Did you know? Ambedkar's autobiography 'Waiting for a visa' is taught as a textbook at Columbia University

While many in India know of Ambedkar's role in drafting the Constitution, very few have read his other works

Dr B R Ambedkar was born on April 14, 131 years ago. Credit: PTI File Photo

Every year, April 14, the birth anniversary of Dalit leader, thinker and the architect of the Indian Constitution, B R Ambedkar is commemorated in India and across the world as Ambedkar Jayanti.

The ones who complete their education under the Indian education system know about Ambedkar's pivotal role in the formulation of the Indian Constitution, but a majority of them haven't read his other works, be it the Annihilation of Caste and other essays or his 20-page autobiography Waiting for a Visa.

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In the United States, however, Waiting for a Visa has been part of the curriculum at the prestigious Columbia University since 2019.

The Dalit icon wrote the book, which deals with issues like untouchability and caste discrimination, upon his return from a tour of the United States and Europe in 1935-36.

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Divided into six parts, Ambedkar's main purpose of writing the autobiography was to explain to foreigners the inner workings of caste hierarchy in India and the practise of untouchability.

In fact, a Columbia University professor, Frances W. Pritchett, edited the memoir before it was drafted into the syllabus.

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