Activating the Activists – International Day of Equality

Activating the Activists – International Day of Equality

Keeping with the roadmap to pursue the proposal on International Day of Equality, I wrote to EAM Dr. Jaishankar under intimation to PM Narendra Modi, Chairman of the Forum of Scheduled Caste MPs and MLAs, Shortlisted MPs, Shortlisted friends, Spiritual leaders and Deras to seek consideration and support to the proposal. The government response is still awaited. But at the same time it is a matter of satisfaction that the proposal is getting much needed attention from the intellectual circles and the civic society at large. While political circles, surprisingly, are yet to respond, I take the liberty of sharing some of the responses and reactions of support received from the cross sections of the society, in addition to the support already shared in my earlier submissions:

I fully support your idea Sir as well as the HIGHLY APPRECIABLE efforts made by your Good self.

Regards

Lt Gen J S Dhillon,VSM( Retd)

I have read in detail the subject matter relating to International .Equality Day in order to mark well deserved respect to Baba Sahib.You have been pursuing this matter vigorously  and we all are with you always to support you whatever social cause beneficial to our community raised  and we'll taken up at the right forum. Thank you and regards.

P.R. Toora, a Reitred Diplomat

एक बहुत ही बढिया कदम संत समाज़ को लिख कर किया है... अब यह देखते हैं कि डेरो के सन्त व उनके सचिव इस की ओर कितनी जागरुकता रखते हैं

Pammi (Paramjit Mahey, a Retired Executive of BSNL

Rameshji, you are doing a marvellous work. I will be writing to all organisations in the UK to endorse this proposal and write the

MEA.

Arun Kumar of FABO of the UK

You are on right track and we all will succeed ultimately. We at Sri Guru Ravidas Sabha Regd, Kharar whole heartedly support your mission

Jai Pal Singh

Prakash Ambedkar

With a view to carry the matter forward, I decided to engage with the political and social activists with regard to International Day of Equality and wrote to them to solicit their support. Accordingly, I wrote on May 22  to some shortlisted big-wigs namely; Grandson of Babasaheb Ambedkar – Prakash Ambedkar, Great Grandson of our icon – Raj Rattan Ambedkar, Chairman of DICCI – Milind Kamble, Chandrashekhar Azad of Bhim Army, Prof Vivek Kumar of JNU, Prof Satish Prakash, Prof Rajesh Paswan of JNU, Brigadier Raj Kumar of AAP, Dr. Varinder Garg of RSS, RSS Senior Prabhari Banveer Singh, Prof. Chander Bhan Prasad, Retired IPS Kashmir Singh, MLA Jignesh Mevani,  Retired IRS Sat Paul, Justice Sat Paul Bangarh, Dr. Rahul Balley, Ms. Santosh Das of FABO of UK, Rajesh Bagha of BJP, Retired IFS Hardip Singh Kingra of Congress Party, Retired IAS Tilak Sarangal, inter alia and urged them to consider and support the proposal appropriately. I may add that Milind Kamble of DICCI and Santosh Das of FABO of UK were actively associated with the functions to celebrate 125th birth anniversary of Babasaheb Ambedkar at the UN in New York in April, 2016 in the run up to register the proposal on International Day of Equality registered with the then EAM Sushma Swaraj in

Raj Rattan Ambedkar

June, 2015 by Ambassador Ramesh Chander. The letter of May 22 is appended below.

I am confident that political and social activists would consider the proposal on International Day of Equality and would not leave any stone unturned to awaken the GOI and the society to accept and support the proposal. I repeat again, Time is of essence. Let us make the GOI to respond at the earliest

Jignesh Mevani

possible so that an official demarche could be made to the UN at its forthcoming UNGA in September, 2020. The glory of our icon, Babasaheb Ambedkar, has already occupied a due space all around and the International Day of Equality on his birth anniversary that is April 14 will only be a formal recognition of that which would bring further laurels to India that is Bharat. I am reminded of Alma Iqbal’s poetic expression:

उड़ाए कुछ बरक लाला ने कुछ नरगिस ने कुछ गुल ने,

चमन में हर तरफ बिखरी हुई है दास्ताँ मेरी !

उड़ा ली कुमारिओं ने तुतिओं ने अंदलीबों ने,

चमन वालों ने मिल के लूट ली तर्ज़े फुगाँ मेरी !

Appendix:

Text of the letter dated May 22, 2020

May 22, 2020

Respected Sir,

You may or may not be aware of the proposal on declaring April 14, birth anniversary of Babasaheb Ambedkar, as the International Day of Equality which I made to the then EAM Sushma Swaraj in June, 2015 in the run up to celebrate the 125th birth anniversary of Babasaheb Ambedkar. The rest is history and the proposal is resting with the MEA/PMO since then. The details are available in the links given in the following paragraphs.

With the recent positive development – the City of Burnaby of Canada proclaiming the day as “Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Day of Equality”, I thought of revisiting the issue and wrote to EAM Dr. S. Jaishankar on April 15, 2020 accordingly. All the necessary details of the proposal and related nitty-gritty are available in the link: http://diplomatictitbits.blogspot.com/2020/04/the-road-map-to-realize-proposal-on.html

 With a view to engage the parliamentarians and legislators, I also reiterated my submissions to the Forum of Scheduled Caste MPs. And MlAs through my letter dated April 19, 2020 addressed to Sardar Charanjit Singh Atwal who has been facilitating the matter with the GOI in the past. The details may be seen at the link: http://diplomatictitbits.blogspot.com/2020/04/following-up-road-map-international-day.html

Subsequently, I wrote to some shortlisted MPs and MLAs of various parties and a large number of my friends spread over various segments of the society and solicited their support to the proposal on International Day of Equality. With a view to engage the spiritual Gurus, I also approached about 15 Deras in and around Punjab and requested for their support to the proposal. I hope they would do their bit in this regard. But we need to go a long way in making our point reach home and April 14 declared as International Day of Equality by the world body, the UN.

The purpose of this letter is to solicit your kind consideration and help in taking up the proposal with the GOI appropriately and spread the message publically, as you deem fit. You and your associates have the capacity and will to do something concrete with regard to the empowerment of the weaker sections of the country and the society at large. Honouring the greatest son of India, Babasaheb Ambedkar, will be a step forward in realizing the lofty ideals of Equality, Liberty and Fraternity which are not only the basic edifice of our polity but also the goals of the UN too.

I am confident that my submissions would find due consideration with you and you will extend all support by taking up the matter appropriately with the GOI and other stake-holders. I am available for any further information/consultation in this regard.

With regards,

Yours truly,

(Ramesh Chander)

Shri Raj Ratan Ambedkar plus 15 Political and Social Activists