President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the nation on Thursday in remembering Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar, independent India’s first law minister, on the Dalit icon’s 131st birth anniversary. “Humble tributes to Babasaheb on his birth anniversary! A strong advocate of social justice, Babasaheb laid the foundation of modern India as its constitutional architect. Let’s do our part in building an inclusive society by following his ideal of ‘Indian first, Indian later and Indian last’,” the Rashtrapati Bhavan tweeted, quoting President Kovind.
Vice President Naidu said that Dr Ambedkar was a ‘multi-faceted genius.’ His office tweeted, “My humble tributes to the architect of the Indian Constitution, Dr BR Ambedkar on his birth anniversary today. He was a legal luminary, visionary statesman, outstanding constitutional expert, brilliant parliamentarian & social reformer. He was the voice of the socially oppressed and dedicated his life to the upliftment of the marginalized sections of society. His iconic life and noble thoughts continue to guide the nation.”
“Tributes to Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar on his Jayanti. He has made indelible contributions to India’s progress. This is a day to reiterate our commitment to fulfil his dreams for our nation,” PM Modi, too, posted on Twitter.
In Lucknow, former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati, a Dalit stalwart herself, garlanded a statue of Ambedkar at her party office.
Born on April 14, 1891, Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar is also known as the ‘Father of the Indian Constitution’ as he headed the committee which drafted the Constitution of India. A jurist and also an economist, he was posthumously conferred the Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest civilian award in 1990, more than 30 years after his demise on December 6, 1956.
