To mark the 125th birth anniversary of the Dalit leader
By Sreekanth A. Nair
The Andhra Pradesh state government has decided to install a 125-foot statue of Dr. BR Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian constitution, to mark the 125th birth anniversary of the Dalit leader, reported The New Indian Express.
The statue will be installed at a 15-acre memorial garden built for Ambedkar in Amaravati, which is being developed as the capital of the state after it was divided into Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
The government has plans to develop Amaravati as a tourist destination. State Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu announced the plans of the government on Tuesday when the state assembly held a discussion on how to organize the 125th birth anniversary of Ambedkar.
“We are planning to develop the memorial as a garden which will have a convention centre and a Buddhist meditation hall. We are also planning to set up a museum and a library to make people know about the great leader’s teachings,†The New Indian Express quoted Naidu as saying.
“We want to develop Amaravati as a tourist attraction for Buddhists from across the globe. BR Ambedkar’s proposed statue and the memorial park would further add glory to the capital city,†Naidu added.
The government is also planning to organize Ambedkar Ideology Run, Ambedkar Sports Meet and other programs as part of the celebration. All the works of Ambedkar will be translated into Telugu.
On April 14, the government will start its initiative to provide housing to 600,000 poor people.