As I Please – Is it my
obsession with Ambedkar?
I must confess in the outset that I write quite regularly on issues related or pertaining to Babasaheb Ambedkar, not that I am a scholar or an authority on the great son of India but as a humble Amedkarite
– a person with democratic, secular, socialist, moralistic, rationalist with scientific temperament, spiritual and humanistic mindset based on the cardinal principles of – Justice, Liberty, Equality and Fraternity and also human dignity, a Gyansheel man, as I see and visualize a follower of Babasaheb Ambedkar should be.
Let me answer the question myself. I
don’t think it is my obsession but a sort of voluntary response and reaction to
the developments and happening in and around where I live that s Bootan Mandi
Jalandhar on one side and my mental and intellectual engagement with the
proposal of April 14, birthday of Babasaheb Ambedkar as International Day of
Equality since June, 2015. This month alone as of today, April 18, 2022, I
wrote two blogs which were kindly published in the Ambedkar Times of
California, courtesy the indulgence of Chief Editor Prem Chumber, a staunch
Ambedkarite himself – one on April: http://diplomatictitbits.blogspot.com/2022/04/rang-layegi-hamari-fakamasti-ek-din.html
and second on April 10: http://diplomatictitbits.blogspot.com/2022/04/babasaheb-ambedkar-international-day-of.html
This is third one on Ambedkar again in addition to a letter to CM of
Punjab Bhagwant Singh Mann which is appended to this. It seems, I have nothing
better to do in my retired life and I do it with a sense of gratitude to
Babasaheb Ambedkar for the advantage of the country and the society at large.
Now to list what happened in and
around Bootan Mandi with regard to Ambedkar Jayanti this year which kept me
engaged:
Ø Joined Ambedkar Chetna March on April 13 at Guru Ravidass Dham
at Bootan Mandi. The Chetna March has, of late, become an annual event of the Ambedkar Chetna March Committee spearheaded by D. Surinder Kumar, an appreciable initiative which has caught the imagination of the people around and rightly so.
Ø Attended the State Level function to celebrate birth anniversary of Babasaheb Ambedkar at Babasaheb B.R. Ambedkar College at
Bootan Mandi which was graced and addressed by CM of Punjab BhagwantMann and MLA Sheetal Angural along with other AAP MLAs of Jalandhar. CM Bhagwant Mann also offered flowers and garlanded the statue of Babasaheb at Ambedkar Park at Bootan Mandi to pay respects to the leader.
Ø Like each consecutive year, Ambedkar
Bhawan Trust, Ambedkar Mission Society and Samta Sainik Dal celebrated Ambedkar
Jayanti at Ambedkar Bhawan, the nerve centre of activities pertaining to
Ambedkar under the patronage of Lahori Ram Balley.
Ø In the evening of April 14, there was
a solemn function at Guru Ravidass Dham at Bootan Mandi where meritorious young
students were felicitated amidst glowing tributes to Babasaheb.
Ø Ambedkar Community Centre and Guru Ravidass Mandir Trust of Bootan Mandi arranged a public show of music and songs to remember the icon just in front of the historic ‘Chubara of Seth Kishan Dass’ where Babasaheb came in October, 1951.
Ø Ambedkar Chetna March Committee
hosted a public meeting to pay tributes to the leader in front of Ambedkar
Bhawan with intellectual inputs by a learned professor of JNU and Principal of
Ambedkar College Bootan Mandi.
Ø The Ambedkar Chowk, a prominent land
mark of Jalandhar, as usual, became the high-spot of pilgrimage for the
followers of Ambedkar where politicians and social activists of all hues came
to garland the statue of Babasaheb Ambedkar in a Mela like scene.
From this one can easily make out
that it is not my obsession with Ambedkar but a sort of humble call of duty to
put these details in black and white for the benefit of younger generations to
come. I would like to buttress this claim further, with a sense of
gratification,
that the proposal on International Day of Equality is gaining
wider support, if not in India, but in other developed countries of the world.
I list here some of these details for the benefit of those who roam about in
the corridors of power in Delhi with the often repeated assertion Ambedkar will
prevail on his own. Anybody trying to side line this fact will do so at his or
own peril.
·
Canadian
City of Burnaby proclaimed April 14, birthday of Babasaheb Ambedkar as “Dr.
B.R. Ambedkar Day of Equality’ in April, 2020 with the efforts of Chetna
Association of Canada.
