Headlines
Ambedkar faced political untouchability after death: Modi
New Delhi, April 20
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi on Monday said India has a constitution in which there is no place
for disharmony and bitterness, but its chief architect B.R. Ambedkar
faced social untouchability in his lifetime and political untouchability
after his death.
In his remarks at the foundation stone ceremony
of Dr Ambedkar International Centre here, Modi said Ambedkar stood for
all of humanity and was a ray of hope for the marginalised and
downtrodden sections of society.
He said Ambedkar faced intense
social abuse in his life but did not allow his suffering to convert into
any sense of revenge in the task of drafting the constitution.
Modi said Ambedkar created great institutions such as the election commission and the finance commission.
Referring
to his humble origins, Modi said he could not have got opportunity to
serve as prime minister if there was no Ambedkar.
"Sometimes, I think at a personal level, if there had been no Babasaheb Ambedkar, where would have been Narendra Modi," he said.
He
said Ambedkar represented a combination of "samata" (equality) and
"mamata" (motherly love) which brought about "samrasta" (social
harmony).
"He (Ambedkar) not only faced social untouchability but
after his death had to face political untouchability. The country does
not need social untouchability or political untouchability," Modi said.
Noting
that the project for the Ambedkar Centre was conceived in 1992, Modi
said he was distressed at the delay and his government has resolved to
complete the work within 20 months.