Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar gave utmost importance to individual freedom: Prakash Ambedkar

Former Lok Sabha MP and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar's grandson Prakash Ambedkar on Wednesday said that Dr Babasaheb's contribution is relevant even today since even after being attacked from all corners, it is the Constitution that is keeping the freedom of speech and expression intact.

Ambedkar said observation of the Constitution Day has become a necessity since intolerance is increasing in all spheres, be it about the worshipping of Saibaba or expressing of one's agony like what Aamir Khan did recently. "It is important to take into account the strongly-rooted family values in our society. Dr Ambedkar exhibited great vision when he presented the Constitution to the Constituent Assembly. He identified that our society would become individualistic in coming years and ensured that individual freedom is at the core of the Indian Constitution," he said.

However, Ambedkar pointed out that while drafting the Constitution which gave utmost importance to individual freedom, Dr Ambedkar had also put the pre-condition that on exercising individual freedom one should ensure that it does not create problem to any other individual.

Talking about religious freedom, he said: "The Constitution provides for not only worshipping the Gods, but it also allows to change Gods. That it is the beauty of our Constitution."

Ambedkar recalled that Babasaheb was well aware of the plurality of the country and that is the reason he ensured that multi-lingual, multi-religious and multi-ethnic groups in this country should be able to exercise their rights without disturbing each other's lives. He pointed out that that is the reason Dr Ambedkar ensured unity in this diversified country by giving a Constitution which took care of all communities and their rights.

Underlining the important contribution his grandfather, Ambedkar said that Babasaheb had created the three pillars of democracy (except for the fourth estate) in such a manner that the three have to co-exist. Howsoever is the friction between the three, pointed out Ambedkar, this country and its system do not collapse only because of this arrangement envisioned by Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. "That has kept these three pillars inter-dependent as well as independent of each other," he said.