाइस्कूल का अटेंडेंस रजिस्टर जिसमे बाबासाहब का जिक्र। #भिवा_रामजी_आंबेडकर ऐसा किया हुवा दस्तावेज।
और दूसरा, #प्रतापसिंह_हाइस्कूल की १८५१ से लेकर आज तक के मुख्याध्यापको की सूची जो खुद हइस्कूल ने अपने केबिन में लगाई है।
इस सूची मैं कही पर भी #आंबेडकर सरनेम वाले #ब्राम्हण मुख्याध्यापक का नाम नही है।
#आंबेडकर सरनेम किसी #ब्राम्हण ने नही दिया बल्कि, ये उपनाम खुद बाबासाहब के पिताजी #सुभेदार_मेजर_रामजी_आंबेडकर ने तय किया। स्कूल प्रशासन ने केवल #अम्बाडवेकर से #आंबेडकर किया।
-राजरत्न आंबेडकर (12/06/2019)
==================
MY SUGGESTION
Re Ambedkar Surname
- First thing to keep in mind is that the onus to prove any claim lies on the claimant. It is Dhananjay Keer’s (a Hindu, real name Ananant Vitthal) claim that Ambedkar is Brahmin surname that is being challenged. He simply “mentions” it in His biography of Babasaheb without any reference or elaborating on this claim. He, being a noted biographer, provides references for his other statements, then why not for this claim?
- Second thing to keep in mind is no one else has any record of Babasaheb saying that his teacher gave him the Ambedkar surname.
- Thirdly, we know that there are “Anti Ambedkar Thought” forces determined to Brahminise Dr. Ambedkar. It’s in their interest to connecting Babasaheb Ambedkar to as many Brahmins as possible.
- Truth behind the “Ambedkar” surname is now being more widely known
Awareness and truth regarding the Ambedkar surname is slowly building
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QUESTION 2: Despite being a Brahmin why didn’t Ambedkar’s teacher hate Ambedkar?
I assume by ‘Brahmin teacher’ you mean the teacher that the Biographer, a Brahmin sympathisr, Ananth Vitthal (pen name Dhananjay Keer) mentions in his biography of Dr Ambedkar.
If the young Bhimrao Ambedkar’s teacher didn’t hate him, he certainly didn’t love him either.
Here’s why? But first, answer a few questions as honestly as you can, without too much thought.
- If a person throws/drops food at you, or into your hands, because he doesn’t want to touch you just because you were born in a certain community, what would you think of that person?
- Do you think that person would ever love you?
- What if, despite you seeing his unchanging behaviour, day in day out, he says, “I really love you” would you believe that person?
- That’s exactly what happend between the young Bhimrao and his Brahmin teacher, hints Vitthal.
Now! why would Ananth Vitthal (Keer) say that Bhimrao’s Brahmin teacher loved him dearly and so ended up giving him his surname?
Ananth Vithal writes how loved the teacher was but doesn’t write how much Babasaheb must have hated the SAME TEACHER’S actions when food was dropped/thrown into his hands to avoid touching
The truth is that any Hindu/Brahmin sympethiser is more likely to highlight the good in Brahmans and is less likely to go out of his way to condemn the actions of Brahmins.
Vitthal too would never go out of his way to write anything that may disgrace his community. Would you? Keer’s is the onlyavailable written claim made that Bhimrao’s teacher loved him, ironically in the same paragraph that he mentions the throwing/dropping of food into Bhimrao’s hands. Vitthal, despite being an eminent biographer gives no reference. He simply states it. So, we cannot say that Bhimrao Ambedkar’s Brahmin teacher loved him. On the contrary, we can logically conclude that:
THE YOUNG BHIMRAO AMBEDKAR’S BRAHMIN TEACHER DID NOT LOVE BHIMRAO AT ALL.
NOTE: Keer was one of the best biographers of his days. He wrote biographies of Tilak, Sarvarkar, Gandhi and Phule too.Even Dr Ambedkar praised his writing style. That does not mean Dr Ambedkar agreed with all that Keer wrote. Keer even refers to Dr Ambedkar as “the modern Manu. Surely Dr Ambedkar could not have approved of this in his biography.
