Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (HB)
Udupi, Apr 15: The 126th birth anniversary of Dr B R Ambedkar was celebrated at Ambedkar Bhavan, Adi Udupi here on Friday, April 14. The programme was inaugurated by Udupi zilla panchayat president, Dinakar Babu.
District in-charge minister Pramod Madhwaraj spoke on occasion and said, "Ambedkar represented the Dalit community and worked for its betterment. He also boosted the life of the weaker sections of the society. He was the voice of the deprived class, labourers, women and others of the like. Most poor people belong to the Dalit community and there are government programmes and reservation facilities for them. But if there was no Constitution in India, no one can predict what their situation would have been.
"There is no control over where one is born. There is no caste, religion, community or region at birth. But thereupon, all things get attached," he said.
"Last year, the state government kept a reserve of 24% fund for the development of SC and ST, which amounts to Rs 18,000 crore. The fund amount has been increased to Rs 27,000 crore this year. Only a few families have been enjoying the government benefits, many a time. The badly off Dalits remain poor. The government, people’s representatives and organisations need to try hard and meet their needs," the minister added.
Addressing the gathering Dinakar Babu said, "Dr B R Ambedkar and his ideologies are just for a specific community. Ambedkar’s ideals are always relevant and people must adopt his principles. We, the people, enjoy the fruit of his labour."
Dr Vasudeva Belle, lecturer, delivered a speech on 'Dr B R Ambedkar’s profession and life’. In his talk, he said, "Ambedkar believed in rationality and championed self-respect. He maintained that 'freedom' entails the right to express and get rid of the pollution within. Ambedkar fought for basic infrastructure, eradication of untouchability, education of children, provision of land; but not for independence."
Vasudeva Belle further said, "There is a need to appoint a monitoring committee for ensuring that the government benefits reach Dalits. Site, house, land are requisites for good family life. However, only a few educated people have gotten housing sites after much legal struggle. Land is a necessary infrastructure for humans, and it should be provided to all and a detailed report must be prepared to examine people's conditions, for it."
Laptops for students and sewing machines to beneficiaries were distributed on occasion.
S N Ramesh, District Social Welfare Development officer, welcomed the gathering.
District commissioner Priyanka Mary Francis, ADC Anuradha, SP KT Balakrishna, ZP vice-president Sheela K Shetty, CMC president Meenakshi Bannanje, Taluk panchayat president Nalini Pradeep Rao, Town Planning Authority president Narasimha Murthy and others were present.