Ambedkar Jayanti 2024 in India

Is Ambedkar Jayanti a Public Holiday?

Ambedkar Jayanti is observed as a public holiday in several states of the country such as Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Pondicherry, Gujarat, Haryana, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Chandigarh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. Overall, this holiday has been observed only by the employees of the Central Government only, but since 2015, this day has been observed as a public holiday officially.

Therefore, all government and private schools, universities and academic institutions remain closed on this day. However, some private offices may remain fully operational on this occasion.

Ambedkar Jayanti History

Ambedkar Jayanti history holds high significance and highlights the reason behind its observance. B.R Ambedkar, popularly known as the Father of the Indian Constitution, was born on 14 April 1891 in Mhow, Madhya Pradesh. He not only framed the Indian Constitution but also played an important role in the formation of the country’s largest bank, the Reserve Bank of India. He was a renowned social activist who launched the Dalit Buddhist Movement in India. Since childhood, B.R Ambedkar was concerned about the condition of Dalits in the Indian society and the way they were denied any favourable treatment.

It was in the year 1928 that the birth anniversary of Babasaheb Ambedkar was celebrated for the first time by Janardan Sadashiv Ranapisay, an Ambedkarite social activist in Pune. Since then, the tradition of observing Ambedkar Jayanti began.

Tributes on Ambedkar Jayanti

• In 1966, 1973, 1991, 2001 and 2013, several stamps dedicated to Ambedkar’s birthday were issued by the Indian Post.


• In 2009, 2015, 2016 and 2017, several stamps issued by the Indian Post featured the image of Dr Ambedkar.


• 10 Rupees and 125 Rupees coins were issued by the Government of India in the year 2015 to commemorate the birth anniversary of B.R Ambedkar.


• On several digital platforms such as Google and Twitter, the occasion of Ambedkar Jayanti has been respectfully commemorated. On one such occasion, a Google Doodle was created to mark the event, whereas on the other, a Dr. Ambedkar emoji was launched on Twitter.


• Every year in Maharashtra, April 14 is observed as the “Knowledge Day” in the honor of Babasaheb Ambedkar.

Ambedkar Jayanti Celebrations in India

On the occasion of Ambedkar Jayanti, schools and colleges organize plays and dramatic adaptations based on the life of B.R Ambedkar. Processions are carried out in full force by his followers, who take out his picture and preach the lessons taught by B.R Ambedkar. Some of the popular processions carried out on this day are at Chaitya Bhoomi (Mumbai) and Deeksha Bhoomi (Nagpur).

On this occasion, the Prime Minister of India, the President of India, senior political figures and several other leaders of the significant political parties pay their respect to the statue of B.R Ambedkar installed at the Parliament of India, New Delhi. The community of dalits labourers as well as women celebrate this day with great enthusiasm. Common people visit the local statues of Ambedkar and commemorate his birthday by carrying out charitable activities and programs for social welfare.

Facts About B.R. Ambedkar

1. B.R Ambedkar is known to be a proficient politician, skilled economist and social reformer who fought for the welfare of the Dalit community. He aggressively worked for the economic and social welfare of the community of untouchables.

2. A prominent architect of the Constitution of India, Ambedkar also advocated for women’s rights and workers’ rights.

3. B.R. Ambedkar became the first and only ’untouchable’ to get enrolled in the prestigious Elphinstone High School.

4. During the time when he was drafting the Constitution, he strongly opposed Article 370, which granted the state of Jammu & Kashmir a special status.

5. When he was just fifteen years old, he was married off to Ramabai, who was nine years old at the time of marriage. After her death, he got remarried to Dr. Sharada Kabir aka Savita Ambedkar in 1948.

6. He is known to be the recipient of several accolades and awards, which include First Colombian Ahead of Their Time Award (2004), Bodhisattva (1956), Bharat Ratna (1990), The Greatest Indian (2012) and much more.

7. The people of his community rejoiced with utter happiness and decided to celebrate the moment when B.R. Ambedkar passed his English exam since they believed it to be a proud achievement.

8. It was B.R. Ambedkar who introduced leave benefits, medical leaves, dearness allowance, employee insurance and less working hours.

9. He played an instrumental role in bringing huge labour reforms in India.

Famous B.R. Ambedkar Quotes

• “I measure the progress of a community by the degree of progress which women have achieved.”


• “Humans are mortal. So are ideas. An idea needs propagation as much as a plant needs watering. Otherwise, both will wither and die.”


• “Lost rights are never regained by appeals to the conscience of the usurpers, but by relentless struggle.... Goats are used for sacrificial offerings and not lions.”


• “A just society is that society in which ascending sense of reverence and descending sense of contempt is dissolved into the creation of a compassionate society”


• “The sovereignty of scriptures of all religions must come to an end if we want to have a united integrated modern India.”

আম্বেদকর জয়ন্তী Observances

FAQs

From the above information, it is evident that the event of Ambedkar Jayanti 2024 in India is observed on রবিবার, 14 এপ্রিল with great enthusiasm.

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