From Mhow to New York, govt eulogises Dalit icon

There were many firsts to mark the 125th birth anniversary of BR Ambedkar. From Prime Minister Narendra Modi sharing dais with Buddhist monks in Mhow, the Dalit icon's birth place, to Indian diplomatic missions all over the world, including the one at the United Nations, the anniversary was celebrated at par with Republic Day, Independence Day and Gandhi Jayanti.

After invoking Buddhism in foreign diplomacy, Modi reflected his reverence to the religion on the domestic stage. While paying tributes to Ambedkar, who had converted to Buddhism, he had, by his side, Buddhist monks, one of whom was 87-year-old Dhamma Virio of Akhil Bharatiya Bhikshu Maha Sangha.

Kanshi Ram, the Dalit leader, who was Mayawati's mentor, had, in 2002, announced his intention to convert to Buddhism on October 14, 2006, the 50th anniversary of Ambedkar's conversion. However, he died just a week before that date and his last rites were performed according to Buddhist traditions.

Modi has made symbolic gestures over his regards for Buddhism, a religion propagating peace. Making it a realm of diplomacy, he has tried to reach out to countries in East Asia, which have a Buddhist connect, BJP sources said.

The BJP wants to leave no stone unturned in its outreach to Dalits, as it braces up for the Uttar Pradesh election, which is a year away.

The Modi government and the party have planned a 10-day programme across the country, while outside, from Buenos Aires to Tokyo, Indian diplomatic missions hosted receptions to mark Ambedkar's birth anniversary.

For the first time, the UN also celebrated the day and Ambedkar was described as a "global icon" for marginalised people. Indian's Permanent Mission at the UN headquarters in New York arranged a panel discussion attended by UNDP Administrator Helen Clark, and three academics.

Government sources here said that the thrust of the celebrations of the Dalit icon's anniversary had come from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). So far the missions used to arrange such discussions only to mark Gandhi Jayanti or commemorate India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

Sources added that Ambedkar's legacy was pushed forward deliberately to claim his legacy and blunt the diplomatic fall-out on the debate on intolerance and student unrest, following the suicide of Dalit student Rohith Chakravarti Vemula in Hyderabad Central University.

Many Dalit writers such as V T Rajshekhar had always tried to link the travails of American Black population to Dalits in India. Incidentally, Vemula's family converted to Buddhism in Mumbai.

Back home, the RSS was in sync with the BJP. A cover story in the latest issue of 'Organiser', the RSS mouthpiece, described Ambedkar as a unifier, while the editorial said it was Babasaheb who revived the reformist zeal of ancient civilisation in the modern era.

"Though Babasheb criticised and denounced the rotten customs of Hinduism, when he had to find an alternative path, instead of going for foreign originated Semitic religions or divisive ideologies, he preferred the path of Buddha, simply because he was aware of the cultural spirit of his Motherland," the editorial said.

Meanwhile, hitting back at the Congress, which has accused him of trying to "appropriate" the legacy of national icons, Modi said that the party that ruled the country for decades should "repent" for "undermining" the legacy of the architect of the Constitution.

Addressing a rally on the 125th birth anniversary of Ambedkar at his birthplace here, Modi asked why the Congress was getting perturbed when his government was working ardently for fulfilling the vision of the Dalit icon and said he would have felt proud to work at "the feet of Baba Saheb".

In Lucknow, BSP supremo Mayawati, cautioning Dalits and backwards against BJP's designs, said its leaders will only act as "bonded labourers of RSS" and claimed Modi could do little for the OBCs, though he claims to belong to the community.

Mayawati, who faced opposition attack during her last stint as UP chief minister over building memorials to Dalit icons, including her mentor Kanshi Ram and herself, on Thursday promised she would not construct new monuments and focus on development if voted to office again.

Describing Ambedkar as one of the greatest icons of modern India, Congress president Sonia Gandhi recalled his contribution across every field of national development on his 125th birth anniversary. "One of the greatest icons of modern India, Dr Ambedkar's contribution is spread across every field of national development.

"His faith in democracy, which he shared with Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel and other stalwarts of the freedom movement, is one of his proud legacies to our country," she said in a message.

—With inputs from agencies