Nation pays homage to Ambedkar

BR Ambedkar, one of the makers of the Indian Constitution and Dalit messiah, was remembered on his 116th birth anniversary.

The nation on Saturday remembered BR Ambedkar, one of the makers of the Indian Constitution and Dalit messiah, on his 116th birth anniversary.

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Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi led a battery of political leaders to pay floral tributes at his statue in the Parliament house complex.

Several cultural programmes were organised across the nation to remember the great leader.

Thousands of people - most of them from backward communities - took out processions in the national capital, the state capitals and major cities to pay respect to Ambedkar, who had fought against untouchability and for the rights of the Dalits in India.

Portraits of Ambedkar were seen placed at many places in towns and people were seen garlanding them.

Born on April 14, 1891 in Madhya Pradesh's Mhow town, Ambedkar spent his life fighting against the caste system in the Hindu society. He later converted to Buddhism.