As the BJP gets ready to celebrate the 125th birth anniversary of Dr B.R. Ambedkar in a big way, RSS mouthpieces Organiser and Panchjanya are coming out with a “collector’s edition” on his birthday, April 14.
The special edition would highlight some of the “unexplored dimensions” of Dr Ambedkar, also known as the Father of the Indian Constitution and hailed by many as a dalit icon.
Describing Dr Ambedkar as a “nationalist to the core”, the special edition, will be released by RSS second-in-command Bhaiyya Joshi and will also highlight Dr Ambedkar’s efforts towards eradication of caste culture.
The RSS leadership had claimed that Dr Ambedkar believed in the Sangh’s ideology and had called its workers symbols of social unity and integrity.
With Assembly elections in the politically-crucial UP scheduled in 2017 where Mayawati’s BSP, whose majority vote bank consist of dalits, could pose a big challenge to the BJP, the saffron party has many functions and events lined up, including in UP, to mark the anniversary.
“There are many unexplored dimensions of Dr Ambedkar other than his contribution to the Constitution. The special edition will try to bring out as much as it can about these very aspects of him. Like not many people would know that he was a strong supporter of Sanskrit language and was adept in the language. He was an eminent educationist, a lawyer, brought many crucial labour laws, and was also a journalist,” said Organiser editor Prafulla Ketkar.
While the RSS rejected that the special edition of its mouthpiece will have any political significance, many see it as an attempt to woo dalits. Incidentally, RSS affiliate Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has also launched a nation-wide campaign against untoucability while RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat would be attending the ‘Chintan baithak’ of another sangh affiliate Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram, which works primarily with the tribals, in Chitrakoot. The RSS is of the view that caste system is one of the main causes for religious conversion.