Observe Ambedkar Jayanti by taking a pledge to strengthen bonds of social unity: Left parties

The Left parties on Monday called upon the people to observe the Ambedkar Jayanti by taking a pledge at 5 pm on April 14 on various issues including safeguarding the Constitution and strengthening the bonds of social unity among people without discrimination.

In a statement, five Left parties said that their call is for maintaining "physical distance with social solidarity" and not "social distancing." "The Left parties call upon the people of India to observe Ambedkar Jayanti by taking a pledge at 5 pm on April 14," the statement said.

They called upon the people to take a pledge to demand immediate cash transfers and distribution of food "for the poor and needy who are suffering under the lockdown."

They called for "strengthening the bonds of social unity of our people without any discrimination based on religion, caste, gender or disability."

"There cannot be any assaults on life, liberty, democratic rights or expressions of untouchability, discrimination in the name of fighting the pandemic during lockdown restrictions," the statement said.

"Our call is to maintain physical distance with social solidarity and not social distancing," they said. They called for taking the pledge in the spirit of Ambedkar's exhortation to educate people against obscurantism, superstition and prejudices.

They also urged the people to extend and volunteer "support and assistance to those who need it for their survival and livelihood during the lockdown."

The statement said that as public assembly or garlanding of statues will not be possible, people should take this pledge "from wherever it's safe and convenient."

The statement has been issued by CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury, CPI's D Raja, CPI-ML-Liberation's Dipankar Bhattacharya, AIFB's Debabrata Biswas and RSP's Manoj Bhattacharya.

Dr BR Ambedkar, chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Constitution, was born April 14, 1891, and his birth anniversary is observed as Ambedkar Jayanti.