Ambedkar: India’s Crusader for Human Rights

Remarkable and yet largely unknown outside of India, the life story of Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (1891–1956) is given a solid and uplifting rendering by Moore (Buddha: An Enlightened Life). Born into the Mahar caste, believed by many Hindus to be “untouchable,” Ambedkar suffered enough indignities as a child that he changed his name to hide his origin. However, after his sharp mind gained him scholarships to study in New York and London, Ambedkar spent the rest of his adult life declaring his experiences as Mahar. He established Mahar support organizations and, with thundering rhetoric, became an activist in India (“How can I call this land mine when we are treated worse than cats and dogs?”) and butted heads with the British and nationalist leaders, including Gandhi, who seemed content to ignore Mahar rights. The graphic volume’s relentlessly adulatory focus leaves little room for nuance. Still, the intensity of Ambedkar’s dedication practically burns off the page, with help from Nagar’s dramatic and color-splashed artwork. Also, there are more than enough curious wrinkles of history—such as Ambedkar’s quest for a new religion that the Mahars could convert to en masse—to keep the narrative moving. This sometimes didactic yet still inspiring graphic biography presents a heroic portrait and should find a particularly welcome spot on school library shelves. ([em]Aug.) [/em]