International Day of Equality – Much Needed Political Support

International Day of Equality – Much Needed Political Support

With a view to pursue the road-map for the proposal on International Day of Equality, I wrote to EAM Dr. S. Jaishankar on April 15 under intimation to PM Narendra Modi followed by a letter dated April 22 to Charanjit Singh Atwal, Chairman of the Forum of Scheduled Caste MPs and MLAs with copies to SC Ministers in the GOI namely Thaavar Chand Gehlot, Ram Vilas Paswan, Som Parkash, Rattan Lal Kataria and Ramdass Athawale. I decided to give due impetus to the efforts to gather much needed political support and wrote to about 80 MPs and MLAs of different parties vide my letter dated April 27 appended below:

April 27, 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 125^th birth anniversary of Babasaheb Ambedkar. The rest is history and the proposal is resting with the MEA/PMO since then.

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 22, 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

The purpose of this letter is to solicit your kind consideration and help in taking up the proposal with the GOI appropriately, as you deem fit, both in parliament/Assembly and outside to honour not only the greatest son of India, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, but also to contribute positively to the “Millennium Goals” of the UN to establish an ‘Equitable and just world order’.

I am confident, Sir, that my submissions would find due consideration with you and you would act as a true representative of “We the people of India” in the larger interests of the country and the society at large.

With regards,

Yours truly,

(Ramesh Chander)

Let us pursue the matter with our elected representatives in the parliament and state assemblies. I add here with a sense of regret that I have been following up the issue with some shortlisted MPs and public figures in my small way in the past also both by way of written communications and verbal briefings but could not get much response. It seems our MPs and MLAs are too occupied with their party matters or the proposal has gone over their head (fun intended - with due regard to their cerebral status). We are here to sit and discuss with them as convenient to them. We require their understanding and support. We would expect our MPs/MLAs to raise the subject in their respective party fora and gather support of

Ramesh Chander speaking on the proposal on International Day of Equality

their leadership. We also expect MPs to raise the matter in both the houses of parliament that is Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha appropriately under the rules of business in the house. Some of the MPs may also consider writing to the EAM Dr. S. Jaishankar to know the status of the proposal and convey their support. The MLAs may right to the CM of their respective states and request them to pass a resolution in the state assembly in support of the proposal to declare April 14, birth anniversary of Babasaheb Ambedkar, as International Day. These passed resolutions may be forwarded to the President/PM/EAM of India. I took the liberty of writing this in a bit of detail not to burden the people’s representatives but to make their work a bit easy. The ultimate decision how to handle the matter, obviously, rests with their better judgment. I am confident; our elected representatives will consider my submissions and do justice to their maker and saviour, Babasaheb Ambedkar. Let us repay the debt of gratitude to the greatest son of India by supporting the proposal on the International Day of Equality and convincing the GOI to support and take up the matter with the UN. The time is of essence. The deadline is the forthcoming UNGA session at New York to be held in September, 2020. As usual PM Narendra Modi /EAM Dr. S. Jaishankar will lead the Indian delegation to the UNGA Session.

हर दर्दमंद दिल को रोना मेरा रुला दे;

बेहोश जो पड़ें हैं शायद उन्हें   जगा दे !