Ruling out the possibility of overall societal progress with just the efforts of government and a few organisations, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai called upon the people’s participation in the positive transformation to build a society of self-respect.
“Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was a symbol of self-respect. The government and a few organisations cannot build a society of self-respect that Ambedkar had dreamt of. It is possible only with the massive involvement of people from the oppressed communities,” Mr. Bommai said after unveiling Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s statue at Basavakalyan in Bidar district on Saturday.
“People from the oppressed and marginalised communities have a special role to play in the building of New Karnataka. We, the State government, would come up with various programmes that would give due value to the labour of these working communities. The government is making all efforts to unite the people of all communities. Let us all unite and work for the realisation of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s ideals,” Mr. Bommai said thanking the local civic body for providing a sum of ₹22 lakh for the instalment of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s statue in the town.
Hailing Dr. B.R. Ambedkar as a precious jewel in the crown of India, the Chief Minister said that the Constitution that Dr. Ambedkar drafted had united India as a nation.
“Had not there been Ambedkar, there wouldn’t be the India we are witnessing today. Ambedkar was the man who, with the Constitution he drafted, united people and the regions into the Indian Union. Despite having a 130 crore population with different castes, religions and other cultural and traditional identities, India remains a single nation just because of the Constitution that Dr. B.R. Ambedkar drafted,” Mr. Bommai said.
Pointing to the similarity in the thoughts of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and that of Basavanna, the 12 th Century reformer, Mr. Bommai said that both of them had worked for equality among human beings by waging a war against caste-based discrimination and exploitation.
“Both Basavanna and Ambedkar fought for equality among people. They fought against inhuman practices of caste system and untouchability. When Ambedkar was denied membership of Mumbai Bar Association, Hubballi-based education minister Siddappa Kambali stood with Ambedkar. It was Mr. Kambali through whom Ambedkar learnt about Basavanna and later incorporated Basavanna’s thoughts in the Indian Constitution,” Mr. Bommai said.
Hailing India as a fertile land nurturing the democracy in the world, Mr. Bommai said that the democracy in India continued to get strengthen irrespective of parties coming to and going out of power, just because of the Constitution that Dr. B.R. Ambedkar drafted.
“America witnessed violence to change the guard when the ruling party lost the mandate. In India, the transfer of power takes place smoothly without any untoward incidents just because of the kind of Constitution we have… Our government is working on three goals – education, empowerment and employment. We have allocated a considerable amount of funds for the development of deprived and marginalised sections of the society,” he added.