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QUESTION 3: Are there any surviving Brahmins with the surname Ambedkar? If no doesnt this indicate that Ambedkar is not a Brahmin surname?
QUESTION:
Are there any surviving Brahmins with the surname Ambedkar? If no, doesn’t this indicate that Ambedkar is not a Brahmin surname?
ANSWER:
I have been asking this question for several years now and to date have not come across anyone who knows of any Brahmin with the surname Ambedkar.
I have come across many instances on the Internet where attempts to Brahminise the Ambedkar surname have been made.
Questions such as the following are now being asked on internet and social media platforms.
“Was Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar a Brahmin by birth?”
And
What is the real name and full from of B. R. Ambedkar?
This produced doubts in my mind as to the origin of the surname Ambedkar, leading me to conclude that the story about the ‘good’ Brahmin who loved Babasaheb Dr B.R. Ambedkar so much as to name him ‘Ambedkar’ after his own surname, could be a fake story.
Could it be that the teacher made an error and misspelled ‘Ambevadekar’, which means a person from Ambevad, Dr Ambedkar’s home village ? I mean it’s very common to pronounce and spell names differently in languages other than the native tongue (Sorry if I’ve misspelled it too).
OR
Could it be that the teacher did not want others to know that there was an untouchable Ambevadekar in his school, so as not to encourage other untouchables into education?
OR
Could it be none of the above and the young Bhimrao’s father, Ramji had DELIBERATELY decided to give his children a surname that is not related to his ancestry.
IMPORTANT NOTE :
I say this because AFTER the system of surnames was adopted, Babasaheb’s father name was written as ‘Ramji Maloji AMBEDKAR’.
I have also asked similar questions on other social media platforms too. All answers received were in the negative.
Questions asked: Are there any surviving Brahmins you know of whose surname is Ambedkar? How many are there? Are there any? Were there ever any?
If your responses are also “NO”
we must expose it as a fake story
I am willing to change my mind if someone can provide concrete proofs.
NOTE :
1. There is also a theory that a school teacher of Bhimrao was so impressed by this talented boy that he asked him to adopt his surname “Amravadkar” (as if the genius Bhimrao would fall for it). If this is true then why isn’t he known as Amravadkar? Where did “Ambedkar” come from?
2. At times, even on important documents, Dr Ambedkar’s name was spelt differently. In the following application form, for admission into London School of Economics, his first name is spelt as BHIM RAV not Bhimrao. The point I’m making is that there isn’t a right or wrong way to spell foreign names and words. So ‘Ambedkar’ on school documents instead of ‘Ambevadekar’ is no big deal and there is no need to unnecessarily attribute this incident to any one person (unless of course, someone or some group, has vested interests.)
No one seems to be making an issue of how BHIMRAV or BHIVA became BHIMRAO or vice versa. Then WHY DID THE NEED ARISE TO EXPLAIN how Ambevadekar became Ambedkar ?
THIS CAN ONLY BE AN ATTEMPT TO FOOL THE MASSES INTO BELIEVING THAT BRAHMINS ARE NOT CASTEISTS
There is further convincing evidence available from Bhimrao’s school records that AMBEDKAR IS NOT A BRAHMIN SURNAME (NOR WAS IT GIVEN TO BHIMRAO AMBEDKAR BY A BRAHMIN TEACHER WITH THE SAME SURNAME)
IF,
The surname ‘Ambedkar’ can be found in the attendance register of ‘Pratap Singh High School’ (the school that Bhimrao attended)
THEN:
Why cannot the surname ‘Ambedkar’-be found in the list of teachers at the same school?
Photo graphs and Further information provided by Rajratna Ambedkar GREAT GRANDSON OF DR B.R. AMBEDKAR’S BROTHER.
आंबेडकर सरनेम ब्राम्हण ने दिया, ये झूठा प्रचार है।
खुला चैलेंज
अगर बाबासाहब डॉ. भीमराव रामजी आंबेडकर जिस स्कूल में पढ़ा करते थे, उस प्रतापसिंह हाइस्कूल की अटेंडेंस रजिस्टर में बाबासाहब के नाम के आगे #आंबेडकर, ये सरनेम, दर्ज किया हुवा दस्तावेज #प्रतापसिंह_हाइस्कूल से मिल सकता है,
तो जिन्होंने ये नाम दिया, वो आंबेडकर सरनेम वाले ब्राम्हण_शिक्षक की अटेंडेंस रजिस्टर (या सैलरी रजिस्टर) में उनका आज तक कोई जिक्र क्यों नही है?
