In The Name Of Babasaheb

Can Ambedkars legacy be reduced to a political totem?

- Sunaina Kumar

The Delhi address 15 Janpath Roa site of frenzied construction activity, a kind that is rather uncommon for the languid Lutyens Bungalow Zone Cranes, trucks, iron rods and mounds of san everywhere. Large masses of workers have putting in long hours. A contractor is heard ing a man that he has been working more 15 hours a day, but he does not grudge it, he says. “Bahut khushi hai ki Babasaheb ke liye k banaa rahe hain.” The man he addresses is bureaucrat from the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. He is here to inspect the of construction of the ambitious Ambedkar International Centre.

The office of Dr Ambedkar Foundation responsible for overseeing the project, is located on site—a cramped space with the sterile air common to sarkari premises. Sudhir Hilsayan editor of Samajik Nyay Sandesh, a monthly magazine on Ambedkar brought out by the Foundation, is the only person present in office on a Friday evening. He summarises the purpose of the new centre. “On every street corner in every city, you will find Ambedkar. He must be the most garlanded man in this country. But, we need to move beyond ceremonial tributes. The AIC will have a discourse on social justice and action-oriented research on Ambedkar." A modern stone building that will incorporate elements of Buddhist architecture, it will have a public library, a research centre, a convention centre, and will be made at an estimated cost of Rs 195 crore.