Dr Ambedkar: Every political party's hero

To aspire and strive to be Viksit Bharat by 2047 is a noble vision. We all must contribute in our own ways to achieve this ambitious goal. But shouldn't we pledge that this Viksit Bharat will have no trace of untouchability, practised in over 13,000 villages today?

- SURENDRA KUMAR

The celebrations all over the country on April 14 marking the 135th birthday of Dr B.R. Ambedkar were arguably the most elaborate and perhaps best attended. Political leaders belonging to the ruling parties as well as the Opposition queued up in discipline to pay floral tribute to him. For a change, cutting across party lines, they saluted a Dalit leader, who in his life, in spite of his intellectual brilliance, vast legal knowledge and enviable degrees from prestigious American and British universities, had to endure unbelievable indignities, injustices and discrimination. This public display of reverence and outpouring of unbridled admiration captured on thousands of TV cameras seemed surreal. If Baba Saheb were watching the ceremonies from above, he wouldn't believe that these were for him.

He couldn't imagine that it's the same country where when he arrived at Bombay Victoria terminus armed with two doctorate degrees in a coat and tie, none would take him to his village because his name revealed that he was a Mahar. Even a bullock cart driver who agreed to take him on the station master's recommendation and for a much higher amount, would wait till sunset so that Ambedkar's shadow wouldn't pollute him; besides, he would simply walk in front of the cart while Ambedkar and his brother would drive the cart. Both went thirsty on the onerous route as none—no temple, no mosque and no shop—would offer them water because of their caste. Later, in Bombay, none would rent him any place to live; so, he had to hide his real name and get a room pretending to be a Parsi. But the old Parsi landlady threw him out in rage when she found out from his mail that he wasn't a Parsi. There was no end to his ordeal and repeated humiliation; in his office, none would give him files and documents in his hand but put them on the floor.