Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday hailed the vision and foresight of the architect of the Constitution, Dr B. R. Ambedkar, in nation-building and energy policy. After the tribute to Bharat Ratna Dr B.R. Ambedkar at Chaityabhoomi on the occasion of Mahaparinirvan Diwas, he highlighted the revolutionary impact of the Constitution and Dr Ambedkar’s visionary decisions in infrastructure development. He asserted that Dr Ambedkar transformed societal adversity into strength, acquiring knowledge and planting the seeds of equality in society.
CM Fadnavis said, “A massive inequality had developed in our country, which deprived many of the right to live as human beings. In such a situation, Dr Ambedkar turned this very inequality into his strength, acquired knowledge, brought about great awakening in society, and gave us a Constitution that established a rule of equality.” The Chief Minister credited the Constitution for the nation’s progress, which has made India the world’s fourth-largest economy and is rapidly moving toward the third position. “The foundation for this progress was laid by the Constitution-maker and economist Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar,” he said.
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He added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s sentiment is that the Constitution is paramount over any other sacred text, calling the Indian Constitution the best in the world, where “every answer can be found.” CM Fadnavis underscored Dr Ambedkar’s intellectual foresight by recalling a recent conversation with the Governor of New Jersey. “The Governor of New Jersey recently visited me and mentioned that New York and New Jersey areas still face electricity shortages because they have a State Grid, not a National Grid,” he said.
The chief minister noted that when Dr Ambedkar assumed office as the Minister of Electricity, his first decision was to create a National Grid across India. “Because of his foresight, we are able to transmit electricity from any corner of India to another. What a developed nation like America did not realise, Dr Ambedkar realised, and he gave India a programme for self-sufficiency,” he said.
Addressing the long-pending project of the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar memorial at Indu Mill in Dadar, Mumbai, the Chief Minister provided a clear completion target. He announced that an effort will be made to complete the world-class memorial, which will feature a 450-foot-tall statue of Dr Ambedkar, by the next Mahaparinirvan Diwas. PM Modi had laid the project’s foundation stone in October 2015, and the government’s current intent is to complete the ongoing work by December 2026.