Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (1891-1956) is both the towering symbol of protest against age-old and contemporary forms of exploitation in India and a scholar-sage proposing fair terms of social association. An untouchable himself, he led a resolute and adroit struggle against untouchability and attempted to reformulate the terms of nationalist discourse in India. This is the introduction to a selection of his major works, speeches, letters and memoranda by Valerian Rodrigues, Professor, Centre for Political Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.