Jairam Ramesh recalls BR Ambedkar's formal initiation into Buddhism on anniversary of event

New Delhi, Oct 14 (PTI) Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday recalled that 69 years ago on this day BR Ambedkar and his wife Savita Ambedkar were formally initiated into Buddhism in Nagpur and thereafter, the prime architect of the Constitution administered 22 revolutionary oaths prepared by himself to about half a million people.

In a post on X, the Congress general secretary in-charge communications also pointed out that India celebrated the 2500th anniversary of the Buddha's birth in 1956.

It was also on October 14, 1956, that Dr. Ambedkar and his wife Dr. Savita Ambedkar were formally initiated into Buddhism by the Burmese monk Bhikku Chandiramani in Nagpur, he said.

"Thereafter, the prime architect of the Indian Constitution offered deeksha to about half a million people assembled at what has come to be greatly revered as Deekshabhumi and also administered them 22 revolutionary oaths prepared by himself," Ramesh said.

"Ashok Gopal's masterly biography 'A Part Apart: The Life and Thought of B.R. Ambedkar' that appeared two years back offers many new and compelling insights into this historic event of October 14, 1956," he said.

Ambedkar's fascination with the life of the Buddha was almost half a century old but it was only in 1950 that he spoke of his conversion into Buddhism in public meetings regularly, Ramesh said.

In February 1956, the name of the periodical of the Ambedkarite movement was changed from Janata to Prabuddha Bharat, he pointed out.

"Wamanrao Godbole of the Bharatiya Bauddha Jana Samiti played a key role in the selection of Nagpur as the site for the conversion. Sunday, October 14, 1956 was chosen, as RD Bhandare had explained fifteen days earlier, since Vijayadashmi fell on that day and Ashoka had observed it as his day of victory," Ramesh said.

"A month later, Dr. Ambedkar gave a talk to the World Federation of Buddhists in Kathmandu on Buddha or Karl Marx. He returned to New Delhi via Lumbini, Bodh Gaya, and Sarnath. Six days after he was back, Dr. Ambedkar sadly passed away.

"His highly original book born out of decades of study called The Buddha and His Dhamma - for which he had written the Preface just a few hours before his demise - appeared in early Jan 1957," the Congress leader said.PTI ASK DV DV