Kovind launches book: Former President of India Ram Nath Kovind, on Friday, launched a book ‘Ambedkar and Modi: Reformer’s Ideas Performer’s Implementation’ in the presence of Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur, former Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan, Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Dr L Murugan and Director of Bluekraft Digital Foundation Hitesh Jain.

Addressing a gathering on the occasion, Anurag Thakur said that the book is not only a collection of the lofty ideas and vision of the great reformer Baba Saheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar but also a compilation of how the ideas have been executed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the past eight years. It’s a documentation of the Herculean efforts being made to realise the vision of Dr Ambedkar.

Recalling the contribution of Dr Ambedkar to the nation, Thakur called him a statesman par excellence whose ideas, interventions and philosophies have formed the very foundation of our nation and country as we know it today.

“Ambedkar dedicated his whole life to championing the cause of equality, human rights and social justice. He was a mouthpiece of the marginalised and socially oppressed. His life and influence continue to have an overarching impact on the making of Modern India,” the Minister said.

He recollected how as the first Law Minister of the country Dr Ambedkar had envisioned a society free from discrimination. His efforts, he said, ensured the mainstreaming of the marginalised, and distributed the fruits of development equally among all. But, he regretted that the efforts of governments since Independence fell short in the realisation of these ideas.

However, the government since 2014 has relentlessly pursued these very objectives. Speaking on the basic philosophy of the government, Thakur said at the very onset, after forming the government, the Prime Minister proclaimed that he will be dedicated to the cause of the Dalits, the downtrodden and deprived sections of society. Since then, the actions and policies of the government have marched to the tunes of Antoday.

Be it Make in India or Production linked Incentive Schemes, these are initiatives of the government to realise a modern India, the one that Dr Ambedkar had envisioned.

Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s life mantra of ‘bahujanhitay, bahujansukhay’ (for the happiness of the masses, for the welfare of masses) has always been at the core of PM Modi’s development model. In the field of education, the country has seen a rise in the number of IITs, IIMs, IIITs and other higher educational institutions.

Prompted by Ambedkar’s vision, and his own similar beliefs, the PM left no stone unturned in transforming the education sector at a rapid pace, with focus on primary, higher and medical education.

Over 208 medical colleges have opened in the last eight years and the number of medical seats has risen to over 1 lakh from 78,000, an unparalleled feat, we are also working to bridge the gap in number of doctors in the country and the poorest of the people have access to good medical facilities.

Underlining the improvements in basic infrastructure of the country, he listed the achievements of his government. He said electricity has reached the remotest corners of the country, over 45 crore bank accounts have been opened, over 31 thousand crore rupees were transferred to accounts of women during the crisis..

He said these are the actions that identify the government. Where on one hand BHIM has set an example for a robust digital payment system, we have built over 11 crore toilets and over 3 crore houses on the other.

Thakur cited PM Modi’s idea of women-centric and women-led development as one of the core pillars of this government and said that the government has ensured that 12 crore women have received gas cylinders under Ujjwala yojana and maternity leave has been increased to 26 weeks from 12 weeks earlier.

Speaking on the benefits of the backward communities, he said that the MUDRA yojana helped provide loans without guarantee worth 18 lakh crore rupees to 34 crore SC, ST and other backward community members.

Members of the SC and the ST communities comprise 3.1 crore beneficiaries of Ujjwala yojana and1.31 crore pucca houses have been provided to members of such communities.

“Building upon Dr. Ambedkar’s vision to uplift SC youth, Ambedkar Social Innovation and Incubation Mission (ASIIM) was launched in 2020. PM Daksh Yojana has trained 2.27 lakh youth to add them to skilled manpower.

Employee’s State Insurance wage limit which was merely rupees 15,000/- before 2014 has been increased to rupees 21,000”, the Minister has said.
As a mark of respect to Baba Saheb, the government under PM Modi has formed the Panch Teerth and also installed Dr Ambedkar’s image in Parliament House.

In his speech, former President of India Ramnath Kovind delved into the multi-dimensional persona of Dr. Ambedkar. Recalling his contributions in the formative years of Independent India, he said Baba Saheb’s contributions shaped the policies related to banking, irrigation, electricity system, education system, labour management, revenue sharing system, etc.

Kovind recalled the time when Chief Minister Narendra Modi had organised a Gaurav Yatra in 2010 in Gujarat. Atop a decorated elephant was seated a large copy of the Indian Constitution, while Modi as CM was walking with the people on foot. There is no better example of reverence to the Constitution and respect to Baba Saheb Ambedkar.

Drawing parallels between the vision of Dr Ambedkar and the policies of PM Modi, Kovind said that the new education policy, which has stemmed from over two lakh ideas submitted from across the country, and which provides for education in one’s mother tongue is in line with Baba Sabeb’s ideas.

He further said that the four labour codes to replace a multitude of complex laws, universal account numbers for labourers are a fruition of vision of Dr. Ambedkar.

Former Chief Justice of India Justice Balakrishna called Dr. Ambedkar as one of the greatest thinkers of India. He recalled the ideas of Baba Saheb on industrialisation, women empowerment, education and modernisation of India. He emphasised that the policies of the current government are implementing the essence of the idea of India put forth by Dr. Ambedkar.

Ahead of the event, Justice K G Balakrishan and Anurag Thakur inaugurated a three-day Digital Interactive Multi-media Exhibition with focus on the life, teachings and contributions of Dr. B R Ambedkar on Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav by the Central Bureau of Communication.

The exhibition is designed to give the visitors an immersive experience, while creating awareness about Dr Ambedkar’s ideals and Government’s developmental initiatives. It comprises Holo Cubes, digital interactive puzzles, RFID based digital interactive displays, interactive touch walls, and display of flip books.

About the book

‘Ambedkar and Modi: Reformer’s Ideas Performer’s Implementation’ has been carefully and expertly compiled by Bluekraft Digital Foundation, one of the leading organisations that harness Indian talent and empower Indian society by creating awareness and implementing out-of-box ideas for social welfare.

It features a foreword by Rajya Sabha MP Ilaiyaraaja (also an acclaimed music composer and lyricist) that offers a valuable insight into the vast expanse of wisdom that may be found in Dr. Ambedkar’s works while drawing a parallel with the policies and reforms unleashed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure India’s progress is in line with Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s vision.

Ambedkar & Modi serves as a vital addition to the continuous research on Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s thoughts and works and will be an important contribution to the policy landscape of the country. It serves as a milestone in India’s journey as an independent nation and analyses how the vision of personalities like Dr. Ambedkar is finally coming to fruition under the visionary and dynamic leadership of PM Modi.

The book delves deep into the life, works and achievements of Dr. Ambedkar from a scholarly perspective presents an undeniable convergence between the ideals of Dr. B R Ambedkar and New India’s development journey.