The Hindu : Mahatma, Ambedkar equally great: PM

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Wednesday, Dec 03, 2003

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National

Mahatma, Ambedkar equally great: PM

By Our Staff Reporter

The Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, with the Delhi Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit, at the dedication of `Babasaheb Dr. Ambedkar Parinirvan Sthal' in New Delhi on Tuesday. — PTI

NEW DELHI DEC. 2. Reminding people that the fight for India's freedom and the struggle to achieve social justice and freedom from oppression within one's own country went hand in hand, the Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, said those who fought for independence and also for deliverance from social injustice deserve equal respect and honour.

Laying the foundation for the "Babasaheb Dr. Ambedkar Parinirvan Sthal'' at 26, Alipur Road — now being developed as a national memorial and museum to this builder of modern India who envisaged a casteless and classless society through his signature document — the Constitution, Mr. Vajpayee hoped that when built, it would become a place of pilgrimage where "people would come and learn the lesson of social justice.''

Dr. Ambedkar stayed at 26, Alipur Road from November 1, 1951, to December 6, 1956, and therefore, it became the epicentre of much of his struggle for social justice and freedom from exploitation. And therefore, a decision was taken to establish a memorial and museum here. The process of acquisition of land by the Centre is now almost complete and with Mr. Vajpayee laying the foundation today, the memorial too is expected to come up fast. Arguing that Dr. Ambedkar revolted against the oppressive caste system which had perpetrated the "cycle of slavery'' within Indian homes, Mr. Vajpayee said his ideals were as relevant today as they were at the time when they were articulated. "After independence, the struggle against oppression and exploitation has continued making Dr. Ambedkar's ideals relevant to this day.''

The Prime Minister said there was a tendency to compare Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Ambedkar by some people which was quite misplaced. "The two cannot be compared and each one of them is great in his own way,'' he said, adding: "While one of them fought for the country's independence, the other laboured hard for social justice. And therefore, this place should inspire all those who are striving for social justice in their own countries.''

The Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, Satyanarayan Jatiya, said the memorial and museum were the long cherished dream of several of Dr. Ambedkar's followers and he himself had made efforts to complete the process of acquisition of land so that it could be built without any further delay.

The Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Nagamani, the Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, Vijay Goel, the Minister of State for Poverty Alleviation and Urban Affairs, Bandaru Dattatreya, the Delhi Lieutenant Governor, Vijai Kapoor, the Delhi Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit and the Social Welfare Secretary, B.S. Paswan, were present.

The Prime Minister also inaugurated a temporary exhibition on the life and times of Dr. Ambedkar at the venue. He released a special commemorative volume on Dr. Ambedkar brought out by the Dr. Ambedkar Foundation. Dr. Ambedkar's grandson and Member of Parliament, Prakash Ambedkar, was also present.

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