Ambedkar Jayanti HIGHLIGHTS: Bhimrao Ambedkar is remembered as “The Father of the Constitution of India” and the man who fought for the oppressed in the country.
Ambedkar Jayanti is celebrated on April 14 to mark the birth anniversary of Dalit icon Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, who is remembered as “The Father of the Constitution of India” and the man who fought for the oppressed. The nation commemorates his 127th birthday today.
Popularly known as Babasaheb, Ambedkar was an Indian jurist, economist, politician and social reformer who inspired the Dalit Buddhist Movement. He campaigned against social discrimination against untouchables and also supported the rights of women and labourers.
Keeping in view the recent vandalisation of Ambedkar statues in several places — the latest incident ocurred on Friday in Greater Noida — and also the violence which claimed the lives of nine people during protests by Dalit groups on April 2, the Uttar Pradesh government has tightened the security as a preventive measure.
Also Read | Ambedkar Jayanti 2018: All you need to know about ‘Architect of Indian Constitution’
BR Ambedkar championed for the rights of the poor, downtrodden and lower caste people.
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and several other leaders also paid tributes to Ambedkar in Hyderabad. Recalling the services rendered by Ambedkar, Rao said the architect of the Indian Constitution would always remain an inspiration to several generations. The chief minister said Ambedkar understood Indian society completely and paved way for the future and as such he would always remain as an inspiration to several generations, according to a release from the CM’s office.
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Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy earlier in the paid floral tributes to B R Ambedkar on the occasion of his 127th birth anniversary. Ministers, legislators and Deputy speaker of Puduchery V P Sivakolundhu were among those who paid tributes.
The DMK has alleged that the BJP-led Centre was hampering B R Ambedkar's ideals behind the making of the Indian Constitution.
DMK's Working President M K Stalin said the Centre was working towards "weakening" social justice, without elaborating further. "The BJP-led Centre steered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is working in a way (that is) hampering Ambedkar's ideals which led to the making of the Constitution," said Stalin.
After paying homage to Ambedkar on his birth anniversary here, the DMK leader appealed to his cadres and workers of 'friendly parties' to take a vow to "end such betrayal."
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President Ram Nath Kovind paid tributes to B R Ambedkar at his birthplace, Mhow in Madhya Pradesh on the occasion of his 127th birth anniversary. He paid tributes to the Dalit icon at his birthplace in the Kalipaltan area, where the state government has built a grand memorial.
Tamil Nadu chief minister K Palaniswami and Leader of Opposition MK Stalin besides others paid tribute to Dr BR Ambedkar on his 127th birth anniversary. Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam garlanded a portrait of Ambedkar at Kodambakkam here in the presence of senior AIADMK leaders.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier in the day presented gifts to Buddhists monks at Bhimrao Ambedkar's 127th birth anniversary celebrations at Parliament House in New Delhi. President Ram Nath Kovind and vice-president M Venkaiah Naidu are also seen. (PTI photo)
The Congress has accused the BJP of 'eroding' the legacy of Baba Saheb Ambedkar and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was merely paying him lip service as his party and the RSS have an 'anti-Dalit mindset'. Congress leader Selja also charged the prime minister with doing politics over the legacy of the Dalit icon.
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Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and other political leaders in the state paid tributes to B R Ambedkar on his 127th birth anniversary. Apart from political leaders, thousands of followers of Ambedkar visited Chaityabhoomi, Dr Ambedkar's memorial at Dadar in central Mumbai, to pay their respects.
'Our salutations to the father of Indian constitution Bharat Ratna, Mahamanav Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar on his birth anniversary today! It is because of him that every citizen of India can live a dignified life! His teachings and values of humanity will inspire generations to come,' Fadnavis tweeted.
Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath earlier in the day paid floral tributes to B R Ambedkar in the state capital. Adityanath was also accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma.
