London, The High Commission of India in London marked the 136th birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna Dr B R Ambedkar with floral tributes and reflections upon Babasaheb’s message of equality for all.
The solemn event at Ambedkar Hall in India House on Wednesday evening resonated with poetic renditions in praise of the far-reaching socio-economic contributions of the principal architect of the Indian Constitution by members of the Federation of Ambedkarite and Buddhist Organisations UK, students and community leaders.
A video tribute encapsulating the many highlights of Ambedkar’s life and career, including his time as a law student in London, set the stage for the commemorative event.
“His message to us about the essence of democracy being rooted in the idea that we treat people equally, all people equally, is central to what a modern nation must be,” said Vikram Doraiswami, who was addressing one of his final events as India’s High Commissioner to the UK before he leaves to take up his ambassador’s post in China.
“And of course, it’s a journey that is still very much in progress, not just in India, but across the world. We live in an era of continuing inequality, continuing acts of violence across gender and social lines. But that truism that Babasaheb left us with cannot be wished away or forgotten,” he said.
The senior diplomat reflected upon the visionary social reformer’s “remarkable” legacy of producing a Constitution soon after Independence that made India the first in the world to become a democracy for all people in conditions of dire poverty.
“I think we should bear in mind the international impact of what he said and did. If today there has been a tradition of trying to move the arc of history towards justice – social, economic and political – it is because of him.
“It is amazing that his experience of oppression led him not to withdraw into himself, but to actually challenge oppression in all its forms and all its dimensions. That is the hallmark of a truly great soul,” he said.
Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar was born on April 14, 1891 in Mhow Cantonment – now officially named Dr Ambedkar Nagar – in Madhya Pradesh and his birth anniversary is marked annually at Prerna Sthal within Parliament House premises in Delhi and at Indian missions worldwide.
The event in London concluded with a farewell from FABO UK members to the outgoing High Commissioner, who will shortly take charge as India’s man in Beijing.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
