Nation pays homage to B R Ambedkar, the man behind India's social reformation

The week-long calendar of celebrations over his 125th birth anniversary is part of the plans the Modi government has taken to embrace Ambedkar.

New Delhi, April 14: As the nation celebrates the 126th anniversary of the leading framer of the Constitution Dr B R Ambedkar on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will introduce a coin to mark the occasion. The week-long calendar of celebrations over his 125th birth anniversary is part of the plans the Modi government has taken to embrace Ambedkar.

The PM's pitch for popularising BHIM app, named after Ambedkar, is significant because of the near consensus that popular endorsement of note ban was one of the factors which contributed to the saffron landslide in UP. The PM asked MPs to enlist youths as ambassadors of the government's public welfare work and good governance.

[PM Narendra Modi to launch new BHIM platform to push digital payments]

"BHIM-Aadhaar, the merchant interface of the BHIM App, to be launched by the prime minister will pave the way for making digital payments by using the Aadhaar platform," an official statement said.

Popularly known as Baba Saheb, Ambedkar was a social reformer, jurist, economist and politician who inspired the Dalit Buddhist Movement and campaigned against social discrimination against Dalits, while also supporting the rights of women and labour. Ambedkar was Independent India's first law minister and the principal architect of the Constitution of India.

Modi was in Nagpur where he visited a sacred place closely associated with the Dalit icon and inaugurate a series of development projects.

"I am extremely honoured to be visiting Nagpur, on the very special occasion of Ambedkar Jayanti," he tweeted. "In Nagpur, I will pray at Deekshabhoomi, a holy spot that is very closely associated with Dr Ambedkar," he added.

Deekshabhoomi is a sacred monument of Buddhism located where Ambedkar converted to Buddhism along with thousands of people on Ashok Vijaya Dashami on October 14, 1956.

Ambedkar has been regarded as one of the greatest leaders of the 20th century for his fierce battle against Indian caste system, for his lifelong campaign for womens rights and his priceless contribution towards labour movement.

OneIndia News