MELBOURNE, 13 APRIL, 2025: The 134th birth anniversary of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar and 198th birth anniversary of Mahatma Phule was celebrated today, with participants vowing to take their messages of social reform and equality further ahead. Large numbers from the community attended the function at the Mount Waverley Youth Centre, organised by the Navyana Buddhist Charitable Organisation, Melbourne, Australia.
The event began with Ms. Asmita Mahire-Singh reading ‘Dr. Ambedkar, A Messenger of Humanity’ an article from The Renaissance by Mr. J.S Mahire.
Those who addressed the gathering included Dr. Jill Jameson, Founder Buddhist Peace Fellowship, Melbourne Chapter and Prof. Haripriya Rangan, Principal Consultant Government Projects, Australia India Institute, University of Melbourne, and Dr. Parag Moon, Navyana Buddhist Charitable Organisation Limited’s Board and Dr. Priya Chander among others.
Families from all over Melbourne listened to speeches and enjoyed a lively cultural program to mark the birth anniversaries of Dr Ambedkar and Mahatma Phule. A community performance from Shri Guru Ravidas Sabha, Srilankan & Vietnamese communities added colour and enthusiasm. Beautiful dance performances enthralled those gathered.
Parag Moon explained in detail the issue of repealing the Bodhgaya Temple Management Committee (BTMC) Act 1949, which is responsible for managing the Mahabodhi Temple. The committee consists of 4 Hindus, four Buddhists, and the District Magistrate as the Chairman, Parag explained, needs to be abolished so that Buddhists manage the temple fully. He traced the history of this demand and its relevance. He urged everyone to support the demand that all members of the committee that runs the Mahabodhi Temple should be Buddhist. This demand has support across the world, he disclosed.
Later there was a panel discussion on the Poona Pact in which Rakesh Mehmi, Dr. Priya Chander, Prashant Rale and Pramod Kamble participated. The ‘Poona Pact’ was a significant agreement signed on September 24, 1932, in Pune (then Poona), India, Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. B. R. Ambedkar , addressing political representation for marginalized communities, particularly the Dalits (then termed “Depressed Classes”).
The panel was conducted by Mr. Saurabh Deshpande and Mr. Sunil Sonawane from the Navyana Buddhist Charitable Organisation
Key Terms of the Pact were Reserved Seats: Instead of separate electorates, the Pact ensured reserved seats for Dalits within the general Hindu electorate – The number of reserved seats was increased to 147 (from the 71 initially proposed by the Communal Award) in provincial legislatures and A similar reservation system was extended to the Central Legislature.
Primary Elections: Dalit voters would first elect a panel of Dalit candidates through a primary election, with the broader electorate then voting for these candidates in the general election. This aimed to ensure Dalit representation while maintaining Hindu unity.
The event wrapped up with lots of networking.
