Messiah and more

Ambedkar was not just a dalit leader but also a thought leader, whose contributions to finance and security were deliberately downplayed

- GURU PRAKASH PASWAN

Dr B.R. Ambedkar, both as an idea and an individual, will continue to inspire generations to come. Some years ago, a news channel conducted a survey on the greatest Indian ever, and Ambedkar figured at the top. A statue that can be seen even in the remotest corners of the country is that of Ambedkar, [standing tall] with the Constitution in one hand and the index finger of the other hand pointing ahead, indicating a future of hope and promise for millions of dalits and the socially marginalised communities. Over the years, unfortunate incidents of disfigurement of those statues have also declined owing to the rising assertion ad aspiration of dalit leadership, from politics to academia.

Ambedkar and his legacy