An oath in the name of truth

Either it was nerves or his usual absent-mindedness, but Ramdas Athawale, the Republican Party of India (A) chief, had to be reminded by President Pranab Mukherjee that he could not just rapidly read the oath; he also needed to pronounce his name. Athawale, dressed in deep blue headgear that has come to mark his Dalit identity, proceeded to complete the oath with frequent help from the President. It was unlike the Athawale who is usually so effusive that his press conferences last over two hours. He is also seen in Parliament bringing the house down with his short poems. Athawale was one of the very few among the 19 newly inducted ministers in the Union Cabinet to take oath in the name of truth and not God. He was also the only one to end his oath with the salutation, "Jai Bhim, Jai Bharat". "Jai Bhim" is a salutation in honour of B R Ambedkar, the architect of the Constitution and a Dalit icon. Besides Athawale, the other minister to take oath in the name of truth was Anupriya Patel. She is a Lok Sabha member from Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh and belongs to the Other Backward Class Kurmi community.