Mumbai- This week, on May 29, we commemorate the 22nd anniversary of Dr. Savita Ambedkar’s passing in 2003 at the age of 94. Known affectionately as Mai Sahab, she was not only the second wife of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar but also a vital companion who, in his own words, extended his life by 8–10 years, as noted in the preface to his seminal work The Buddha and His Dhamma. Their marriage in 1948, when Savita was 39 and Baba Saheb was 57—a 18-year age gap—sparked discussions due to her Saraswat Brahmin background and his Mahar caste identity. Yet, their bond was rooted in deep love, mutual respect, and intellectual partnership.
In an article titled An Unexplored Side of Dr. Ambedkar: His Quiet Relationship with Cinema, Theatre, and Music, published in The Culture Cafe , independent researcher and practicing dentist Dr. SPVA Sairam sheds light on Baba Saheb’s lesser-known affinity for cinema, theatre, and music.
Dr. Sairam explores Baba Saheb’s engagement with cinema, theatre, and music, drawing attention to a heartfelt letter he wrote to Savita. In this letter, Baba Saheb questioned the basis of their relationship, writing:
“If words have any meaning and marriage has any foundation, what am I to understand when you said in your letter in which you said, ‘I accept you’. You accept me as what? As a Great man, as a learned man, or as a Good looking man? What is your spring of action? As a poet has said, ‘Love built on beauty dies as soon as Beauty dies’. The same is true of love built on Greatness or Learning. These things after some time begin to fail. They cannot be the foundation of marriage. Marriage can be founded only on love which can be described in no other terms except the longing to belong. Are you actuated by this feeling? Nothing else will either do or suffice. I do not know if you have seen the film Kunku or read the novel called The Woman Thou Gavest Me by Hall Caine. The marriage in both cases was a matter of form. How very unhappy and tragic they were. The reason why they were so tragic was because there was no longing to belong.”
This letter encapsulates Baba Saheb’s belief that true marriage transcends superficial qualities like beauty, greatness, or intellect, resting instead on a profound emotional longing to belong. His references to Kunku and The Woman Thou Gavest Me reflects his view that marriages lacking this emotional core are doomed to tragedy.
Kunku (released in Hindi as Duniya Na Mane), a Marathi film directed by V. Shantaram, tells the story of Neera, a young woman forced into an arranged marriage with an elderly widower. Devoid of love or mutual understanding, the marriage brings Neera immense suffering and highlights the oppressive social norms of the time, such as child marriage and mismatched unions. The shock of the marriage is too much for the girl, but she bravely tries to accommodate herself in the house. The widower deceives himself into believing that he is still not old enough to have lost his manhood.
His college-going son tries to flirt with his young stepmother, while a widowed daughter of his sympathises with her in her woe. The marriage does not work. Some cheer is added to Neera's life through the company of a teenage girl belonging to the household. However, when the old man fully realises the implications of his action, he commits suicide, leaving the girl he has married against her will to go her own way. The story is based on a novel by Narayan Hari Apte. Baba Saheb referenced Kunku in his letter to Savita, using it to illustrate his conviction that a marriage without “the longing to belong” is inherently tragic.
Hall Caine’s novel The Woman Thou Gavest Me centers on Mary O’Neill, a woman coerced into a loveless marriage for social and economic reasons. Her husband, a wealthy but morally flawed man, offers no emotional connection, leading Mary to seek love elsewhere, only to face societal condemnation and personal despair. The novel critiques the hollowness of marriages based on convenience, aligning with Baba Saheb’s philosophy that love and mutual belonging are the true foundations of a successful union. His reference to this novel in his letter to Savita emphasizes his belief that their marriage must be grounded in genuine emotional commitment.
Dr. Savita Ambedkar, born Sharda Kabir on January 27, 1909, in Dorle village, Ratnagiri district, to a Saraswat Brahmin family, was an accomplished physician. She earned her MBBS from Mumbai’s Grant Medical College in 1937 and served as the chief medical officer at a hospital in Gujarat. Her first meeting with Baba Saheb occurred in 1947 when he sought medical treatment in Mumbai for ailments including diabetes, hypertension, and joint pain. Savita not only tended to his health but also forged a deep emotional and intellectual bond with him during his final years.
Their marriage, a civil ceremony held on April 15, 1948, in Delhi, was a union that defied societal norms. Savita, embraced by Baba Saheb’s followers as “Mai” (Mother), played a pivotal role in his life. In her autobiography, Babasaheb: My Life with Dr. Ambedkar, she detailed her contributions, from caring for his health to supporting his work on the Indian Constitution, the Hindu Code Bill, and The Buddha and His Dhamma. On October 14, 1956, when Baba Saheb embraced Buddhism alongside lakhs of followers at Nagpur’s Deekshabhoomi, Savita stood by his side, also adopting Buddhism.
After Baba Saheb’s death on December 6, 1956, Savita faced unwarranted criticism from some of his followers, who falsely accused her of contributing to his demise and targeted her Brahmin background. This led to her temporary isolation from the Ambedkarite movement, and she retreated to a farmhouse in Delhi’s Mehrauli. However, in the 1970s, Republican Party of India leaders Ramdas Athawale and Gangadhar Gade reintegrated her into the movement. Savita actively participated in the Dalit-Buddhist movement and played a key role in establishing the Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Museum and Memorial at Symbiosis Society in Pune.
As we mark the 22nd anniversary of Dr. Savita Ambedkar’s passing, her relationship with Baba Saheb stands as a testament to love, mutual respect, and intellectual partnership that transcended societal barriers. His letter to her, referencing Kunku and The Woman Thou Gavest Me, emphasizes his belief that true marriage is built on the “longing to belong.” Savita not only supported Baba Saheb’s health but also contributed significantly to his social and intellectual mission. Their story reminds us that genuine love and dedication can overcome societal constraints, leaving a lasting legacy of compassion and change.
You can also join our WhatsApp group to get premium and selected news of The Mooknayak on WhatsApp. Click here to join the WhatsApp group.