The Hindu : Ambedkar's birth anniversary celebrated

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Apr 15, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

Ambedkar's birth anniversary celebrated

By Our Staff Reporter

VISAKHAPATNAM APRIL 14. Widespread celebrations involving meetings on Dr. B.R. Ambedkar's ideology and garlanding of his statue by academic institutions, public sector undertakings and socio-cultural organisations marked his 113th birth anniversary in the city on Monday.

At the official function organised by the district administration, the Minister for Forests, Ch. Ayyanna Patrudu, underlined the significance of Ambedkar's ideals for achieving social and economic equality for all.

Pointing out that the State Government was implementing various welfare measures for the benefit of weaker sections, the Minister said 26,000 acres of land was distributed among 10,000 Scheduled Caste beneficiaries in the district. He said the Government had proposed irrigating 10,000 acres of land through drip irrigation in the district and that farmers should avail themselves of this facility.

The District Collector, Sunil Sharma, said plans were afoot for developing the SC and ST communities under the Velugu programme.

The MLA (Vizag-I), K. Haribabu, the Chief Executive Officer of Zilla Parishad, G. Babu Rao, and the Executive Director of S.C. Corporation, R. Jhansilakshmi, also spoke. Loans amounting to Rs.2 crores were disbursed by the SC Corporation on the occasion.

At a meeting at Andhra University, the former AP High Court judge, K. Punnaiah, said Ambedkar's ideology was relevant to present-day society. The Vice-Chancellor, Y.C. Simhadri, said Ambedkar believed that equality and social justice could be achieved only through education. However, the present trend of commercialisation of education frustrated Ambedkar's vision.

The director of the Centre for SAARC Studies, K.C. Reddy, the head of the Department of Law, R. Venkata Rao, and the incharge Registar, M. Satyanarayana, spoke. The Vice-Chancellor unveiled a portrait of Ambedkar in the library of the campus Law College.

Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited celebrated the day by donating 300 books and furniture to a community library run by Asoka Youth Centre at Kancharapalem. Its general manager (industrial relations), V. Vizia Saradhi, handed over the books at the regional office of HPCL.

Rich tributes were paid to Ambedkar at the celebrations organised at Ukkunagaram by Visakhapatnam Steel Plant.

Speaking on the occasion, the director of the Academic Staff College in Andhra University, K.S. Chalam, said Ambedkar had fought for social and economic democracy of the people and that he had "authored the unwritten agenda for modern India.''

The Joint Development Commissioner of Visakhapatnam Special Economic Zone, P. Ramesh Kumar, and the VSP General Manager (marketing), K.K. Rao, spoke.

Addressing a meeting at the Ambedkar Institute of Management Studies, the principal of AU College of Arts, D. Panduranga Rao, said Ambedkar was the first dalit student to pass matriculation, obtain a law degree in London and PG in the US.

Ambedkar's birth anniversary was jointly celebrated by the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe employees and officers associations of Vizag port and the Dock Labour Board. The Port Trust Chairman, S.R. Rao, was the chief guest. The Deputy Chairman, P. Tamilvanan, presided.

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