·
Canadian
Province of British Columbia proclaimed April 14 as “Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Day of
Equality” in April, 2021.
· Canadian Province of British Columbia proclaimed the month of April as “Dalit History Month” to honour dalit
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icons; Babasaheb Ambedkar, Jyotirao Phule, Babu Mangooram Mugowalia and Sant Ram Udasi in April, 2022
·
The
US State of Colorado declared April 14 as ‘Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Day of Equality’
in April, 2022.
·
The
US State of Michigan declared April 14 as ‘Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Equality Day’ in
April, 2022.
·
The
Canadian City of Surrey proclaimed April 14 as ‘Dr.B.R. Ambedkar Day of
Equality’ in April, 2022.
·
The
City of Jersey in the State of New Jersey of the US declared April 14 as
‘Equality Day’ under the aegis of Immigrant Affairs Commission in April, 2022.
·
The
UK City of Coventry declared and celebrated April 14 as ‘International Day of
Equality’ on April 14, birthday of Babasaheb Ambedkar in 2022 on the
initiatives of Federation of Ambedkar and Buddhist Associations of UK.
With these details, I conclude before it gets long by saying
“The More the Merrier”. We have arrived but yet to reach. Reach we must.
Jo Hai Pardon Mein Pinhan, Chashm-e-Beena Dekh Leti Hai
Zamane Ki Tabiyat Ka Taqaza Dekh Leti Hai
(The discerning eye sees everything covered in veils
It does see the exigencies of the nature of times)
Appendix:-
Text of my letter dated
March 31 to CM of Punjab –
March 31, 2022
Hon’ble CM Bhagwant Mann ji,
In the early days of your government, I am fully aware of
your pre-occupation with many important issues but still I am taking liberty,
Sir, to write about yet another subject which I am confident will certainly get
your kind perusal and consideration. I know you and CM Arvind Kejriwal hold
Babasaheb Ambedkar, the subject matter of the humble submission, in high esteem and rightly so.
Did you hear of the proposal on April 14, birth anniversary of Babasaheb Ambedkar, as International Day of Equality? I made this proposal to then EAM Sushma Swaraj in
June, 2015 in the run up to celebrate 125th birth anniversary of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. The proposal is resting in the cup-boards of UNES Division of the MEA since then. My last blog on the subject written in July, 2021, the link of which is given below, will give you some idea of my efforts in this regard. All the relevant information is available in m blogs. I am available to provide any additional information in this regard, if required - http://diplomatictitbits.blogspot.com/2021/07/it-is-time-to-remind-international-day.html - Why did I start this paragraph with a question mark? I did so because I had written to the AAP leadership about this in my Open Letters several times as a humble volunteer of AAP in 2016-17 and you being an alert and awakened leader might have heard of this.
The subject matter comes under the purview of the central
government in Delhi. But the state governments can always play their role in
supporting, backing and recommending the proposal to the central government why
writing to the EAM and PM by their own right. My humble suggestions, Sir, in
this regard are:
You may write, under the hand and seal of the CM of Punjab,
to EAM and PM to support and recommend the proposal to declare April 14,
birthday of Babasaheb Ambedkar, as International Day of Equality under the
aegis of the UN.
Punjab Legislative Assembly may pass a ‘Resolution’ in this
regard and support and recommend the proposal and sent it to the Speaker of the
Lok Sabha and Mahamahim Rashtrapati ji.
You would agree, Sir, this gesture on behalf of the
Government of Punjab under your leadership would not only tend to get a due
recognition to one of the greatest sons of India but also address the emotional
chord of the followers of Ambedkar and the society at large. It will also be a
befitting tribute to Babasaheb on his birth anniversary on April 14, 2022.
I am confident that my humble submissions would find
favorable consideration at your hands. I am taking the liberty of endorsing a
copy of this letter to Hon’ble CM of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal Sahib.
With assurances of my highest consideration.
Yours truly,
(Ramesh
Chander)
Shri Bhagwant Mann,
Chief Minister of
Punjab
Chandigarh
Copy to: Hon’ble CM of
Delhi, Shri Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi
POSTSCRIPT:- With the efforts of Ambedkar
Association of North America and following cue from others listed above, State
of
Maryland of the USA has declared and proclaimed April 14 as ‘Dr. B.R.
Ambedkar Day of Equality’ – The More the Merrier.
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