Thousands pay tribute to Ambedkar on death anniversary

Mumbai: Thousands of people paid tribute to Dr B.R. Ambedkar on his 62nd death anniversary in Mumbai on Thursday. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis also paid his respects to the architect of the Constitution at his memorial, Chaitya Bhoomi. Mr Fadnavis said that his government was committed to the establishment of an egalitarian society as envisaged by the dalit icon.

This day is observed as Mahaparinirwan Diwas and followers gather in large numbers at Chaitya Bhoomi, where he was cremated after his death on December 6, 1956.

The state government recently approved an “A” class pilgrimage and tourist destination status for Chaitya Bhoomi, Dr Ambedkar’s memorial in central Mumbai. The move will pave the way for overall development of this place of historical importance.

Mr Fadnavis told media persons, “Dr Ambedkar and his thoughts on equality contributed a lot to our society. We are working for the upliftment of the same. The Constitution which he has given is truly praiseworthy. I bow down to his thoughts, and our government is continuously working for the establishment of an egalitarian society as envisaged by the dalit icon.”

The other devotee from Bandra, Avinash Bansode, who is a supervisor in a marketing firm, said, “It’s my tenth year of visiting Chaitya Bhoomi. We are grateful to our icon who has contributed enormously and selflessly for our people. We want his struggle to be known to our kids so that we get them to understand what hardships he faced to reach here.”