“After taking the oath of office, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that his government will focus on the poor and the marginalised; that his government will run on the concept of antyodaya given by Deen Dayal Upadhyaya, which is not very different from the vision of BR Ambedkar,” declared the Union Minister of Information & Broadcasting Anurag Thakur at the publication of his book Ambedkar and Modi Reformer’s Ideas and The Performer’s Application (BlueKraft Digital Foundation) in New Delhi on Friday.
The book was unveiled by former the President Ram Nath Kovind at the Nehru Memorial Museum & Library auditorium with the participation of the former Chief Justice of India KG Balakrishnan as well as MoS I&B L Murugan. On hand for the launch included MoS of Culture Arjun Ram Meghwal and former Union Minister Harsh Vardhan, besides a group of BJP leaders and members of the RSS.
The book is “not just a collection of the ideas and vision of BR Ambedkar, but also a compilation of how the ideas have been executed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi” Thakur added, “As the first Law Minister, Ambedkar had envisioned a society bereft of discrimination… that distributes the fruits of development equally to all, but the efforts of various governments since Independence fell short in the realisation of these ideas.”
He said “Many have built statues of Ambedkar and garnered votes in his name, but if someone is implementing his vision for the marginalised, that is Prime Minister Modi.”
Ambedkar has said that education is the answer to all social problems, and today before us are people who prove this point well, Thakur said, mentioning the names of the former President Kovind as well as President Droupadi Murmu in this respect.
The book is accompanied by an introduction by Rajya Sabha MP Ilaiyaraaja, drawing a parallel to the policies of Modi and Ambedkar’s vision. It contains 12 chapters across a variety of areas, including infrastructure and education, socio-economic mobility as well as gender equality and self-reliance.
Kovind in his speech addressed the many facets of the personality of Ambedkar. He recalled his contribution to the early years in the era of Independent India, Kovind said, “Baba Saheb’s contributions shaped the policies related to banking, irrigation, electricity system, education system, labour management and revenue-sharing system.”
He remembered the time in 2010 , when Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat was organizing an Samvidhan Gaurav Yatra in the state. “Atop a decorated elephant was mounted a copy of the Indian Constitution, while CM Modi was walking with the people on foot. There is no better example of reverence to the Constitution and respect to Baba Saheb Ambedkar,” Modi said.
Drawing parallels between the ideas that was envisioned by Ambedkar as well as the policy of Modi, Kovind said that the new policy on education, that was a result of more than two lakh suggestions by people across the country and that provides education in the language of one’s birth is similar to the ideas of Ambedkar. “Four labour codes have replaced a multitude of complex laws, and a universal account number for labourers are also a fruition of the vision of Ambedkar,” Kovind stated.
Justice Balakrishnan recalled Ambedkar’s contributions as one of the most influential thinkers from India. In the lead-up to the ceremony, Balakrishnan and Thakur inaugurated the three-day exhibition that was held at the venue that focuses specifically on Ambedkar’s life and lessons and works of Ambedkar and was curated through the Central Bureau of Communication. The aim is to give visitors an experience that is immersive the exhibit includes digital interactivity, interactive games interactive displays based on RFID as well as a collection of flipbooks.
