‘Ambedkar gave the country the mantra of unity in diversity’

Folk artists performing as part of a procession to mark Ambedkar Jayanti in Belagavi on Monday.
| Photo Credit: P.K. BADIGER

The district administration organised the 134th birth anniversary of Ambedkar’s in Belagavi on Monday.

Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Roshan spoke at the celebrations, after inaugurating a procession. He said that it was Dr. Ambedkar who gave the country the mantra of unity in diversity.

“The Constitution gives us the basic principles of our country, the basic values of our life, the basic theory that we are all one through unity in diversity,” Mr. Roshan said.

The event was organised jointly by the district administration, Zilla Panchayat, city corporation and Social Welfare Department at the city’s Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Park.

“After going through his ideas, we realize that he is not just a person but an institution. He should not be limited to just one caste. Dr. Ambedkar is the identity of India and the development of the country is possible only when we have the attitude that we are all one,” he said.

Rationalist Bhimaputra Santosh, who was the resource person, spoke about the life and achievements of Dr. Ambedkar.

“He is the real leading leader of this country. Dr. Ambedkar cannot be found in a statue but in books. We should all read the Constitution to understand him better,” he said.

“For all of us, Babasaheb is like the heart of this country. Dr. Ambedkar was considered untouchable by society in his times. But no one in the whole world has been able to touch the levels of knowledge he reached. If he has to be celebrated and followed, we should work towards creating an equal society. We should realise that our enemies are only afraid of education. Dr. Ambedkar’s mandate for all of us is to get education. He motivated people to wear neat clothes and educate themselves till the end. Money and wealth were not important to him. The future of the people of the country was more important to him. We should not limit Ambedkar Jayanti to celebrations, but to follow him and his principles,” Mr. Santosh said.

Mayor Mangesh Pawar, Deputy Mayor Vani Vilas Joshi, Police Commissioner Iada Martin Marbaniang, Superintendent of Police Bhimashankar Guleda, Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer Rahul Shinde, Additional Deputy Commissioner Vijayakumar Honakeri, City Corporation Deputy Commissioner Udayakumar Talawar, community leader Mallesh Chougale and others were present.