B.R. Ambedkar: A Life in Books, is a very imaginative and accessible introduction to one of the tallest leaders India has ever had. The book, without being pedantic, provides a young reader a bird’s eye view of life and times of Babasaheb. It does a fabulous job of introducing young minds to difficult themes such as caste-based discrimination, equity and justice. The issue of discrimination and alienation, faced by students from groups lower down the caste continuum, is not brushed aside but dealt with quite sensitively. Young Ambedkar too faced discrimination in school, and his time in school was devoid of any lasting friendships.
November 2022, volume 46, No 11