TIRUCHENDUR: Even as Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar's 131st birth anniversary is celebrated on April 14 (Thursday), Scheduled Castes from Tiruchendur have been struggling for the past 42 years to install his full-size bronze statue at the Dr Ambedkar memorial park in Tiruchendur municipality.
Former state minister Kakkan inaugurated the Dr Ambedkar memorial park on December 6, 1962 in memory of Ambedkar, the first union law and justice minister of the country. A taluk freedom fighters' memorial was erected inside the Ambedkar memorial park in 1973 with the due consent from 15 ward members of the Tiruchendur town panchayat, and later a full-size statue of former Chief Minister K Kamaraj was installed in 1979 within the park premises.
The VCK south district secretary Murasu Tamilappan told TNIE that demands to install Ambedkar's statue in the park were amplified in the year 1980. The Tiruchendur town panchayat passed a resolution in 1988 to commission a full-size statue of Ambedkar at a small piece of land (less than a cent) belonging to the civic body near the Tiruchendur bus stand. "However, installation of Ambedkar's statue was not mooted for unknown reasons then'', he said.
As Scheduled Caste people in the region took up the issue again under the banner of Tiruchendur Ambedkar Silai Amaippu and Paramaraippu Sangam, the Tiruchendur town panchayat proposed a resolution again to install the statue on October 22, 2020, he said, adding that the officials mandated recommendations from revenue, police, and highways departments due for the installation of a statue. "While revenue officials recommended the installation of the statue, the police, and highway had put the matters on hold," said Thamilappan, who is also the president of the sangam.
Meanwhile, official sources from Tiruchendur municipality said that the proposal demanding government order for installing Ambedkar statue in Tiruchendur has been channelised through Collector and Directorate of Municipal Administration to the State government, however, it remains pending due to the 2019 Supreme Court ruling on banning installation of statues at public places, he added.
When asked, DMK sources said that the full-size bronze statue of Ambedkar will be installed by buying private land in the main stretch of Tiruchendur town.
Thamilappan, however, pointed out that various State governments in India had been announcing construction of statutes despite the apex court orders. "Chief Minister Stalin had announced installation of VO Chidambaranar statue at VOC park in Coimbatore and Ambedkar manimandapam in Chennai under 110 rule", Thamilappan said, adding he also inaugurated an Ambedkar statue in Erode on this January 26.
Despite having passed resolutions and protests, establishing the Ambedkar statue remains a mirage in Tiruchendur, said Chezhian of VCK party, adding it is the second generation now that is demanding the installation of Ambedakar statue. It could happen only if there is a heart to accept Ambedkar, he added.