“In general libraries, it is difficult to find many books on Dr Ambedkar or Ambedkarite movement. They do not want to keep it. The same casteist mentality prevails today,” says Ramesh Tukaram Shinde, an 88-year-old book collector from Mumbai. He goes on to narrate his experiences of disappointments with school libraries back in the pre-independence era, which did not include a crucial book on the economy of the time, ‘The Problem of the Rupee’ by Dr BR Ambedkar, in their catalogue.

Born in 1933, Shinde is one of the very few witnesses to the growing momentum of the anti-caste revolution in the pre- and post- independence Indian sub-continent. Watching live speeches of Ambedkar after school hours with his friends was one of the first instances when inspiration struck the young minds to pick a book or two and invest time in reading. The impact of the charismatic leader on Shinde only grew over time with deeper affection and respect.