Sonipat (Haryana), April 13 (IANS) “Dr B.R. Ambedkar was not merely a person who drafted the Constitution with certain ideas borrowed from elsewhere, but who wanted to bring into the Constitution certain visions and understanding which today permeate the Constitution and make its working different from ideologies and are premised on equality, justice, fraternity and governance, Attorney General R. Venkataramani said.

He also pointed out that despite the achievements of India in the social, economic and political fields, there is a grammar of anarchy!

“All struggles towards equality and non-discrimination, aspirations towards the egalitarian society will have to necessarily occur within the framework of the Constitution as it is the most powerful document – beyond faith and prescription – to ensure that,” the Attorney General said in the inaugural address of the National Convention on “Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s Legacy: Advancing Rights, Justice & Constitutional Governance” held at O.P. Jindal Global University.

“Educational institutions can be a great bridge between governmental institutions, political parties, and social awareness. We have a long journey ahead, and we need greater encouragement and engagement for equality. Dr Ambedkar had an extraordinary vision with his understanding of philosophy, religion and economics to reach a social order when each one of us will have equal status and equal regard, beyond economic reordering,” he added.

In celebration of the 134th Birth Anniversary of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, O.P. Jindal Global University has organised a three-day national convention on a discourse on Dr Ambedkar’s enduring legacy. The convention is being held from April 12-14 at the university in the presence of leading academics, law experts, jurists, judges, eminent lawyers and national leaders.

The national convention was also addressed by Haryana’s Additional Chief Secretary, Dr. Raja Sekhar Vundru, and National Council of Women Leaders’ National Convener, Manjula Pradeep, among other dignitaries.

O.P. Jindal Global University’s Founding Vice Chancellor Prof (Dr) C. Raj Kumar said: “Dr. B.R. Ambedkar stands as one of India’s most formidable scholars and revolutionary leaders of the 20th century. A visionary advocate for rights and a just society, particularly of and for marginalised communities, his ideas and practice made some of the most important and foundational structures of India possible, including the Indian Constitution.”

“Dr. B.R. Ambedkar continues to inspire movements for justice and emancipation worldwide. To appreciate his enduring legacy, we want to facilitate, support and host some conversations – enlivening his life with our learnings and his remarkable scholarship with what concerns us today. This national convention will prove to be a leading intellectual discourse, enabling a contemporary understanding of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in modern India.”

Jindal Global Law School’s Executive Dean, Prof (Dr) Dipika Jain, said: “The discussions, panels and keynote addresses over the three days of the national convention will help us to better understand the legacy of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. It addresses how the Indian Constitution has been an enduring document which has helped India commit to its democratic roots and has ensured the rights of the individual. Various sessions during the convention will delve into these themes, which also include an incisive debate on the foresight of Dr Ambedkar in shaping India’s political ideas as well as economic thought.”

Multiple sessions are focused on pertinent issues like: Dialogues of Dissent on Dr. Ambedkar, Sociology & the Construction of the Other, Dr. Ambedkar and Global Human Rights, Dr. Ambedkar and the Women’s Question, Reservation and It’s Futures, Religious Pluralism & Dr. Ambedkar’s Embrace of Buddhism, Dalit Feminist Theory: Critique, Power and Revolutionising Feminist Thought, The Legal & the Ethical in Ambedkar’s Conception of Emancipation and contemporary questions like Constitutional Moralities and Decriminalising Same-Sex Relations: A Critical Conversation, Digital India and the Question of Caste, Role of Media in Advancing Dr Ambedkar’s Legacy and more.

Leading and illustrious participants include Dr Vundru, Madras HC’s former judge, Justice K. Chandru, Rajya Sabha member, Dr Sasmit Patra, Pradeep, Femme First Foundation Founder & Chief Executive Officer Angellica Aribam, National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights General Secretary Beena Pallical, Nazariya Co-founder Rituparna Borah, All India Dalit Mahila Adhikar Manch- NCDHR General Secretary Abirami Jotheeswaran, advocate and Internet Freedom Foundation Co-founder Apar Gupta, Dalit Woman Fight Founder Dr Riya Singh, Criminal Justice and Police Accountability Project Co-founder Nikita Sonavane, The Mooknayak founder Meena Kotwal, The News Minute’s Executive Editor Sudipto Mondal, along with renowned academics from leading universities like Jawaharlal Nehru University, NALSAR University of Law, Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, University of Hyderabad, Indira Gandhi National Open University, University of Delhi and others.

–IANS

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