D Ravinder, vice-chancellor of Osmania University, said the 125-foot Ambedkar statue should be seen as a symbol of democracy and social justice.
Posted Date – Tue, 04/04/23 at 07:32pm
Hyderabad: Sukhadeo Thorat, former chairman of the University Grants Commission, said Dalits in Telangana enjoyed being involved in various fields after the formation of the new state.
He said BR Ambedkar had envisioned increased participation of religious and social minorities in smaller states, which he said was proven true in Telangana. Dalits in Telangana are actively sharing power, he said, adding that all this is a benefit of BR Ambedkar’s policies and vision.
On Tuesday, he was speaking at a Thanksgiving ceremony organized by Ravindra Bharathi’s Prabuddha Bharat International, Samatha Sainik Dal and SC, ST Officer Forum. The meeting was held in solidarity with Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao’s decision to name the new Secretariat Building after BR Ambedkar, and a 125-foot statue of Ambedkar was also installed.
Speaking at the rally, Solat said the father of the constitution under state restructuring favored a smaller state. While many support the one language-one country concept, BR Ambedkar wants to form several countries based on a particular language. Apart from that, Ambedkar is against nominating individuals to the central or state assemblies and insists on electing individuals. Governments have the option to nominate individuals of their choosing, a practice Ambedkar strictly opposes, he said.
Experts from different fields present at the meeting welcomed the Chief Minister’s decision to name the secretariat after Ambedkar.
D Ravinder, vice-chancellor of Osmania University, said the 125-foot Ambedkar statue should be seen as a symbol of democracy and social justice. Without his vision and the inclusion of Article 3 in the constitution, Telangana would not have existed, he said, adding, “BR Ambedkar does not belong to a particular community but to all parts.”
TSCHE chairman R Limbadri said no other state worked as hard for the welfare and development of Dalits as the Telangana government. After the Chief Minister established several boarding schools and colleges, the gross enrollment of Dalits and women increased significantly. He said the effective implementation of the Dalit Bandu scheme is boosting the confidence of the Dalits and paving the way for their socio-economic development.
Special Officer Mallepally Laxmaiah, Project Officer of Buddhavanam, said he has been associated with the Chief Minister for more than 22 years and he is wholeheartedly working for the holistic development of Dalits. In 2003, a special meeting of the Dalit leaders of United Andhra Pradesh was held. While there was no clarity or guarantee on the formation of Telangana, the Chief Minister tried to list the measures being taken for the welfare and development of the Dalits. He added that it reflected his commitment and vision.
Ghanta Chakrapani, former chairman of TSPSC, and Allam Narayana, chairman of Telangana Press Academy, also spoke.
