The life of an Indian freedom fighter is to be celebrated with a week of events in Wolverhampton.
Members of the Dr Ambedkar Memorial Committee are staging a range of activities, including an exhibition, film show and musical celebration, in honour of Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar.
Dr Ambedkar (1891-1956) was a jurist, economist, politician and social reformer who inspired the Modern Buddhist Movement.
He campaigned against social discrimination of Dalits, women and labour and was Independent India's first law minister and the principal architect of the Constitution of India. In 1956 he embraced Buddhism, and millions of Dalits followed him to do the same. He was posthumously conferred with the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award.
To raise awareness of, and celebrate, his achievements, the Wolverhampton-based Dr Ambedkar Memorial Committee have organised a series of events this week.
They include an exhibition of his life at Wolverhampton Art Gallery, which was officially unveiled by Jitendra Kumar Sharma from the Consul General of India, open until Saturday April, 18, while a film about his life and mission will be shown at Light House Media Centre on Friday 17 April, 2015, from 7pm.
Copies of The Life and Mission of Dr Ambedkar by Dhananjay Keer will be presented to each library in Wolverhampton by Pankaj Sharma from the General Council of India during a ceremony at Central Library on Saturday April 18, and the week of events concludes with a celebration at the Wulfrun Hall on Sunday April 19, featuring singers and speakers.
Dr Ambedkar Memorial Committee President Dev Lal Suman said: “This is a great opportunity for us to tell people about the work Dr Ambedkar did for humanity, human rights, social justice, equality and liberty, and to inspire today's generation.
He faced harsh social, religious and economic difficulties as a result of the practices of the caste system, but managed to elevate himself to become one of the most educated personalities of his time.
He distinguished himself in many fields of public life and today he is remembered as a father of the Indian Constitution and Great Revivalist of Buddhism in modern India.
His memory is cherished by millions of people around the world and has been a source of inspiration to the nation in its march towards the goal of social equality.”