In a tweet, Adityanath said, 'Babasaheb has made a number of provisions in the Constitution of India to remove social disparities and provide social justice to the oppressed sections of the society...Every citizen of India will always remain obliged towards the contribution of Babasaheb.' 'Babasaheb struggled throughout his life for the rights of Dalits and oppressed sections of the society,' he added.
Before Gandhi's arrival, Jivraj Chauhan, general secretary of SC/ST cell of BJP's state unit, was also gheraoed by the Dalit members, who shouted slogans against him, forcing him to leave the venue.
"We told the police that since we had gathered there much before the BJP leaders came, it was our right to pay tributes first. However, police prevented us from garlanding the statue stating that as per the protocol, it was the mayor's right. This angered our members," Solanki said. "The statue and the atmosphere in the GEB circle area was polluted after the arrival of Gandhi and other BJP leaders. Therefore, we cleansed Ambedkar's statue with milk and water after it was garlanded by the BJP leaders," he added.
After Gandhi and other leaders garlanded the statue around 9 am and left the venue, the members of the community washed it with milk and water, saying the BJP leaders' presence had "polluted" the atmosphere.
The members of the Dalit community raised slogans at the GEB Circle area on Race Course against other party leaders and Gandhi, the Women and Child Development minister who is in the city to attend a number of events. She arrived at Ambedkar's statue along with BJP MP Ranjanben Bhatt, city mayor Bharat Dangar, BJP MLA Yogesh Patel and others. The members of the Dalit community, led by Solanki, started raising slogans against them. An argument broke out between them and the police personnel, but no untoward incident took place.
Members of Dalit community today "cleansed" B R Ambedkar's statue here soon after Union minister Maneka Gandhi and some BJP leaders paid floral tributes on his 127th birth anniversary, a Dalit leader said, claiming that their presence had "polluted" the atmosphere.
Anil Baluni writes | Towards Babasaheb’s India
D Raja writes | Disfiguring Ambedkar’s vision
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Speaker Ram Niwas Goel pay floral tribute to Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar on his 127th Birth Anniversary at Delhi Vidhan Sabha. (Express photos by Amit Mehra)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived here today on a day's visit to inaugurate the 'Ayushman Bharat- National Health Protection Mission' and other development projects. The prime minister's visit to the state coincides with the birth anniversary of Dalit icon B R Ambedkar.
One of the protesters, Sabjeet Singh of the Shiromani Akali Dal Amritsar USA told PTI that Ambedkar's vision was to ensure equality for all communities, minorities and Dalits and he had enshrined this in the Indian Constitution. “But the BJP government that has come to power in India wants to build a Hindu nation. They are committing atrocities against Sikhs, Christians, Muslims, Dalits. We are here to peacefully convey the message on behalf of all the minority communities in India that Ambedkar's vision of equality remains unfulfilled,” he said.
As soon as Akbaruddin concluded his remarks, the group left the conference room. Outside the room, UN police and security personnel assembled and questioned the Sikhs, inspecting their posters and inquired about whether they had permission and valid passes to enter the UN. The Sikhs, belonging to the Shiromani Akali Dal Amritsar USA and Youth Akali Dal Amritsar USA, told the security personnel that they were protesting silently and peacefully.
As India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin began his opening remarks at the event, a group of Sikhs stood up in the conference room and held up posters that read 'Minorities Under Threat' and 'Never Forget 84' alongside pictures of Ayodhya's Babri Masjid and the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Akbaruddin remained unperturbed by the protest and continued to deliver his speech. The Sikhs, about 15 in number, had tied black bands on their turbans and they stood silently for the entire duration of Akbaruddin's remarks, holding up the posters for the attendees to see.
