Intellectuals hail KCR for his pro-Dalit vision, felicitation of Dr B R Ambedkar

HYDERABAD: Several intellectuals, of national and regional stature, on Tuesday paid rich compliments to the K Chandrashekar Rao-led Telangana Government for its Dalit welfare initiatives like nowhere else in the country. They hailed KCR for his commitment to the upliftment of Dalits and the monumental decision to christen the new secretariat after Dr B R Ambedkar besides installing an iconic 125-foot-tall statue of the ‘Father of the Indian Constitution’ in the heart of Hyderabad.

A meeting was organised at Ravindra Bharathi on Tuesday to express their gratitude to the Telangana Chief Minister for his initiatives to honour Dr Ambedkar and strive for the well-being of the Dalits in the state. A resolution to this effect was also unanimously adopted at the meeting where speakers recalled KCR’s fondness for the Dalits and his unflinching commitment for the welfare of the community.

Prof. Limbadri, Chairman of Telangana State Council for Higher Education, said that the naming of the new secretariat building after Dr Ambedkar was a matter of great pride for Telangana. Osmania University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Ravinder Yadav said that, by installing the 125-foot-tall iconic statue right next to the Secretariat, KCR drove home the message that Ambedkar is a universal leader who cannot just be confined to one community.

Echoing similar sentiment, Allam Narayana, Chairman of Telangana State Press Academy, said that the twin decisions of christening secretariat after Ambedkar and the statue adjacent to it only reflected KCR’s great vision. He hoped that the mammoth statue would surpass even Charminar and other iconic landmarks to emerge as the most popular tourist destination in Hyderabad.

He took on the Narendra Modi Government at the Centre, saying that the BJP-led NDA was imposing a rule of tyranny on the people. “Sadly, we are living in an era where one can be fined Rs 25,000 for seeking to know the Prime Minister’s education certificate,” he commented. He was making an oblique reference to the Gujarat High Court penalising Delhi Chief Minister Arwind Kejriwal for seeking details of Modi’s Master degree in 2016.

K Srinivas, Editor of Telugu daily Andhra Jyothy, while thanking KCR for felicitating Dr Ambedkar in an unprecedented manner, hailed the ‘Father of the Indian Constitution’ for his foresight. He said that the creation of smaller states would have been seriously impeded had Article 3 not been included in the Constitution. He said that this demonstrated Ambedkar’s vision and farsighted thinking.

Describing Ambedkar as a pivot in Indian society and politics, Prof. Vijjullatha, Incharge Vice-Chancellor of Telangana Mahila Viswavidyalayam (women’s university), said that the welfare of the downtrodden was the need of the hour.

Prof. Ghanta Chakrapani, former Chairman of Telangana State Public Service Commission (TSPSC) said that KCR had always shown a big, sensitive heart when it came to the upliftment of Dalits and their pride. He recalled how he was witness to KCR’s spontaneous decisions way back in 2016 which paved the way for the installation of the 125-foot-long Dr Ambedkar statue.

Somesh Kumar, former chief secretary of Telangana; Sukhdev Thorat, former chairman of University Grants Commission (UGC) and Kaki Madhava Rao, retired IAS officer took part as chief guests in the 'Thank You, KCR' meeting. The event was organised by Prabuddha Bharath International, Samatha Sainik dal and SC, ST Officers Forum.