– राजरत्न अम्बेडकर
(आनंदराव रामजी अम्बेडकर और डॉ. भीमराव रामजी आंबेडकर का वंसज
=================
#आंबेडकर सरनेम किसी ब्राम्हण ने नही दिया।
#ये_रहा_सबूत!
#ब्राम्हण और #आरएसएस से जुड़े हुए लोग आज अचानक इस बात का प्रचार करना शुरू कर दिए है कि बाबासाहब को ब्राम्हण मुख्याध्यापक ने अपना खुद का नाम दिया है।
तो आज मैं आप लोगों के सामने #दो_महत्वपूर्ण_दस्तावेज रखना चाहता हु।
पहला, #प्रतापसिंह हाइस्कूल का अटेंडेंस रजिस्टर जिसमे बाबासाहब का जिक्र। #भिवा_रामजी_आंबेडकर ऐसा किया हुवा दस्तावेज।
और दूसरा, #प्रतापसिंह_हाइस्कूल की १८५१ से लेकर आज तक के मुख्याध्यापको की सूची जो खुद हइस्कूल ने अपने केबिन में लगाई है।
इस सूची मैं कही पर भी #आंबेडकर सरनेम वाले #ब्राम्हण मुख्याध्यापक का नाम नही है।
#आंबेडकर सरनेम किसी #ब्राम्हण ने नही दिया बल्कि, ये उपनाम खुद बाबासाहब के पिताजी #सुभेदार_मेजर_रामजी_आंबेडकर ने तय किया। स्कूल प्रशासन ने केवल #अम्बाडवेकर से #आंबेडकर किया।
-राजरत्न आंबेडकर (12/06/2019)
=================
CONCLUSION:
‘Ambedkar’ is not a Brahmin surname and so could not have been given to Bhimrao by a Brahmin teacher who loved him so much as to name him after his own surname . Nor was Dr Ambedkar a Brahmin himself
Good news is there are now other parties also challenging Keer.This may also be of interest to you, articles supporting the surname issue.
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QUESTION 4: What is the full form of B. R. Ambedkar?
QUESTION:
What is the full form of B. R. Ambedkar?
ANSWER:
B.R. Ambedkar full form is: Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar
It can also be read as:
either
Bhim Rao Ambedkar
or (more accurately),
Bhimrao (Son of) Ramji Ambedkar
LET ME EXPLAIN THE REASON.
Baba Saheb Dr Ambedkar’s name kept by his family was ‘Bhimrao’ NOT ‘Bhimrao Ramji’. Ramji was his father’s name kept by his family.. The family name was Ambevadekar, named after the village they came from. Ambedkar is derived from Ambevadekar.
Surname is a western concept. It was a tradition in most cultures and still is in many cultures, to write your father’s name after your own name (when written) to identify yourself from other people with the same name. To further identify themselves, people also wrote their grandfather’s and great grandfather’s name too.
In these cultures, the standard way to write any name (still used today) was to write *s/o, d/o or w/o after the first name and then write the father’s or husband’s name as the case maybe.
*S/o to be read as ‘son of’
*D/o to be read as ‘daughter of’
*W/o to be read as ‘wife of,
When during the colonial rule, the system of surnames was adopted, the s/o, d/o and w/o was omitted.
Women wrote their husband’s name after their names once they were married.
EXAMPLES
Babasaheb Ambedkar’s father’s name was RAMJI S/O MALOJI SAKPAL , written as: Ramji Maloji Sakpal
NOTE: After the system of surnames was adopted, Babasaheb’s father name was written as ‘Ramji Maloji AMBEDKAR’.
Babasaheb Ambedkar’s mother’s name was BHIMABAI W/O RAMJI SAKPAL, written as Bhimabai Ramji Sakpal (after her husband’s name)
Babasaheb’s name was BHIMRAO
written as Bhimrao S/O Ramji Sakpal (after his father’s name; Ramji). On the adoption of the system of surnames, the s/o was omitted and therefore his name came to be written as Bhimrao Ramji Sakpal instead of Bhimrao Ramji Maloji Sakpal.
