Ujjain : The 127th birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna Dr Bhimrao Baba Saheb Ambedkar was celebrated in a grand fashion by organising a rainbow of programmes here on Saturday.
Fair like scenario at Tower Chowk Since early morning, the followers of Ambedkar started arriving at Tower Chowk to pay floral tributes on his statue. BJP leaders including MP Chintamani Malviya, MLA Mohan Yadav, city chief Iqbal Singh Gandhi, mayor Meena Jonwal, UDA chairman Jagdish Agrawal, Babaulal Jain also paid floral respects there. A corner meeting was also held in which speakers lauded the contribution of Dr Ambedkar. Congress leaders including former MPs Premchand Guddu and Satyanarayan Pawar, local party presidents Anantnarayan Meena and Jai Singh Darbar, former MLA Rajendra Bharti, zilla panchayat president Mahesh Patel, Rajendra Vasishtha, Yogesh Sharma, Sultan Lala, Anju Jatwa, Deepak Mahere and others also reached the venue to garland the statue. They also spoke during a brief meeting organised at the venue. An awareness rally comprising various tableaux, pictures and banners was taken out under the aegis of AJJAKS. Umeshnath Maharaj was present. Likewise, Boudh Mahasabha also held a rally.
Goodwill Conference on Ram Ghat
A huge social harmony conference of prominent social workers of all communities of the Hindu society was organised at Ramghat on Saturday evening. Prior to the programme, members of the women’s body of different societies decorated the banks of river Kshipra by making a rangoli. After the programme, everyone collectively performed ‘aarti’ of the Kshipra river. A mass feast was also organised. RSS leader Pramod Jha, Swami Ranganathacharya, Mahant Digvijaydas, Kuldeepak Joshi and Jaswinder Singh Thakral were also present in the programme.
Cake cutting ceremony
On the eve of Dr Ambedkar’s birth anniversary candles were lit and a cake was cut, besides organising a bhajan night at the Tower Chowk and Buddhist Vihar, respectively. Buddhist prayers and a ‘bhojan prasadi’ programme were also organised at Maksi Road. During this period, Harendra Khatri, Dhannalal Solanki, Anokhilal Bharati, Deepchand Jatav, Neetu Khatri, Mala Lokhande and Chitralekha Manavkatkar were present.
Commotion prevails
Ambedkar’s supporters staged a strong protest during a procession on Ambedkar Jayanti at Tower Chowk when the police seized their DJ vehicle.
The followers of Baba Saheb in the Congress party were upset when Madhav Nagar police station staff seized the vehicle carrying the DJ, without mentioning the permissions granted. The incident continued for a long time. After the intervention of CSP Satish Samadhiya, the demonstrators were silenced and the vehicle returned from Madhav Nagar police station.
LIC employees organise symposium
A symposium was organised by the Insurance Employees Union (IEU), Ujjain branch on the occasion of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Jayanti at th Bharatpuri Branch of Life Insurance Corporation of India.
The programme started with a wreath laying on the portrait of Baba Saheb. Speaking on the topic ‘The relevance of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar’s views in the present perspective,’ IEU Indore division president Anil Surwarad said such serious threats to the Constitution had never happened in the last 70 years. “The poison of a hate is being mixed and it is the biggest demand of today’s time to eradicate this division. Democracy can be strengthened by equality,” he added. CITU vice-president Badal Saroj said “In today’s society not just Dalits, but the rights of every section are being attacked. This government is dragging away the right to education and employment from the majority community whereas Baba Saheb always favoured equality, freedom and fraternity. He believed that thousands of castes cannot build a powerful nation”. While addressing the gathering, IEU Indore division secretary Ajit Ketkar also said the All India Insurance Employees Union has embraced the ideas of Baba Saheb and so the organisation has been fighting historic battles of the interests of the insurers, who are unorganised in the nation and it has also raised its voice for the oppressed people. Shailendra Singh Thakur of CITU also spoke. The programme was conducted by Prashant Sohale and Anil Kuril proposed a vote of thanks.