BIT Chawl

Uddhav Thackeray

Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar

Parel

Nationalist Congress Party

Mahaparinirvan Diwas: Mumbaikars pay tribute to Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar on his 63rd death anniversary 01:02

‘SENA REACHING OUT TO DALITS? NOTHING COULD BE MORE IRONIC’



Shiv Sena

Namdeo Dhasal

Untitled Carousel Babasaheb Ambedkar memorial to come up in three years time: Devendra Fadnavis The memorial to Babasaheb Ambedkar, to be built on the Indu Mill site near Chaityabhoomi here, would be completed in three years time, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told the Legislative Council today

Chief Ministeron Friday announced that the one-time home ofat Bombay Improvement Trust (BIT) Chawl Number 1 atwill be converted into a memorial to the father of India’s Constitution. On Dr Ambedkar’s 63rd Mahaparinirvan Din, Thackeray became the first chief minister of Maharashtra to visit his old residence, located near Damodar Hall.BIT Chawl Number 1 has 80 rooms and is one of six such chawls in Parel. Rooms 50 and 51 on the second floor served as Dr Ambedkar’s residence and office for almost 22 years, from 1912 to 1934. Room 50 was his study and 51 was his residence, where he lived with his wife Ramabai. It was from there that he launched several social reform movements, as well as the fortnightly Bahishrkit Bharat and MookNayak newspapers. It was also during his stay there at he attended the historic round table conference, did Manusmruti dahan and did much of his important writing. He also formed the Bahishrkit Hitkarini Sabha during this period. Many academicians, historians and Ambedkar followers have visited the chawl.While most of his followers welcomed the CM’s announcement, Anandraj Ambedkar, Dr Ambedkar’s grandson, had a different view. “This announcement and visit came as a surprise. When the Ambedkar memorial is underway at Indu Mill, why not turn the museum at Rajgruh (Dadar East) into a national museum? Why build another memorial?” Anandraj asked. Rajgruh marks the area where Ambedkar lived for around 20 years after shifting from Parel. He moved into a bigger home there as he didn’t have enough space for his books in the Parel house.Bhaguram Khaire, 75, a distant relative of Dr Ambedkar’s family who lives in room 51 with his wife and son, said, “I have demanded that a modern library be built here as a memorial. Let’s see how the new government is planning to convert this place.” Khaire has not even changed the flooring or the lock of the 10x12 room; he also has left Dr Ambedkar’s photo collection untouched.Room 50 is occupied by Nivedita Tadilkar and her children. She said, “My father-in-law was a leader of the Samta Sainik Dal, which was formed by Ambedkar. That is why, when leaving for Rajgruh, he gave this place to our family.” Unlike room 51, the interiors of this room have been altered extensively.Jitendra Awhad, the(NCP) MLA from Mumbra Kalwa, said, “The Fadnavis government spent Rs 100 crore for the conservation of Amebedkar’s London house but they did very little about this important place, where the poorest of the poor can pay tribute to him.” Awhad had raised the issue on December 4 and requested the CM to covert the place into a national museum.................................................................................................................................................................Political analysts said that thehas traditionally had very little support from the Dalit community, and that Uddhav Thackeray’s visit to Chaityabhoomi and the plan to convert Dr Ambedkar’s BIT chawl residence into a national memorial represented an outreach to the community. They said by breaking away from the BJP and forming a government with the Congress and the NCP, the Sena had increased its acceptability among Dalits and that the optics of Friday’s announcement would help the party make further inroads. Sena sources said that it was NCP MLA Jitendra Awhad who requested Thackeray to visit the BIT Chawl and pushed for its conversion into a national memorial.Speaking at Chaityabhoomi, Thackeray said Ambedkar had rebelled against injustice. He said the upcoming memorial at Indu Mill, also in Dadar, will be an inspiration in the fight against injustice and discrimination. He added that the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government was committed to the welfare of the poor and deprived sections of society.But political analyst Prakash Akolkar said, “Nothing could be more ironic. The Sena had riots with Dalit activists in the BBD chawls at Worli in 1973. The Sena had opposed the renaming of Marathwada University after Babasaheb Ambedkar. The Sena opposed the publication of Ambedkar’s ‘Riddles of Hinduism’, claiming that they were derogatory to Hindu deities. Now, the Sena has been forced to reach out to Dalits.”This is not the first time by the Sena has tried to reach out to the community. During the times of its founder Bal Thackeray, Uddhav had experimented with mingling Shivshakti and Bhimshakti by aligning with the RPI’s Ramdas Athawle. Bal Thackeray also enjoyed a good personal rapport with Dalit Panthers founder and noted writer. Dhasal used to write a column for Sena mouthpiece Saamna, titled ‘Sare Kahi Samashti Sathi’ (Everything for equality).