Savita Ambedkar

Savita Bhimrao Ambedkar ( Kabir; 27 January 1909 – 29 May 2003) was an Indian physician, and social activist. In 1948, she married B. R. Ambedkar, the prime architect of the Constitution of India and Dalit icon. In 1956, both Savita and Bhimrao converted from Hinduism to Buddhism.

Savita Ambedkar helped her husband by caring for his health. B. R. Ambedkar credited her for this in the preface of his book The Buddha and His Dhamma. Ramabai Ambedkar, B. R. Ambedkar's first wife had died in 1935.

Early life and education Ambedkar was born Sharada Krishnarao Kabir on 27 January 1909 in Bombay in a Marathi Saraswat Brahmin family. Her mother's name was Janaki and her father's name was Krishnarao Vinayak Kabir. Her family hailed from the Dorle village, located in Ratnagiri Tehasil of Ratnagiri district, Maharashtra. Later, her father migrated from Ratnagiri to Bombay. On the Sir Rao Bahadur S. K. Bole Road, near the "Kabootar Khana" (pigeon house) in Dadar West, the Kabir family had rented a house in Sahru's house in Matruchaya.

Savita's early education was in Pune. In 1937, she completed her MBBS degree from Grant Medical College, Bombay. When her studies were completed, she was appointed as a first-class medical officer in a hospital in Gujarat. However, after some months of illness, she left her job and returned home. Six of her eight siblings had inter-caste marriages. At that time, it was against the societal norms of India. Savita said, "Our family did not oppose inter-caste marriages, because the whole family was educated and progressive."

Marriage

On 15 April 1948 Sharda Kabir married Ambedkar, as a Civil Marriage. She was 39 and he was 57. After their marriage, she was called "Mai" (mother) by his followers. After marriage Sharda adopted the name 'Savita', but Ambedkar used to call her "Shārū", a form of "Shāradā". Some of the public and Ambedkar's family were angry about the marriage.

Repatriation with the Dalit movement

Republican Party of India leader Ramdas Athavale and Gangadhar Gade brought her back to the mainstream Ambedkarite movement. The young activists of Dalit Panthers movement treated Savita Ambedkar with respect and called her Mai, "mother". She played an important role in the controversy about Ambedkar's book Riddles in Hinduism. This earned her respect and resolved the misunderstanding of Dalits. Later on, she was separated from him as she grew older.

Babasaheb Ambedkar was given the 'Bharat Ratna', the highest civilian award, and it was accepted by Savita Ambedkar from the then President Ramaswamy Venkataraman on 14 April 1990, the centenary of his birth.

Death Savita Ambedkar lived alone after her husband's death. Later on, she joined the Dalit Buddhist movement. She died on 29 May 2003 at the age of 94 at J.J. Hospital in Mumbai.