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An open air museum on Constitution, its making

Induben Rohit, who had last year led a march to Delhi for eradication of untouchability, said that through the Constitution, Babasaheb has given Dalits the power to assert their rights.

An open air museum on Constitution, its making

A boy aims an arrow at the 'target' to empower tribals at the Constitution museum compound at Nani Devti on Friday. (Photo : Rathin Das/SNS)

Village children are happily hitting two punching bags hanging in an open area of Dalit Shakti Kendra (DSK) which has during the last many years empowered hundreds of poor people by making them aware of their rights and responsibilities.

The punching bags are symbols of untouchability which could not be eradicated from India in 75 years since independence. The kids punching the ‘untouchability’ bags is just one of the few live ‘exhibits’ at the Constitution museum that was inaugurated at the DSK compound here on Friday afternoon.

The first of its kind, this ‘open air’ museum gives an insight into the process that led to the making of the Constitution and the stellar contribution of Dr B R Ambedkar to it.

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Divided into four cottages spread over the DSK compound, the Constitution museum seeks to make the people aware of their various rights and responsibilities as well as the grievance redressal mechanisms available.

The Constitution is the guiding principle just like a lighthouse guides the ships towards the shore, DSK founder Martin Macwan told The Statesman on Friday.

Macwan had received the Kennedy Memorial Human Rights Award two decades ago for his contribution to empowering the Dalits.

Inaugurating the unique Constitution museum, Macwan said that not a penny of government money has been spent for the museum built with contributions of about Rs 6.50 lakhs from villagers of Gujarat.

As toys are good tools to educate children, another live ‘exhibit’ in the museum is a bow and arrow game, the targets being fulfilling the Constitutional rights of tribals on the forest land and its produce.

Induben Rohit, who had last year led a march to Delhi for eradication of untouchability, said that through the Constitution, Babasaheb has given Dalits the power to assert their rights.

Such Constitution museums may be replicated in other states too, said Martin Macwan.

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