The More The Merrier – All Buddhist and Guru Ravidass Organisations in the UK Support the Proposal on April 14, Birthday of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, as the International Day of Equality

 

The More The Merrier – All Buddhist and Guru Ravidass Organisations in the UK Support the Proposal on April 14, Birthday of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, as the International Day of Equality

I have been writing in my blogs about the International Day of Equality, a proposal made to the Government of India to declare

April 14, birthday of Babasaheb Ambedkar, as International Day of Equality under the aegis of the UN. Since June, 2015, we have been reminding and pursuing the matter with the concerned authorities and all other stake holders. My last blog, urging the BJP leadership to consider and support, on the subject refers: http://diplomatictitbits.blogspot.com/2023/05/an-open-letter-to-bjp-leadership-april.html

The Government of India is taking its own time and sitting tight, it seems. But the proposal is potent one. It would be difficult to keep it under the carpet for long. It is a matter of great satisfaction that the proposal has caught the attention of international community and

various cities and states in the developed world like; Canada, USA, UK, Australia among others and they have declared April 14 as ‘Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Day of Equality’ locally by passing Resolutions and Proclamations by the competent city councils and state legislatures. I wrote before and I reiterate it again that ‘We are not tired as yet’ and would continue to follow the matter. More and more people are joining to support the proposal – The More the Merrier:-

अकेले ही चले थे जानिबे मंज़िल;

लोग साथ आते गए; कारवां बनता गया।

Our brethren in the UK have given me a fresh opportunity write on the subject again. They under the banner of Federation of Ambedkar and Buddhist Organisations (FABO) has issued a Joint Statement on May 24, 2023 endorsed and signed by almost all registered and recognized Ambedkarite, Buddhist, Guru Ravidass Outfits in the UK to support the proposal on International Day of Equality to honour not only the greatest son of India, Babasaheb Ambedkar but also to strengthen the ‘Soft Diplomacy of India’ in establishing an ‘Equitable World Order’, one of the lofty ideals and objectives of the UN itself. The Joint Statement has been duly submitted to the High Commission of India in London for onward transmission to the GOI – EAM Dr. S. Jaishankar and PM Narendra Modi. Chetna Association of Canada has already endorsed the Joint Statement and has requested the Consul General of India in Vancouver to forward their submissions to the GOI in New Delhi. I take this opportunity to thank my friends and associates at the FABO; Arun Kumar and Santosh Das among others and Jai Birdi and other friends at Chetna Association of Canada. The Joint State is appended to this for perusal and ‘Necessary Action’.

What is the expected necessary action in this regard? -

All the Ambedkarite, Buddhist, Guru Ravidass and all interested and concerned outfits abroad (foreign countries) may issue Joint Statements or individual statements or endorse the Joint Statement of FABO and write to the concerned Indian diplomatic offices (Ambassadors/High Commissions/Consul Generals) in support of the International Day of Equality and request them to forward their submissions to the Government of India in Delhi.

Here in India, all the stake holders and followers of Babasaheb Ambedkar and all other right minded fellow citizens should write to the GOI; EAM Dr. S. Jaishankar and PM Narendra Modi and urge them to take a decision as early as possible and make a demarche to the UN in New York (USA) to get April 14 declared as International Day of Equality, an important step towards making India a “Vishwa Guru”.

It has been a long time since June, 2015 and the proposal is still resting in the cupboards of Ministry of External Affairs and PMO. Come on GOI; let us raise the flag of equality and honour the ‘Icon of Equality’, Babasahb Ambedkar. I conclude this ‘Reminder’ with a couplet which conveys our state of mind:

हर दर्दमंद  दिल को रोना करा रुला दे;

बेहोश जो पड़ें हैं; शायद उने जगा दे।

 

Appendex:-

JOINT STATEMENT

Declare 14 April, the birth anniversary of Dr Ambedkar as ‘International Day of Equality’

24 May, 2023

We, the following organisations, request the Government of India to make a demarche to the United Nations to declare 14 April, birthday of Babasaheb Dr Bhimrao R. Ambedkar as „International Day of Equality‟.

It gives us Indians, wherever we are settled, immense pride when we see one of our iconic figures - Dr Ambedkar - recognised worldwide in the matters of equality and social justice. His enormous contribution towards a just society and equality has been acknowledged in many countries around the world. He has been honoured with statues, schools and rooms in institutions and library‟s named after him. Columbia University in the US, London School of Economics in the UK, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, York University, Toronto, Canada, Koyasan University, Japan, New Zeeland, Australia, and Hungary are some of the many places where his statues have been installed. In Hungary there is a school named after him. In Jamaica, a road „Dr Ambedkar Avenue‟ was inaugurated by the former President of India. There is a street „Ambedkar Way‟ in Auckland, New Zeeland. In London Gray‟s Inn, his Alma meter has honoured him by naming a room „Ambedkar Room‟ and installing his portrait donated by the Federation of Ambedkarite and Buddhist Organisations, UK (FABO UK). Ambedkar Museum London has become India‟s pride for having only museum in the World named after any Indian.

