Hyderabad: Forward of state elections scheduled to be held later this yr, Telangana Chief Minister Ok. Chandrashekar Rao Friday inaugurated a 125-feet statue of Dr B.R. Ambedkar on the banks of Hussain Sagar lake within the state capital.
Terming Ambedkar as ‘vishwamandvudu’ (common man), KCR mentioned that it’s our accountability to hold ahead Ambedkar’s ideas, hinting that the occasion has chosen the trail of social justice.
“Ambedkar Jayanti doesn’t solely imply that we sing songs and dance on the day, however to work on implementing his ideas and put together a body work accordingly. Ambedkar’s relevance remains to be there and it’s our accountability to fulfil his goals,” the CM mentioned, whereas inaugurating the statue on Ambedkar’s 132nd beginning anniversary.
“I didn’t construct this statue as a result of somebody requested me to or as a result of somebody demanded. There’s a sturdy message right here,” he added.
The statue lies at a couple of ft’s distance from the state’s newly-built (but to be inaugurated) Secretariat, which the KCR authorities named after Ambedkar. Additionally it is oversees the statue of Buddha — who Ambedkar believed in.
“Each minister coming to the Secretariat ought to see the statue and consider implementing his ideas,” KCR mentioned.
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‘KCR recognized with feudal mentality’
Notably, final yr, KCR renamed his occasion from Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) to Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), in an effort to tackle the Bharatiya Janata Social gathering (BJP) within the Lok Sabha elections subsequent yr.
Political analyst Telakapalli Ravi says that there’s additionally a political message behind unveiling of the statue by the CM.
“Statue politics work the identical all over the place. What (PM Narendra) Modi tried to do with Statue of Unity (statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in Gujarat’s Kevadia), KCR is doing with Ambedkar statue. BRS is making an attempt to indicate that they’re figuring out with backward communities. This can be a social engineering train and so they’re constructing a story of social justice. Telangana has one of many highest SC/ST and backward part inhabitants, so it is a welcome transfer,” Ravi advised ThePrint.
The statue itself won’t convert instantly into votes however that’s only one a part of the train, mentioned Ravi.
Based on 2011 census, Scheduled Castes represent 15.4 per cent of the state’s complete inhabitants, and Scheduled Tribes round 9.5 per cent.
“KCR has all the time been recognized with the feudal mentality — with the ‘dora’ (feudal lords) tradition. He’s making an attempt to shed it off with this,” he added.
KCR hails from the Velama (zamindar or landlord) neighborhood.
“There will probably be a variety of criticism on how a statue can change the social standing of a neighborhood and the way statues matter when floor actuality is totally different. However, that applies to each statue then and but politicians maintain doing it,” Ravi mentioned.
Calling KCR a ‘Dalit drohi,’ Telangana BJP chief Bandi Sanjay Kumar mentioned that the CM is chanting Ambedkar’s identify for votes.
“He promised to make a Dalit as CM and didn’t fulfil it, he failed to present them three acres of land (as promised throughout Telangana motion). An individual, who within the final eight years, has by no means attended any Ambedkar Jayanti program is now utilizing his identify for votes,” he mentioned. The BJP MP from Karimnagar additional accused KCR of killing ‘democratic surroundings within the state’ by opposing protests and talks about implementing Ambedkar’s ideas.
Senior Congress chief Komatireddy Venkat Reddy additionally requested that if KCR was so involved in regards to the Dalit neighborhood, why does he not have a minister from the neighborhood in his cupboard.
‘Ambedkar award’ for excellence in social service
Final yr, KCR had introduced a large sop for the Dalit neighborhood within the type of the Dalit Bandhu scheme offering Rs 10 lakh money help for eligible Dalit households.
The CM, Friday, mentioned that to date, 50,000 Dalit households have obtained help from the Dalit Bandhu scheme, and this monetary yr, the help will probably be prolonged to 1,50,000 households.
D. Saidulu, a beneficiary of Dalit Bandhu who had come from Karimnagar district to Hyderabad to attend the occasion, advised ThePrint: “I bought two autorickshaws with the cash. Our native MLA advised us about this occasion and we got here right here along with his assist. We’re proud of our CM, he’s pondering for our neighborhood.”
To make the occasion a large success, BRS leaders had been additionally given the accountability of mobilising Dalit neighborhood members to the occasion.
Ambedkar’s grandson and former Lok Sabha MP Prakash Ambedkar, additionally attended the inaugural upon CM’s invitation, and pitched that Hyderabad ought to emerge because the second capital of the nation.
Throughout the occasion, KCR additionally introduced ‘Ambedkar award’ that may be distributed yearly to folks excelling in social service, including {that a} sum of Rs 51 crore will probably be put aside for a similar.
(Edited by Anumeha Saxena)
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