Columbia University sirf ek videshi vishwavidyalay nahi tha, yeh Bhimrao Ambedkar ke liye ek aisa manch tha jahan unki soch ne naye aakaaron ko dharan kiya. Yahan unhone sirf degree nahi li, balki samaj, rajneeti aur nyay ke naye arth samjhe. Yeh unka pehla aisa anubhav tha jahan kisi ne unki jaati nahi poochhi, unke haathon ka paani mana nahi kiya, unka uphas nahi udaya. Pehli baar, Bhimrao ne apne astitva ko bina jaati ke bojh ke mehsoos kiya.
Columbia mein unhone duniya ke samajik vyavasthaon ka tulnatmak adhyayan kiya. European history, American civil rights, aur Indian caste system — in sab par unka drishti aur gahra hota gaya. John Dewey jaise shikshakon se unhone samjha ki nyay aur samta sirf kanooni shabdon mein nahi, balki jeevan ke har pehlu mein dikhna chahiye. Dewey ke “liberty, equality, fraternity” ke mool mantra ne unki vichardhara ki neev rakhi.
Unhone samjha ki Bharat mein jaati vyavastha dharm ke naam par nahi, balki samajik niyantran ke liye bani thi. Aur jab tak yeh vyavastha tootegi nahi, tab tak samta, shiksha aur nyay sirf kuch varg ke liye seemit rahenge. Columbia ke library mein bitaaye har pal ne unhe is soch ke aur kareeb laaya — ki ek samaj ko badalne ke liye soch ko badalna hoga, aur soch ko badalne ke liye ek naya drishtikon banana hoga.
Isi vichar ne unke mann mein ek sankalp jagaya — ki Bharat jaakar wo sirf ek scholar nahi, ek badlav ka neta banenge. Columbia ne unhe ek platform diya tha jahan unhone apne sapno ka Bharat dekha: ek aisa Bharat jahan koi bhi vyakti apni jaati, dharm, ya paise ke aadhar par nahi, balki apne gunon aur kaam ke aadhar par pehchana jaaye.
Columbia ke teen saal Bhimrao ke liye aatma-vishwas, vicharon ki azadi, aur samajik badlav ke mool srot ban gaye. Unka jeevan ka drishtikon ab badal chuka tha — wo sirf padh likh kar safal vyakti nahi banna chahte the, wo chahte the ki har us vyakti ko awaaz mile jo sadiyon se chup tha.
Jab unhone Columbia chhoda, to unke haath mein degree thi, lekin usse zyada unke paas ek sapna tha — ek samvedansheel samaj ka. Yeh sapna hi tha jise le kar wo Bharat laut rahe the.
Unka vishwas tha ki Columbia se liye gaye gyaan aur drishtikon se wo Bharat ke samajik bandhanon ko todne mein yogdan de sakte hain. Lekin unhe yeh bhi pata tha ki Bharat lautne ke baad unka samna phir se usi vyavastha se hoga jisme unki pehchaan unki jaati se jani jaayegi, unke gyaan se nahi.
Ab agla padav tha — Baroda Rajya mein seva. Wahaan unka intezaar tha ek aise anubhav ka jo Columbia ke sapno se bilkul alag hoga.