Following in footsteps of Ambedkar is real tribute, say officials

NTR District Election Officer and Collector, S. Dilli Rao, and other officials cutting the cake after paying floral tribute to the statue of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar on the occasion of the Ambedkar Jayanti, in Vijayawada on Sunday.

It is important for every person to read about Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s life to understand the ideologies and values that he stood for, and to imbibe them in everyday life, said Secretary to the State government, Social Welfare Department, K. Harshvardhan.

He was speaking after paying tributes to the portrait of Ambedkar, the first Law Minister of the country and considered as ‘Father of the Constitution’, at his 134th birth anniversary celebrations organised at Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Bhavan and Babu Jagjeevanram Bhavan in Vijayawada on April 14 (Sunday). The programme was attended by officials from the Social Welfare Department, NTR District Collector S. Dilli Rao, Joint Collector P. Sampath Kumar, among others.

Pointing out the importance laid by Dr. Ambedkar on education, Mr. Harshvardhan said that children should draw inspiration from Dr. Ambedkar, who despite innumerable hurdles, reached great heights.

Collector S. Dilli Rao remembered that the leader was born on this day in 1891 to Ramji Maloji Sakpal, an army officer who held the rank of a Subedar in the British Indian Army, and Bhimabai Sakpal. “It was Dr. Ambedkar who led a protest march in 1927 to break the rule that kept untouchables off the public pond in Mahad. As a mark of rebellion, he, along with hundreds of people, drank water from the pond,” Mr. Dilli Rao remembered.

Joint Collector Sampath Kumar said that following in his footsteps is the biggest tribute we can give to Dr. Ambedkar and asked the younger generation to imbibe his qualities. At the Andhra Ratna Bhavan, Congress leaders garlanded a portrait of Dr. Ambedkar and hailed him for working tirelessly for the upliftment of the downtrodden sections.