‘Ambedkar, Deshmukh had many similarities’

Nagpur: Architect of Indian Constitution Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and first union agriculture minister Panjabrao Deshmukh played a significant role in shaping the country and their thoughts on problems like farmer suicides, subsidies, landholding and funds, which are still prevalent, could be solved if made applicable, said Amitabh Pawde, vice-president of Janmanch, on Tuesday.
The two leaders resigned from the union cabinet after they challenged the existing system as they wanted to bring about social reforms and developed serious differences with the then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru. They had to take this stand as Nehruvian economy supported the industrial lobby while Ambedkar and Deshmukh stood for development of agriculture and uplift of farmers and peasants, he said.

Pawde was delivering a talk on ‘Babasaheb to Bhausaheb’, organized by Janmanch and Agrovet Engineers at Dr Panjabrao Deshmukh Agriculture University office, Bajaj Nagar. Harishchandra Sukhdeve, former assistant general manager of Bank of Maharashtra and Sharad Patil, president of Janmanch, were present.

Pawde said Deshmukh also had an important role in the making of the Indian Constitution. Deshmukh was a staunch supporter of the mission Dr Ambedkar had undertaken and was Vidarbha region secretary of the Independent Labour Party established by Ambedkar, he added.

In his address, Sukhdeve said, “While Ambedkar was a visionary and had a long-term plan to improve the condition of the farming community, Deshmukh worked with dedication at the ground level to implement his ideologies.” That they were working for a similar cause was in evidence when Bhausaheb opened the doors of Ambadevi temple at Amravati for untouchables, he added.