Abstract The Introduction highlights what Ambedkar regarded as the enduring influences on his thinking. The influence of two of his three gurus on him—Kabir, and Jotirao Phule—is highlighted here, while that of the Buddha finds a mention across all the chapters. The impact of John Dewey resonates across many of his writings. The new liberals and the Fabian strand of thought had a distinct bearing on him. He located himself within a fledgling Dalit Public in Bombay, which was a colonial industrial hub, and a hotbed of nationalism in India. The aim of this study is to reflectively consider the basic concepts that formed Ambedkar’s frame of politics which at the same time addresses the concerns of those at the social margins everywhere.