PRO, Raj Bhavan, Chennai, Apr 14 Babasaheb Dr. B.R. Ambedkar is one of the greatest and brightest sons in the galaxy of India’s sons and daughters. He was a great National leader, an intellectually giant personality, and a visionary who contributed immensely to the making of this great nation. Unfortunately, after independence, his contributions to the Nation were played down so much that the person who dedicated his whole life to the annihilation of the caste system in our society, our people, reduced him to a caste leader.
He conceived the Indian Constitution, the most comprehensive and efficient document in the world. The beauty of our Constitution is that, within its solid framework, it is flexible and responsive to the changes of the future. I have witnessed it. The provisions made in the constitution are amazing and cater to the needs of the future. He was so foresighted that he encapsulated and brought the unseen tomorrow into the Constitution. We need to have our eyes to see it.
He did much more than that. During the National freedom struggle, the British tried to divide the society by promoting fake theories. In this land, they came up with the Dravid-Aryan race theory and patronised it; in the North-East, they promoted false ethnicity. They divided on the lines of religion, calling Muslims and Hindus different and cant live together and partitioned Bengal on this line. They played a master stroke by calling the downtrodden community separate, dividing the society on the lines of Dalits and Non-Dalits. Had they succeeded, what would India be like today? It was Babasaheb who stood with Mahatma Gandhi against British design in the Poona Pact. We do not appreciate the profound contributions of such a great man, who was downplayed and reduced as a caste leader. He dreamt of Bharat where we don’t have caste and all live like a family. To create Bharatiyar’s Bharat (Palla kude Nalla Nadu) was the dream of Babasaheb.
On his 133rd birth anniversary, let us commit ourselves to making this country what Babasaheb dreamed. A strong and united Bharat, which leads the world in all aspects for the good of humanity.
The constitution also has one article chapter that is not much talked about, which is Fundamental Duties. The constitutional obligation to perform certain duties, essential to make this country of the dream of Babasaheb. Our young leaders of Bharat have the capacity to bring about change. And when we have a national leader who is trying to fulfil the dream of Babasaheb, to make one united and strong Bharat, “Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas Sabka Prayas”, all together we can build this country. In this endeavour, our youth have a great role to play. You are our hope. You and you alone can fulfil the destiny of Bharat. In the next 25 years, by 2047, when our country would be celebrating its centenary of independence, India must be a fully developed nation, capable of fulfilling its obligation to the world, to create a world as a family, “Vasudhav Kutumbakam”. To fulfil that, you, the youth of the nation, have to carve out your own responsibility. You will be at the helm of affairs in 2047. You have to fulfil the dream of Babasaheb. You are not just an individual, you are the seeds of the future of India, and in you lie the faith and destiny of this great India. I urge the youth of our country to keep that obligation in mind and work for it, drawing aspirations from Babasaheb, who stood against all his adversities.