Sakpal, just like Ambedkar wasn’t a surname, though it has now become one. There was no such thing in those days. Sakpal was the name of Maloji’s father. Furthermore, Maloji’s fullname is written as just Maloji Sakpal because no one seems to know the name of Sakpal’s father.
Further examples:
Babasaheb’s Brothers’ names, Balaram and Anandrao were written as:
Balaram Ramji Ambedkar and
Anandrao Ramji Ambedkar.
This doesn’t mean both brothers were Ramji or their surnames was Ramji Ambedkar !! Ramji was their father’s name.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Baba Saheb’s first wife’s name was Ramabai,
written as RAMABAI BHIMRAO AMBEDKAR* to be understood as: RAMABAI w/o BHIMRAO Ambedkar
This is so, because:
** Babasaheb’s name was BHIMRAO (not Bhimrao Ramji)
His second wife’s name was Savita, written as: Savita *Bhimrao* Ambedkar; AGAIN implying that B.R. should be read as Bhim Rao.
BABASAHEB’S SONS & GRAND CHILDREN:
Yashwant Bhimrao Ambedkar (son) married to:
Meerabai Yashwant Ambedkar
Yashwant’s son is Prakash *Yashwant* Ambedkar
(and the list Continue)
TO REITERATE MY OPENING STATEMENT:
B.R. Ambedkar should be read as:
either
Bhim Rao Ambedkar
or
Bhimrao *son of Ramji* Ambedkar
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QUESTION 5: Why did Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar use his surname as Ambedkar despite his father’s name was Ramji Sakpal?
There are three points arising from the question, which must be discussed in order to correctly answer the question.
FIRST POINT:
The concept of surnames was introduced to Indians by the colonials and surnames can be changed. Indians had no concept of surname before the British arrived.
When it became a requirement to use surnames (for example if you were employed by the British army), people just opted to write their village/town/city/tribe/religion/jati or fathers/grandfather’s name as their surname.
SECOND POINT:
The system of names most Indian used and still use today is to write their father’s/husband’s name after their name. To further distinguish themselves from other people who had the same name as them, and in case their fathers had the same name too, they would use their grand father’s name after the father’s name and so and so forth with great grand father’s name.
According to this system Dr Ambedkar’s name, Bhimrao would be written as
BHIMRAO RAMJI MALOJI (Maloji being Bhimrao’s grand father) and NOT as Bhimrao Ramji Sakpal.
Dr Ambedkar’s father name would be written as
RAMJI MALOJI SAKPAL (Sakpal was Ramji’s grand father’s name)
My Question: After reading the above, would you say SAKPAL is a surname?
OR is Sakpal just a name like any other? In this case name of Maloji’s father.
SAKPAL is just written as Maloji’s surname because no one seems to know Maloji’s grand father’s name. Otherwise his name would be written as:
(MALOJI SAKPAL ***** )
THIRD POINT:
Let’s now rewrite the question a little more accurately.
Why did Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar use his surname as Ambedkar despite his father’s name was Ramji Maloji?
According to this question, what has Bhimrao’s father’s name (Ramji) got to do with Bhimrao’s surname (Maloji)? NOTHING.
Let’s rephrase the question again to make more sense of it.
Why did Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar use his surname as Ambedkar despite his father’s surname was Maloji?
Though the information in the question may not be accurate, the question itself now makes sense and can be answered
ANSWER:
Babasaheb Ambedkar used his surname as Ambedkar because that was the surname of his father, Ramji which he adopted for himself and his family when it was required of him to write it on official documents.
History is full of rumors and one of those rumours surrounds the Ambedkar surname. It has been said that a Brahmin teacher gave the young Bhimrao his surname but no school records have been found which mention any teacher with the surname Ambedkar.There are no authentic records /proofs verifying this claim. There is simply mention of this fake story in various writings.
The name Ambedkar was the surname of Babasaheb Dr Ambedkar’s father ‘Ramji Maloji Ambedkar’. This information was also mentioned in Indian Information under the caption ‘Personalities’ dated 1st March 1943.