A group of Sikhs has protested against alleged atrocities perpetrated against minority communities in India during the commemoration of Babasaheb Ambedkar's 127th birth anniversary at the world body's headquarters. India's Permanent Mission to the UN had organised a special event titled ‘Leaving No One Behind' at the UN yesterday to celebrate Ambedkar's 127th birth anniversary. UN Development Programme (UNDP)
Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who is currently undergoing treatment in the US for a pancreatic ailment, today paid tributes to Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar on his 127th birth anniversary. The state government has organised several programmes to mark the day. The main event was held in Panaji, which was addressed by Transport Minister Sudin Dhavalikar.
A top UN official said, "Bhimrao Ambedkar's "tireless efforts" towards ensuring excluded groups were politically and socially empowered made him a "pioneer" in the world and his vision of equality and social justice echoes the ambitions of the UN's 2030 development agenda."
In his keynote address at a special event organised at the UN headquarters by India's Permanent Mission to the UN on the occasion of Ambedkar's 127th Birth Anniversary, UN Development Programme Administrator Achim Steiner said sustainable development was at the core of Ambedkar's "egalitarian ethos".
"Ambedkar understood that rising and persistent inequalities pose fundamental challenges to the economic and social well-being of nations and people. His tireless efforts to ensure that excluded groups were politically and socially empowered, that workers were fairly treated, and that every person had access to education, made him a pioneer in India and in other countries," Steiner said.
BJP President Amit Shah paid tributes to BR Ambedkar at BJP office located on Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg in Delhi. (ANI photo)
BSP chief Mayawati on Saturday said, "I want to tell Modi Ji and his govt that commemorating places related to Baba Saheb's life and inaugurating schemes in his name, will in no way lead to the development of Dalits."
Ambedkarites put stickers of Chaityabhoomi at Dadar station. (Express photos by Nirmal Harindran)
Ambedkar Jayanti celebrations at Chaityabhoomi in Dadar. (Express photo by Nirmal Harindran)
Local Dalit leaders clashed with BJP leaders in Vadodara on the occasion of birth anniversary of BR Ambedkar on Saturday. (Express photos Bhupendra Rana)
Ruckus at an event in Gujarat on the occasion of Ambedkar Jayanti as MLA Jignesh Mevani's supporters tried to obstruct BJP MPs and members from garlanding BR Ambedkar's statue. (ANI)
Tension gripped Phagwara city on the eve of Dr B R Ambedkar’s birth anniversary following an attempt by Dalit activists to rename ‘Gol Chowk’ (paper square) to ‘Samvidhan chowk’ (Constitution square). Dalist and members of right wing organisations confronted each other at around midnight; some shots were fired as well. Read more
Later in the day, President Kovind will visit Madhya Pradesh tomorrow to pay tributes to Babasaheb Dr BR Ambedkar at his birthplace in Mhow.
President Ram Nath Kovind Pay tributes to B R Ambedkar.
Meanwhile, a statue of BR Ambedkar in Richhpal Garhi village of Bisrakh in Greater Noida was found damaged, on Friday. The incident came to light last morning when the villagers spotted the statue of Ambedkar damaged. Heavy police force was deployed in view of the tense situation.
Suniti Singh, SP (rural), said a case was registered against unknown persons for vandalism and that the guilty would not be spared. A large number of people from nearby villages had gathered after news of vandalism spread. Police, however, contained the mob. Singh said that the damaged statue was being replaced with a new one.
The memorial is being built at Ambedkar Chauraha in Gorakhpur, around one km from the district magistrate's office, on the lines of Lucknow's famous Parivartan Chowk after demolishing an existing structure. Asked if the government had ordered to paint the memorial in saffron, Deputy Municipal Commissioner D K Singh said there was no such instruction.
Chandrashekhar, the president of a local Dalit group, said, "They would have painted the entire memorial saffron had we not protested." "The jewellery firm agreed to our demand to re-paint it in white and used red paint to write "Ambedkar Chauraha" on it. The government wasn't involved in this," he said.
