Tag Archives: Dr. B R Ambedkar on Indian currency and RBI

23rd January in Dalit History – A welcome was accorded to Dr. Ambedkar by Samata Sainik Dal


23 January 1933: A welcome was accorded to Dr. Ambedkar by Samata Sainik Dal in Mumbai[1].

Dr. Ambedkar returned from the third round table conference to Bombay (now Mumbai) by the Gange ship on 23 January 1933. Along with him was Sir Purshottamdas Thakurdas. On the landing, he was given an enthusiastic reception by the Samata Sainik Dal. Amongst the prominent leaders Dr. Ambedkar was the only one who had attended all the three round table conferences and pushed for the rights of depressed classes (now called dalits). Gandhi and Malviya did not participate in the first and third round table conferences while Jinnah did not participate in the sessions of second round table conference.

Baba Saheb Ambedkar

Baba Saheb Ambedkar

23 January 1938: Dr. Ambedkar addressed a Peasants’ Conference at Ahmednagar (Maharshtra state).

[1] Dhananjay Keer, Dr. Ambedkar: Life and Mission, book, pg 225

Advertisement

Leave a comment

Filed under Dalit-Bahujans, Dr B R Ambedkar, Today in Dalit History, Today in History

Few stamps issued on Dr. B. R. Ambedkar


We demand more stamps be issued on Dr. B. R. Ambedkar along with Dr. B. R. Ambedkar’s photo on Indian currency.

Also read Dr. B. R. Ambedkar on Indian currency and RBI

1447

1966, Issued on 75th birth anniversary of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar

1966, Issued on 75th birth anniversary of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar

download (1) download (2) download (3) download images

ambedkar-stamp-6

In case you liked, please spread, share/like/email, to your friends!

3 Comments

Filed under Dalit-Bahujans, Dr B R Ambedkar, Equal Rights, India

Untouchability and Satyamev Jayate


Few days back, I watched the episode “Untouchability – Dignity For All” on the Satyamev Jayate show on 8th July, 2012. Many people rated it as a ‘great’ show but I don’t accept it as a ‘great’ show. It was just another show made with the intention of earning profits and TRP. There was nothing on the show which common public didn’t know apart from the clippings from Stalin K’s documentary – India Untouched. (And if you are a bit conscious on human rights, you would have already seen that documentary!) We all know Dalit students face discrimination; Dalit couples are killed because of inter-caste marriages, who doesn’t know that caste remarks are not uncommon in India? (Read “I have a Dream” for more detail, describing where Dalits face discrimination and what a Dalit dreams about.)

The episode started with the heart touching story of Dr. Kaushal Panwar, professor at Delhi University. She spoke about her upbringing and the caste discrimination she faced during her childhood and during her student life. Her life story is no different from that of most of the Dalits in India. Discrimination that Dr. Kaushal faced at JNU is of no surprise because even today Dalit students are murdered in professional colleges due to caste discrimination.

Next on the show comes Stalin K– he was the only man, apart from Bezwada Wilson, who impressed me on the show. Stalin K is the director of the documentary named “India Untouched” created in 2007 and he also runs an organisation named Video Volunteers. He has done a remarkable job, has travelled more than 25,000 km in India covering caste discrimination. The show took the readymade clippings from his documentary and presented it! I don’t think Aamir Khan and his team would have put any effort in producing this episode as everything was readymade and conveniently available. At one point Stalin K rightly pointed out – if you don’t know your caste you must be from upper caste because society don’t leave a single chance to remind you that you are from lower caste.

1

At another point on the show, someone from the audience compared ‘ragging’ to ‘caste discrimination’ and that point was praised by the host! What a joke! Unless ragging is based on caste it can’t be compared to caste discrimination. And ragging with Dalit students, unlike with other students, is played only on caste lines, so comparing ragging with caste discrimination is completely illogical and out of context when we are discussing caste based discrimination. For most of the times on the show, the host seemed to me an ignoramus. Was he pretending to be ignorant of all the facts, or didn’t he really know about all the discrimination– I couldn’t figure that out. I seriously doubt if Aamir Khan has read or knows anything about the Sachar Report!

Continue reading

11 Comments

Filed under Caste Discrimination, Casteism, Dr B R Ambedkar

Dr. B. R. Ambedkar on Indian currency and RBI


Today, I got stumbled upon news that RBI is considering national iconsfor Indian currency. The name of Dr. B R Ambedkar has been recommended for Indian currency. It reminded me of the time of my childhood, when first time in my life I had seen the Rs. 1 coin with Dr. Ambedkar’s photo on it. I was filled with the joy and kept that coin in the closet, never to lose it. I know this is not only with me but millions other Dalits also want to see Dr. Ambedkar on Indian currency and experience same joy. Few years back, I even came in contact with family who had actually provided RBI the picture of Dr Ambedkar for Rs. 1 coin. It was wonderful feeling knowing the journey and I’m sure almost same feeling evokes in Dalits when they see picture of Dr. Ambedkar on coins. I’ll say if any person deserves to be on Indian currency then that person should be Dr. Ambedkar. Nobody else deserves that place on Indian currency. We must make sure RBI don’t forget Dr. Ambedkar’s name in later stage. So, I request everyone in capacity to make our voice reach higher authorities that we love Dr. Ambedkar more than any other icon in India so we want Dr Ambedkar’s picture on Indian currency.

Dr. B. R. Ambedkar

Dr Ambedkar’s Role in the Formation of Reserve Bank of India

Did you know Reserve Bank of India (RBI) came into picture according to the guidelines laid down by Dr Ambedkar? RBI was conceptualized as per the guidelines, working style and outlook presented by Dr Ambedkar in front of the Hilton Young Commission. When this commission came to India under the name of “Royal Commission on Indian Currency & Finance”, each and every member of this commission were holding Dr Ambedkar’s book named “The Problem of the Rupee – Its origin and its solution.” 

(The legislative assembly passed this under the name of RBI act 1934, its need, working style and its outlook was presented by Dr Ambedkar in-front of Hilton Young Commission. Read, “Evidence before the Royal Commission on Indian Currency and Finance” and “The Problem of the Rupee – Its origin and its solution.”)

Now, walking through the streets of India, on most of the “State Bank of India’s” (SBI’s) street hoardings it shows Rabindranath Tagore as “The banker to this nation”, as if Rabindranath Tagore is the brand ambassador of SBI!

What hurts many of us is the picture of Mr. Gandhi on the Indian currency. We need to ask everyone what’s the contribution of these two leaders (Rabindranath Tagore and Mr. Gandhi) towards Indian currency, finance and economics, and who deserves to be there on the signposts or on Indian currency?

If a man with God’s name on his tongue and a sword under his armpit deserved the appellation of a Mahatma, then Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was a Mahatma.    – Babasaheb Ambedkar

Writing about who deserves the place on Indian currency reminds me of a Hollywood movie “Do the Right Thing” directed a way back in 1989 by Spike Lee. Movie revolves around the demand of Afro-Americans to place some pictures of black heroes on the “Wall of Fame” in a pizza shop (where all pictures are of Italian heroes as pizza shop owner is from Italy and very proud of that) as the pizzeria is situated in a black neighbourhood and sells pizza to black people.

At the end of the struggle Afro-Americans succeeded to have a picture of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, shaking hands on the “Wall of Fame.”

 (excerpts from article “Why weren’t we told?”)

P.S. Please spread the message, Like the post and share it with your friends. We want picture of Dr Ambedkar on Indian currency!

115 Comments

Filed under Dalit-Bahujans, Dr B R Ambedkar, Equal Rights, India