All universities must encourage studying Dr BR Ambedkar: Minister Mahadevappa

NT Correspondent

Mysuru: State social welfare and district minister Dr H C Mahadevappa on Saturday wanted all universities to encourage students to study views of Dr B R Ambedkar broadly.

He was speaking after inaugurating a two day international conference on Development perspectives of Dr B R Ambedkar in contemporary India organized by Karnataka State Open University Dr B R Ambedkar Studies and Research Centre at its convocation hall in the city.

He said that Dr B R Ambedkar who was the chairman of Indian constitution drafting committee well read about India's rigid caste social system, its socio-economic inequalities, its history and economics guaranteed equal rights and opportunities to all citizens in the Indian constitution.

As the practice of caste system still continues to be a system of social oppression and social discrimination, the views of Ambedkar, his uncompromising analysis on rigid religious structures and socio-political systems , his studies to build a discrimination free society needs to be studied broadly.

In these aspects, the study of Ambedkar always relevant in the contemporary India, he said As both democracy and constitution was facing threat in contemporary India by the fascist forces, the study of Ambedkar views who brought all marginalized sections including women, farmers, laborers under democracy fold is must.

People who were in favor of the Sati system are now riding on the Indian constitution.

Though the state government was making all efforts to spread constitution awareness among people, its basic principles, preamble to safeguard democracy, there is much needs to be done to study democracy in Ambedkar lens.

There is no meaning for political freedom in the country even when socio – inequalities continue in the society, he said.

State higher education minister Dr MC Sudhakar who also spoke on the occasion recalled Dr B R Ambedkar for drafting the world best written constitution for Indian democracy.

He described Ambedkar as an economist, social thinker, philosopher, great humanist whose views need to be studied in a broader context, he said.

Vice chancellor of KSOU Prof Sharanappa V Halse, Registrar Prof K L N Murthy, Registrar of evaluation Prof Praveen, Prof N Lakshmi, Prof Shivashankaraswamy were present.