Also, in Uttar Pradesh's Gorakhpur, Dalit leaders on Friday took strong objection to the painting of the upper part of an under-construction Ambedkar memorial in saffron. The protesters, however, said a private jewellery firm had undertaken the painting work as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) project and 'the government had nothing to do with it'.
A number of Ambedkar's statues were desecrated following the protest against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST Act by the Supreme Court. Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Makrand Deouskar said it was not known how many Ambedkar statues were there in Madhya Pradesh. Nonetheless, he said, district authorities have been instructed to ensure the safety of statues.
The Centre on Friday issued an advisory to the Madhya Pradesh government, asking it to "protect" the statues of Dalit icon B R Ambedkar, PTI quoted a senior police official as saying. The advisory comes amid a series of vandalism incidents targeting statues and busts, and ahead of Ambedkar's birth anniversary tomorrow. The architect of the Constitution was born at Mhow in Madhya Pradesh on April 14, 1891.
The memorial is being built on a 12.5 acre plot at Dadar's Indu Mill, the bhoomipujan (foundation stone laying ceremony) of which was done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in October, 2015. It will include a 350 feet tall statue of Ambedkar, a library and a replica of the historic Chavdar pond in Raigad. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority, the nodal agency executing the work, had earlier announced that construction firm Shapoorji Pallonji would be building the memorial. It is expected to cost Rs 500 crore.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday announced that the memorial to Dalit icon B R Ambedkar, being built in the Indu Mill compound near Chaityabhoomi, would be completed by April 14, 2020. "We are committed and working hard to build this grand memorial of Bharat Ratna Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar of international repute and visible amount of work would be done by 2019 and final completion on 14th April 2020." Fadnavis tweeted.
Hitting out at political parties for politicising Ambedkar's legacy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier this month said that no regime had honoured the Dalit icon like his government had. His remarks had come close on the heels of widespread violent protests over a Supreme Court verdict putting in place "safeguards" to prevent the misuse of a law to prevent atrocities against SCs and STs.
Meanwhile, in Muzaffarnagar, Superintendent of Police Ombir Singh said security was tightened keeping in view the violence that had broken out during the protests by Dalit groups on April 2 against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.More than 40 cases were registered in the district in connection with the violence.
A senior SP leader on condition of anonymity said that party would try to remove doubts, if any, from the minds of people that its ideology was at variance with that of BSP and reach out to all sections of society. The understanding between the SP and the BSP in the Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha bye-elections stopped the victory march of the BJP, which along with its allies had bagged 73 of the 80 parliamentary seats in the state.
The BSP has been organising Ambedkar Jayanti annually on a grand scale with its chief Mayawati leading partymen in paying homage to the Dalit icon.
After its new found bonhomie with the BSP won it two Lok Sabha seats in recent bypolls in Uttar Pradesh, the Samajwadi Party is set to celebrate Ambedkar Jayanti in a big way, taking their friendship a step forward. The SP, which had stayed content with celebrating anniversaries of socialist idealogues like Ram Manohar Lohia and Janeshwar Misra so far, has asked all its district units to celebrate the occasion at the district party headquarters or any public place to mark the day. This would be perhaps for the first time that a conscious effort was being made by the SP to ensure celebrations on Ambedkar Jayanti on a big scale.
Seeking to take the wind out of opposition parties' sails ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP is planning to hold grand events to mark the birth anniversary of Dalit icon BR Ambedkar across the state. They are also planning to honour Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath with the title of "Dalit Mitra". "Party workers will take out padayatras in the districts to mark the birth anniversary of the architect of the Constitution," said Kaushal Kishore, BJP MP from Mohanlalganj in Lucknow, who is also the state president of UP BJP's SC Morcha.
Security has been beefed up in Uttar Pradesh in view of Ambedkar Jayanti to prevent any possible attempt at inciting violence, with political parties drawing up separate plans for the occasion. Districts magistrates and superintendents of police have been asked to ensure peace and check any violence in their respective areas of jurisdiction, an official spokesperson said here today. District authorities have been directed by the home department to intensify patrolling to ensure that no loss of life and property takes place and clamp prohibitory orders wherever necessary, he said.
