Amaravati is set to be the new capital of Andhra Pradesh and Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has announced some new plans. He has already said that he wants to develop the capital as a tourist attraction due to its connection to Buddhism. Now he wants to build a 125-foot statue of BR Ambedkar to mark the 125th birth anniversary of the renowned leader and thinker.
A report in The New Indian Express states that on Tuesday, Naidu spoke about this in the assembly and also announced year-long celebrations to mark Ambedkar's 125th birth anniversary. He was quoted as saying, "We're planning to develop the memorial as a garden which will have a convention centre and a Buddhist meditation hall. We are also planning to set up a museum and a library to make people aware about the great leader’s teachings.” The museum will depict the life and teachings of Ambedkar and the statue would come up on a 15-acre site.
He also reportedly added, "We want to develop Amaravati as a tourist attraction for Buddhists from across the globe. BR Ambedkar’s proposed statue and memorial park would further add glory to the capital city. We are planning to organise an Ambedkar Ideology Run, Ambedkar Sports Meet and other programmes for the entire year. We will translate all the works of Ambedkar into Telugu language.
The Chief Minister also stated that the state will hold an 'anti-discrimination week' and host an international Buddhist convention.
Additionally, Naidu has announced that the state government will lay the foundation stone for 6 lakh houses for poor people on April 14. This was in keeping with the teachings of Ambedkar and NT Rama Rao's efforts to uplift the poor.
