Baba Saheb’s 130th birth anniversary : Equality Day
On 14 April, on the occasion of the 130th birth anniversary of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, the Prime Minister and the President paid tribute.
It is to be noted that this day is also called “Ambedkar Remembrance Day” and since the year 2015, the official public holiday in India has also been announced on 14 April.
The Prime Minister said that his struggle to bring the underprivileged sections of the society into the mainstream will continue to be an example and we should adopt education and ideals from his life.
Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar
- Ambedkar was born on 14 April 1891 in a tehsil called Mhow in Madhya Pradesh (present day Madhya Pradesh). His full name was Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar.
- His father’s name was Ramji Maloji Sakpal who was a Subedar in the British Army, and his mother Bhimabai Sakpal was a housewife.
- The subject of untouchability had a profound impact on Ambedkar’s life, as he was born into a Mahar caste considered untouchable at that time.
- Ambedkar saheb struggled to bring equality among the people throughout his life, for this reason, his birthday is also celebrated as “Equality Day”.
- Ambedkar continued to fight for the rights of Dalits and the underprivileged throughout his life, he breathed his last on 6 December 1956 in Delhi.
- Recently India has also demanded that her birthday be celebrated as “International Equality Day” at the United Nations. It is known that in 2016, 2017 and 2018, the United Nations celebrated Ambedkar Jayanti for three consecutive years.
Important fact related to Dr. Ambedkar
- During the Indian freedom struggle, Ambedkar published “Mooknayak” (weekly) in 1920 and the ”Bahishkrit Bharat” (monthly) paper in 1927.
- Ambedkar founded “The Independent Labour Party (ILP)” in August 1936 to address the problems of the Dalit class, workers and peasants, which was renamed the All India Scheduled Castes Association in the year 1942.
- Ambedar participated in all the three Round Table Conferences held between1930-32. These conferences were conducted on the basis of the report submitted by the Simon Commission in May 1930.
- Bhimrao Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi had a historic agreement on 24 September 1932 in Yerawada Central Jail, Pune, which is called Poona Pact.Under the agreement, the demand for a separate electorate for the Dalit class at that time was abandoned, but the number of seats reserved for the Dalit class was increased from 71to 147 in the Provincial Legislatures and 18% of the total seats in the Central Legislature.
- After the independence of India, Ambedkar was appointed the first Law Minister in the Union Cabinet of Independent India.On 5 February 1951, Ambedkar introduced a “Hindu Code Bill” in Parliament, failing which, he resigned.
- Ambedkar had said “untouchability is worse than slavery”. He has described untouchability and discrimination in his autobiography, “Waiting for a Visa”.
- Tightly shaped by the practice of untouchability prevalent in Hinduism, in 1955, he established ‘Indian Council of Buddhism’ and converted to Buddhism. His famous statement was that “Even though I was born in the Hindu religion, I will not die in the Hindu religion. This oath I made earlier; yesterday, I proved it true.’’
- Ambedkar has played an important role in the making of the Indian Constitution. He was the Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Constituent Assembly. In 1990, Ambedkar was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna.
- The period from 14 April 1990 — 14 April 1991 was observed as “Year of Social Justice” in the memory of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar .
- In 2020 Canada and in 2021 the Government of British Columbia decided to celebrate Ambedkar’s birthday as “Dr. BR Ambedkar Day of Equality”.
Source – PIB