People celebrate Babasaheb Ambedkar's birth anniversary at Sarangpur Circle in Ahmedabad. (Express photos Javed Raja)
PM Narendra Modi, Congress President Rahul Gandhi, former PM Manmohan Singh, LK Advani and others pay tribute to BR Ambedkar on his 127th birth anniversary at Parliament, on Saturday. (Express photo by Neeraj Priyadarshi)
PM Narendra Modi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi pay tribute to BR Ambedkar on his 127th birth anniversary at Parliament, on Saturday. (Express photo by Neeraj Priyadarshi)
Ambedkar was posthumously conferred with Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award in 1990. He passed away on December 6, 1956 in New Delhi where he was accorded a Buddhist cremation.
Ambedkar considered converting to Sikhism. But after meeting with Sikh leaders, he concluded that he might get “second-rate” Sikh status, as described by scholar Stephen P Cohen. Instead, he studied Buddhism all his life. Around 1950, he devoted his attention to Buddhism and travelled to Sri Lanka to attend a meeting of the World Fellowship of Buddhists.
After meetings with the Sri Lankan Buddhist monk Hammalawa Saddhatissa, Ambedkar organised a formal public ceremony for himself and his supporters in Nagpur on October 14, 1956. Accepting the Three Refuges and Five Precepts from a Buddhist monk, in the traditional manner, Ambedkar completed his own conversion, along with his second wife Savita.
Ambedkar opposed Article 370 of the Constitution of India, which granted a special status to Jammu and Kashmir, and which was included against his wishes. He resigned in 1951 when the Parliament delayed the draft which sought to enact gender equality in the inheritance law.
Babasaheb viewed the Shudras as Aryans and rejected the Aryan invasion theory which depicts scenarios around the theory of an origin from outside South Asia of Indo-Aryan peoples.
On December 25, 1927, Ambedkar publicly condemned the Manusmriti for justifying caste discrimination and untouchability and led thousands of Dalits and burnt copies of the text.
After India attained independence in 1947, Ambedkar accepted Congress’ proposal to serve as the country’s first Law Minister and was appointed chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee on August 29, 1947. On November 26 1949, the Constitution was adopted by the Constituent Assembly.
Ambedkar started many periodicals like Mook Nayak, Bahishkrit Bharat, and Equality Janta for the defence of Dalit rights.
Ambedkar went on to work as a legal professional. In 1926, he successfully defended three non-Brahmin leaders who had accused the Brahmin community of ruining India and were then subsequently sued for libel.
While practising law in the Bombay High Court, he tried to promote education to untouchables and uplift them. His first organised attempt was his establishment of the central institution Bahishkrit Hitakarini Sabha, intended to promote education and socio-economic improvement, as well as the welfare of “outcastes”, at the time referred to as depressed classes.
Ambedkar pursued a degree in economics and political science from Elphinstone College, University of Mumbai, and then completed his Masters in Economics (Major) at the Columbia University and Doctor of Science in Economics from London School of Economics with the help of a scholarship.
B R Ambedkar ancestors had long worked for the army of the British East India Company, and his father served in the British Indian Army at the Mhow cantonment. Although they attended school, it is reported that Ambedkar and other untouchable children were segregated and given little attention or help by teachers. They were not allowed to sit inside the class.
When they needed to drink water, someone from a higher caste had to pour that water from a height as they were not allowed to touch either the water or the vessel that contained it. This task was usually performed for the young Ambedkar by the school peon and if the peon was not available then he had to go without water; he described the situation later in his writings as “No peon, No Water”
However, despite facing all hardships, Ambedkar, in 1897 became the only untouchable enrolled at Elphinstone High School. In 1906, when he was about 15, he got married to nine-year-old Ramabai.