UK: India High Commission honours Ambedkar, commemorates 67th ‘Mahaparinirvan Diwas’

London [UK]: The Indian High Commission in the UK organised a memorial event to commemorate the 68th Parinirvan Divas of Babasaheb Dr BR Ambedkar on Wednesday.

The event was organised in association with the Federation of Ambedkarite and Buddist Organisation UK (FABO) at the Ambedkar Hall, India House, Aldwych in London.

“The Parinirvan Divas of Babasaheb Dr BR Ambedkar is a solemn day of remembrance of a visionary leader, social reformer and the principal architect of the Indian Constitution. Dr Ambedkar’s deep sense of justice and his unwavering commitment to the principles of liberty, equality and fraternity, guided the framing of a Constitution that not only laid the foundation for a democratic India but also aimed at dismantling age-old social hierarchies.

Dr Ambedkar’s contributions…extend far beyond the drafting of the Constitution…He recognized that education could serve as a powerful equalizer, breaking down barriers of caste, and fostering a sense of self-worth among the marginalized,” Acting High Commissioner of India to the UK, Sujit Ghosh, said at the commemoration event.

Born on April 14, 1891, Baba Saheb Ambedkar was an Indian jurist, economist, politician and social reformer who campaigned against social discrimination towards Dalits and supported the rights of women and workers.

Also regarded as the architect or father of the Indian constitution, Ambedkar died on December 6, 1956.

Baba Saheb was a prolific student, earning doctorates in economics from both Columbia University and the University of London. In 1956.

He led a satyagraha in Mahad to fight for the right of the untouchable community to draw water from the main water tank of the town.

On September 25, 1932, an agreement known as the ‘Poona Pact’ was signed between Ambedkar and Madan Mohan Malaviya.

By virtue of the pact, the depressed class received 148 seats in the legislature, instead of the 71 as allocated earlier.

Ambedkar was also one of the seven members of the committee that drafted the Constitution after independence. In 1990, he was posthumously conferred with the Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest civilian honour.