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Yogi Adityanath says Ambedkar’s work for deprived sections will always be an inspiration
Ambedkar struggled all his life, rather than running away, he is revered across the entire democratic world, says Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday said Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar’s work for the welfare and uplift of the deprived sections of the society will always be an inspiration. The Uttar Pradesh government will make every effort to realise his dreams and contribute to building a ‘New Uttar Pradesh of New India (Naye Bharat Ka Naya Uttar Pradesh)’, Yogi Adityanath said.
Yogi Adityanath also said every individual and democratic country across the world revered Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar. They all remembered him whenever there was a talk of the uplift of the poor and downtrodden, he said.
The chief minister was speaking on Ambedkar’s 131st birth anniversary at the main programme of the two-day event at the Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, a central university, in Lucknow.
“India is moving ahead as the world’s largest democracy because of the spirit of equality, justice, and fraternity that Dr Ambedkar infused in the Constitution of India,” Yogi Adityanath said.
Mentioning the struggles faced by the chief architect of the Indian Constitution, Yogi Adityanath said, “When Dr Ambedkar was born, there were malpractices and injustices like untouchability, discrimination. Imagine how difficult it must have been in those times to face all that in school and other places, and continue to work towards education and progress. Babasaheb adopted the path of struggle in life, instead of running away from difficulties. This is the reason the name of Babasaheb is taken with great reverence and respect the world over.”
He urged everyone to draw inspiration from his struggles.
“Babasaheb always emphasized Indianness,” Yogi said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid the highest respect to Ambedkar by developing places related to Babasaheb in the form of Panchteerth, the chief minister said.
Yogi Adityanath said the Uttar Pradesh government is providing pucca (concrete) housing to the poor and downtrodden.
“Over 43 lakh people were given houses in the state to fulfil the dreams of Babasaheb. People are getting facilities of toilet, electricity and education without any discrimination,” he said.
The chief minister further stated that it is the result of the efforts of the Ambedkar Mahasabha that the state government is working expeditiously to build a grand memorial and cultural centre dedicated to Ambedkar in Lucknow.
He also talked about Pakistan’s first law minister Jogendra Nath Mandal and said, “Both Babasaheb and Jogendra Nath Mandal worked for the uplift of the poor and the downtrodden.” “Babasaheb always called himself an Indian. While he became the law minister of India, Jogendra Nath Mandal became the law minister of Pakistan. But just three years after independence, Mandal was forced to flee from Pakistan and take refuge in India,” said Yogi.
“Today everyone and every democratic country in the world reveres Babasaheb but no one knows about Mandal,” the chief minister said.
Attacking the previous government, Yogi Adityanath said: “SC/ST scholarships were stopped before 2017, but when our government came, it not only revived them but extended and expanded them further.”
He stated that when the forces of the whole society worked together towards a goal, then the outcome is exemplary.
Yogi Adityanath mentioned the “elimination” of encephalitis in eastern Uttar Pradesh.
“In 40 years, over 50,000 children died of encephalitis. Most of these children were from SC/ST and minorities background. When I became the chief minister, the inter-departmental coordination committee was formed and in five years this problem was solved. This is the power of collective functioning.”
At the event, the chief minister Yogi Adityanath also viewed an archive exhibition and art exhibition on Dr Ambedkar.