Dr Ambedkar‟s contribution to social equality is as significant as that of Dr Martin Luther King Jr and Dr Nelson Mandela. It is a matter of great pride for all Indians to observe when a number of organisations, institutions and local authorities in India, and around the world are honouring Dr Ambedkar by declaring 14 April, a day of equality. First City of Burnaby in Canada proclaimed this in April 2020, followed by a declaration that 14 April is „Dr B.R. Ambedkar Day of Equality‟. This was followed by the Province of British Columbia, Canada in April 2021 that reaffirmed it again in April, 2022 and 2023. Vancouver also followed this and recognised 14 April as a day of equality. In the US, the state of Colorado has also declared as a „Day of Equity.‟ In the United Kingdom, City of Coventry made a declaration “Coventry City Council hereby declares 14th April as Equality Day in honour of the work of Bhim Rao Ambedkar for equality, liberty, fraternity and justice for all humans”. The time is ripe for the Government of India too to also recognise him as our national treasure and actively pursue the UN to declare 14 April as the International Day of Equality.

The UN in New York is not new to celebrating Dr Ambedkar. His birthday was celebrated at the UN on 14 April, 2016 and 2023. The leader of the Indian delegation to the celebrations, Sardar Charanjit Singh Atwal, former Speaker of Punjab Vidhan Sabha and Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha, supported this proposal in his address. In his report submitted to the Prime Minister on 3 May, 2016, Mr Atwal urged the Indian government to recommend to the UN that it declare 14 April as an International Day of Equality. By honouring Dr Ambedkar at the UN, India will not only strengthen its „soft power‟ in diplomacy but also promoting the UN goal of just world order based on equality.

FABO UK have been pursuing this proposal via the India‟s High Commission in London since 2015. We urge the Government of India to recommend this proposal to the UN General Assembly to be held in September 2023 to declare 14 April as an International Day of Equality. We hope you will pass on this proposal to the Government of India with a favourable recommendation.

Ambedkar Mission Society, Bedford

Anti-Caste Discrimination Alliance, UK

Asian Rationalist Society, Britain

Bhagwan Valmik Sabha Bedford

Bhagwan Valmik Sabha Birmingham

Bhagwan Valmik Sabha Coventry

Bhagwan Valmik Sabha Oxford

Bhagwan Valmik Sabha Southall

Bhagwan Valmik Temple Wolverhampton

Buddha Dhamma Association, Southall Central Valmik Sabha UK

Dr Ambedkar Mission Society, Glasgow Dr Ambedkar Buddhist Organisation, Birmingham Dr Ambedkar Memorial Trust, London Federation of Ambedkarite and Buddhist Organisations UK Indian Scheduled Caste Welfare Association, UK

Indian Workers' Association, Great Britain

Jagat Guru Valmik Ji Maharaj Mandir, Gian Ashram, Birmingham Kanshi Radio Ltd Kanshi TV Punjab Buddhist Society, UK

Shri Guru Ravidass Sabha UK (SGRS-UK) and is the voice for all Shri Guru Ravidass Temples in the UK:

- Shri Guru Ravidass Sabha Bedford,

- Shri Guru Ravidass Sabha Birmingham

- Shri Guru Ravidass Sabha Bradford

- Shri Guru Ravidass Sabha Coventry

- Shri Guru Ravidass Temple Foleshill, Coventry

- Shri Guru Ravidass Sabha Darlaston,

- Shri Guru Ravidass Sabha Derby

- Shri Guru Ravidass Sabha, East Ham

- Shri Guru Ravidass Sabha Glasgow

- Shri Guru Ravidass Sabha Gravesend

- Shri Guru Ravidass Sabha Erith Kent

- Shri Guru Ravidass Sabha Leicester

- Shri Guru Ravidass Sabha Luton

- Shri Guru Ravidass Sabha Northampton

- Shri Guru Ravidass Sabha Southall

- Shri Guru Ravidass Sabha Southampton

- Shri Guru Ravidass Sabha Strood

- Shri Guru Ravidass Sabha Strood, Medway

- Shri Guru Ravidass Sabha Walsall

- Shri Guru Ravidass Sabha Willenhall

- Shri Guru Ravidass Sabha Wolverhampton