India.s pre-eminent Dalit leader struggled all his life for the upliftment and acceptance of his people. He not only wrenched concessions for the Dalits from society, but also worked ceaselessly to instil some selfconfidence in the community. Driving home the importance of education and founding journals to educate the people, he founded a number of educational institutions. As a member of the Constituent Assembly, his was an invaluable contribution to the framing of the Constitution, universally accepted as a document embodying liberal values.