Ambedkar Jayanti or Bhim Jayanti is celebrated on April 14 to honour Dr BR Ambedkar -- a jurist, economist, politician and social reformer who campaigned against discrimination towards dalits.
Born on 14 April 1891, Ambedkar also supported the rights of women and workers.
Ambedkar Jayanti is celebrated across the country -- and especially by dalits, adivasi, labour workers, women and those who embraced Buddhism following his example -- as 'Equality Day'.
To commemorate it, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, on Wednesday, announced in the State Assembly that Ambedkar's birth anniversary will be celebrated as the ‘Day of Equality’ in the state.
“Baba Saheb Ambedkar’s birthday on April 14 will be celebrated as the Day of Equality, for which the oath will be taken across the Tamil Nadu,” said Stalin.
He also announced that a full-sized bronze statue of Ambedkar will be erected in the Ambedkar memorial in Chennai and certain selected books about Ambedkar will be published after being translated into Tamil.
In Uttar Pradesh, after winning the support of the Dalit community in the recently held Assembly elections, the BJP government has asked Union and state ministers, MPs and MLAs to attend local events on Ambedkar Jayanti on in all districts to take forward the “mission of BR Ambedkar”, The Indian Express reported.
These events would include public seminars, cleaning and garlanding of Ambedkar statues in what BJP said is an attempt to “give due respect to the Dalit ideologue and places associated with him”.
In Mumbai, the traffic police have imposed restrictions expecting a large number of Ambedkar followers to visit Chaitya Bhoomi in Dadar, reported The Free Press Journal. Since the huge turnout is bound to affect the traffic, hence restrictions will be in place on roads around Chaitya Bhoomi from 11 pm on Wednesday till Thursday midnight.
Meanwhile, in Hyderabad, ministers reviewed the construction of the 125-feet tall statue of Dr BR Ambedkar which is scheduled to be unveiled by the end of the year.
This will be the tallest statue of the Father of Indian Constitution anywhere in the world and it is coming up near Hussain Sagar lake in the heart of the city. The statue is being built at the cost of Rs 150 crore.
(With inputs from ANI)
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