NEW DELHI/ NAGPUR, April 14: Paying tributes to Dr. B.R. Ambedkar on his 130th birth anniversary, President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday stressed on the need to imbibe his ideals in the conduct of each Indian.
“Tribute to Babasaheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, the chief architect of the Indian Constitution, on his birth anniversary. He waged a lifelong struggle to create an equitable society. Today, by taking a lesson from his life and thoughts, we take a resolution to adopt his principles in our conduct,” the President tweeted in Hindi.
The prime minister, on the other hand, said that Dr Ambedkar’s struggle to bring the deprived section into the mainstream will remain an example for generations to come.
“His struggle to bring the deprived section into the mainstream will remain an example for generations to come,” the Modi tweeted.
Ambedkar had proposed Sanskrit as official language: CJI
Chief Justice of India Sharad Bobde on Wednesday said that Dr Ambedkar had proposed Sanskrit as the “official national language” of India as he understood the political and social issues well and knew what the people wanted.
The CJI also said the ancient Indian text “Nyayshastra” is “not a bit” inferior to Aristotle and the Persian system of logic, and “there is no reason why we should forsake, overlook, and not benefit from the geniuses of our ancestors”.
CJI Bobde was speaking at the inauguration of the academic building of the Maharashtra National Law University (MNLU) here in Maharashtra.
Remembering Dr Ambedkar, the CJI said, “Today morning, I was in a fix about which language should I deliver this speech. Today is the birth anniversary of Dr Ambedkar which reminds me that the conflict between the language to be used while speaking and the language to be used during work is very old”.
He said the Supreme Court gets many representations on what should be the language of subordinate courts, but I feel this subject is not being looked into. “But Dr Ambedkar had anticipated this aspect and he had mooted a proposal saying that the official language of the Union of India should be Sanskrit,” the CJI said.
The CJI said he cannot recall whether that proposal, which had signatures of some Maulvis, pandits, priests and Ambdekar, was tabled (in the constituent Assembly).
“It was Ambedkar’s opinion that since Tamil is not acceptable in north India it might be opposed there and likewise Hindi will be opposed in south India. But, there is less possibility of opposition to Sanskrit in north India or south India and hence he had mooted that proposal, but it did not succeed,” CJI Bobde said.
The CJI said Dr. Ambedkar possessed knowledge of not only about the law but he also knew social and political issues very well. “He knew what the people, the poor of the country wanted. He had full knowledge about all these aspects and I feel that is why he thought of putting up this proposal,” the CJI said.
Born on April 14, 1891, Dr. Ambedkar was a jurist, economist, politician and social reformer who spearheaded the fight against social discrimination towards the so-called untouchables and supported the rights of women and workers. He breathed on December 6, 1956.
Ambedkar, who was also the first Union Law and Justice Minister of the independent India, was posthumously conferred with the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award, in 1990. (Agencies)
