Grandson questions Cong plan to celebrate Ambedkar birth anniv

Dalit icon BR Ambedkar's grandson today questioned Congress's plan to hold year-long celebrations to commemorate the 125th birth anniversary of the architect of the Indian Constitution even as he noted that "wisdom had dawned late" on the party.
Holding that the elaborate plans being made by the party was a "matter of surprise" for him, Anandraj Ambedkar said, "It is a matter of surprise. I wonder if they (Congress) have given up the Gandhian ideology, which was contradictory to that of Babasaheb Ambedkar."
Citing a contradiction in the thinking of the two greats, Anandraj said that while Babasaheb would urge people to leave the villages for the city (to get education), Mahatma Gandhi would ask them to head towards hamlets.

"So, we don't understand if they (Congress) have changed their political agenda. Anyway, this is wisdom that has dawned late on the party," Anandraj said, who heads an outfit called Republican Sena. He added that he will explain his views on the issue to his supporters later this week.
In a move which is being seen as a bid to win back Dalits -- the loss of whose support has hit Congress hard -- Congress plans to commemorate Ambedkar's 125th birth anniversary, starting April 14.
A committee with Congress chief Sonia Gandhi as its chairperson and party vice president Rahul Gandhi as the co-chairperson has been formed for the purpose. Former Union minister Sushilkumar Shinde is the vice chairperson of the panel.

The celebrations will be launched at Mhow in Madhya Pradesh, the birthplace of Ambedkar, and will conclude at a function in Nagpur on his birth anniversary next year.

The BR Ambedkar Award for contribution towards social change will be conferred at the concluding ceremony on an individual or institution that has contributed to the promotion of social equity.
A national meet of Congress leaders will be organised in Mumbai to discuss further measures to empower and address social discrimination faced by the marginalised sections.
The emergence of BSP in Uttar Pradesh as also the churning in the wake of the Mandal Commission report in the north has caused a major dent in Congress's Dalit support base in the region in the past 25 years.