Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday announced Delhi Government's decision to teach the 'Life and Contributions of Baba Saheb Ambedkar' in the schools of the National Capital
Marking 63rd death anniversary (Mahaparinirvan Diwas) of Baba Saheb Ambedkar at the Thyagaraj Sports Complex here, Mr Kejriwal said,''This initiative is a fitting tribute to his life and contributions, in the true sense.''
Mr Kejriwal launched a short biography of Baba Saheb Ambedkar for Classes 6, 7 and 8, in the presence of Manish Sisodia, Deputy Chief Minister, and Education Minister and Rajendra Pal Gautam, Social welfare Minister of Delhi.
While paying tributes to Baba Saheb Ambedkar, Mr Kejriwal said,''We celebrate his death anniversary as Mahaparinirvan Diwas every year. But this year, it is special as the Delhi government launches a booklet on the life and teachings of Baba Saheb Ambedkar to be taught in all its government schools. I hope that private schools will also include the booklet in their curriculum. Baba Saheb Ambedkar was a brave and mighty soul. Portraying him just as a Dalit leader doesn't do justice to his greatness. Baba Saheb Ambedkar raised his voice for all the neglected and exploited sections of the society, as he raised his voice against the atrocities against Dalits in the country.''
''He was born in a village to a poor Dalit family and had to face a lot of struggles and evil practices of untouchability and discrimination throughout his life. Education was a privilege that he was fortunate to access. At that time, it was very difficult for even students with a strong financial background to complete their education. But Baba Saheb Ambedkar attained two doctoral degrees back then, one from Columbia University and the other from the London School of Economics, which is even impossible for someone today. It would be an honor to teach our students about how Baba Saheb Ambedkar, despite facing manifold obstacles climbed the ladder of success,'' the CM said.
''Ambedkar came back to India after pursuing two international doctoral degrees and contributed significantly to the growth of the nation. He was instrumental in establishing the Reserve Bank of India and granting women equal rights in the Hindu Code Bill. Not many of us know that he was the only one to raise his voice on the deteriorating conditions of the farmers in India. We have to impart our children with all this knowledge. We shall not treat this booklet as any other chapter of the school curriculum, but we should be able to instill them with aspirations and values attained from the life of Baba Saheb Ambedkar,'' he said.
''India was comprised of smaller kingdoms before independence in 1947. Sardar Patel is credited for bringing together a nation with such a huge diversity, and the whole world had its eyes on India and whether a diverse nation like India can be united. India was a mix of several religions, cultures, and languages. Whereas Sardar Patel was making efforts to unite India, Baba Saheb Ambedkar was drafting a Constitution to keep India united. The whole world thought that India will not be able to remain united owing to its diversity and differences, and today, after 70 years, India is developing at a rapid pace and is united because of our Constitution drafted by Baba Saheb Ambedkar,'' he said.
''We should teach our students the right to equality, life, expression, religion, and every other right that the Constitution envisions. This booklet should only be considered as a draft, and we will refine the booklet as per the feedbacks obtained from the students, teachers, and guardians. And I believe that within a span of one or two years, we will be able to develop a course on Baba Saheb Ambedkar which will be adopted not only in Delhi but in all the schools across the country. A few days back, we expressed our desire to inculcate patriotism in our students, and I believe this booklet is the first step towards our effort. I am happy to introduce this booklet on the life and teachings of Baba Saheb Ambedkar, and I want to request all the principals and teachers to implement these teachings thoroughly. I would request you all to share your feedback so that we can work on refining the book,'' Mr Kejriwal said.