Thousands of citizens visited Chaitya Bhoomi at Dadar, the monument to Babasaheb Ambedkar, freedom leader and architect of the Indian Constitution, on Sunday on his 133rd birth anniversary. Chaitya Bhoomi is a Buddhist religious site built on the site of Ambedkar’s cremation on December 6, 1956. The Mumbai police had made special traffic arrangements in the roads around Chaitya Bhoomi to accommodate the rush of followers to the memorial.
Ambedkar was born in the cantonment town of Mhow, renamed Dr Ambedkar Nagar, in what is now Madhya Pradesh, on April 14, 1891.
B R Ambedkar Remembrance Day Celebrations Across Mumbai
Functions were organised across the city to mark the anniversary. Memorials were set up in street corners and housing colonies, where songs written about Ambedkar’s extraordinary life were played. Many organisations observed ‘B R Ambedkar Remembrance Day’. The Karmaveer Dadasaheb Gaikwad Cultural Foundation held an event where Dr Bhalchandra Mungekar, former Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha and former Vice-Chancellor of Mumbai University was a speaker.
PM Modi Paid Tribute To B.R. Ambedkar
Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to Ambedkar. In a message on micro-blogging site ‘X’, Modi said that Ambedkar is an inspiration for people belonging to the backward classes. “He made us realise that to achieve anything, it's not necessary to be born into a wealthy family. Instead, in India people born into poor families can also dream and work hard to fulfil their vision.”
"There were times when people tried to stop him and strived that a poor man belonging to a backward class would not move forward. However, the image of the new India is completely different. This India belongs to Babasaheb Ambedkar, to the poor, to the backward class," Modi added.
Babasaheb Ambedkar: Legacy, Contributions, And Views On Democracy And Constitutional Morality
Ambedkar was honoured with the country’s highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna, in 1990. He campaigned for the rights of marginalised groups and castes. An eminent jurist, he was the country’s first minister for law and justice. He was the chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Indian Constitution. Talking about the idea of democracy, Ambedkar had said, “Constitutional morality is not a natural sentiment. It has to be cultivated. We must realise that our people have yet to learn it. Democracy in India is only a top-dressing on Indian soil which is essentially undemocratic’.
Aam Aadmi Party's Azad Maidan Rally
Members of the Aam Aadmi Party gathered at Azad Maidan to mark the anniversary as 'Sanvidhan Bachao, Tanashahi Hatao' Diwas. The gathering raised slogans to protest Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest in the Delhi liquor scam case and said that the arrest was illegal. "Babasaheb Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar is a source of never ending inspiration to fight against oppression. Arvind Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party, will never allow the destruction of Dr Ambedkar's constitution." said Dhanraj Vanjari, Mumbai Working President, Aam Aadmi Party.
