MELBOURNE, 14 April, 2025: The 139th birth anniversary of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar was today celebrated at the Australia India Institute (AII) office here. A large number of students, academics and community members were present to pay respect and remember Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, the man behind the Constitution of India and a fighter for social justice against the oppressive caste system. The gathering heard in attention Lisa Singh, CEO AII and Dr. Vaibhav Gaikwad, Ambedkar International, as both of them delt upon the vital importance of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, in today’s society.
Addressing the gathering Lisa Singh said, Dr. Ambedkar did so much to address issues of equality, and minorities, thus giving a voice to the voiceless. The ideals and the values he espoused through the Indian Constitution are of great value to modern India.
His decisive role in the framing of the India’s Constitution and subsequently fighting for the cause of the downtrodden was emphasised. Others present included Dr. Pradeep Taneja, University of Melbourne, Siddharth Maitrak, SAT, Neeraj Nanda, Editor South Asia Times.
Dr. B. R. Ambedkar (14 April, 1891 – 6 December, 1956), was a prominent Indian jurist, economist, social reformer, and political leader who chaired the committee that drafted the Constitution of India based on the debates of the Constituent Assembly of India and the first draft of Sir Benegal Narsing Rao. Dr. Ambedkar was also the first Law & Justice Minister in the first cabinet of independent India led by PM Jawaharlal Nehru. He later renounced Hinduism, converted to Buddhism and inspired the Dalit Buddhist movement for justice and equality.
