Former Prime Minister of India - Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Dr. Ambedkar was a great personality - Prime Minister

LAND ACQUIRED FOR DR. AMBEDKAR NATIONAL MEMORIAL AT DELHI

The Prime Minister, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee has said that Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was a great personality and the more one reads about him the more one realizes his greatness. The Prime Minister said that Dr. Ambedkar took up the task of social change at a very difficult time and showed us a new path.

The Prime Minister was speaking to a delegation of representatives of Dr. Ambedkar Foundation and various other Dalit Associations, here today. The delegation had come to his residence to felicitate the Prime Minister on successful acquisition of the 26, Alipur Road property at Delhi for setting up a national memorial in the honour of Dr. Ambedkar.

Shri Vajpayee said that it is a matter of joy and happiness that the decade-old effort had finally reached its logical conclusion. As Dr. Ambedkar had lived and breathed his last at this place, it is natural that a memorial should be set up at this place, the Prime Minister said. Shri Vajpayee said that though it has taken a long time, in democracy things, at times, move at a slow pace, but move in the right direction. The Prime Minister said that now a memorial could be set up, but it should be a grand one. However, he also felt that some sort of rethinking on memorials was needed in our country. The memorials may be few in numbers, but each memorial should be a grand one. There is no dearth of money, what is required is dedication and hard work, the Prime Minister added.

Shri Satyanarayan Jatia, Union Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment, Shri Sohan Pal Sumanakshar, noted Dalit writer and various other dignitaries were among those present on the occasion.