NEW DELHI: The Prime Minister’s Office has given directions to the Information & Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry to mandatorily broadcast a biopic on Dalit icon Babasaheb Ambedkar, directed by Jabbar Patel, on various national occasions such as the Republic Day, Independence Day, Dr Ambedkar’s birthday.
The movie was produced in 1999 jointly by the Ministry of Social Justice and Maharashtra, and is available in eight different languages, including English, Hindi, Tamil, Marathi, Bengali and Odia.
“For all these years, the film was not been telecast. Now it will be shown on national days of importance,” said an I&B official.
According to a government source, most ministries were planning routine Ambedkar day celebrations till recently.
“But things have changed in the last month,” said the official who acknowledged that the sudden spurt in activities may have got to do with the Congress scion Rahul Gandhi’s second coming.
On the other hand, Rahul is going ahead with his plan to visit Mhow, the birthplace of B R Ambedkar, and interact with Dalits on May 29 during his one-day visit to Madhya Pradesh.
Mhow would see the first Dalit rally of Rahul’s decade-long political career which, coming after the farmers show here on April 19, may broaden the heir apparent’s political agenda. This proposed visit is expected to add to the year-long programme being chalked out by the Congress to celebrate the 125th birth anniversary of Ambedkar.
The tussle for the Ambedkar pie among the political parties is understandable as both the Congress and the BJP have their eyes firmly fixed on the Dalit vote share which had been loyal to the Congress till recently.
The BJP had successfully managed to give a saffron tinge to the Dalit vote share, which played a crucial role in its victory. The party’s belated interest in the ‘father of the constitution’ had invited the criticism of Ambedkar’s grandson Prakash. “The Congress did not do justice to Ambedkar when he was alive. I wonder what they are trying to celebrate now,” he had asked. But nothing seems to have affected the Congress’ determination to reclaim Ambedkar.