Page 4 - Ramdas Athawale
All in good humour
The Narendra Modi government fielded newly appointed Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale to speak during the discussion in the Rajya Sabha on alleged atrocities against Dalits and the derogatory comments made by a Bharatiya Janata Party leader from Uttar Pradesh about Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati. Athawale, president of the Republican Party of India (A) (RPI) and a Dalit himself, soon had the House in splits. When he rose to speak, the display board in the Rajya Sabha showed the name of the minister whose seat he had occupied, instead of Athawale's. Other members pointed that out and Athawale returned to his seat, but not before reminding everyone that while taking oath earlier this month, too, he didn't utter his name. "When I am standing, it is me who is speaking," he said. He then proceeded to rib Mayawati, saying her party, the BSP, had robbed the RPI of its symbol, the elephant. Athawale also joked about the Congress. "Bahut baar diya t
Promote inter-caste marriages to end casteism: Ramdas Athawale
To a question over attack on Dalits by vigilantes for skinning a dead cow in Gujarat, he said these sort of incidents should not happen
 "Promote inter-caste marriages to end casteism: Ramdas Athawale")
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.
Cabinet expansion: Ramdas Athawale's induction part of Modi's dalit outreach
Athawale's induction comes at a time when BJP has laid claim to the legacy of dalit icon B R Ambedkar
 "Cabinet expansion: Ramdas Athawale's induction part of Modi's dalit outreach")