Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday paid tribute Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar on his 130th birth anniversary."I bow to Bharat Ratna Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar on AmbedkarJayanti. His struggle to bring the marginalised sections of the society into the mainstream will continue to be an example for every generation," Prime Minister Modi tweeted in Hindi.

Born on April 14, 1891, Babasaheb Ambedkar was an Indian jurist, economist, politician and social reformer who campaigned against social discrimination towards the untouchables (Dalits) and supported the rights of women and workers.

He died on December 6, 1956, and is also known for being the architect of the Indian constitution.In 1990, Ambedkar was conferred with the Bharat Ratna, India`s highest civilian award.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday paid tribute Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar on his 130th birth anniversary."I bow to Bharat Ratna Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar on AmbedkarJayanti.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday paid tribute Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar on his 130th birth anniversary."I bow to Bharat Ratna Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar on AmbedkarJayanti. His struggle to bring the marginalised sections of the society into the mainstream will continue to be an example for every generation," Prime Minister Modi tweeted in Hindi. Born on April 14, 1891, Babasaheb Ambedkar was an Indian jurist, economist, politician and social reformer who campaigned against social discrimination towards the untouchables (Dalits) and supported the rights of women and workers. He died on December 6, 1956, and is also known for being the architect of the Indian constitution.In 1990, Ambedkar was conferred with the Bharat Ratna, India`s highest civilian award.

PM Modi pays tribute to Babasaheb Ambedkar on his 130th birth anniversary

Amid the ongoing protests against the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/states-have-to-implement-caa-under-article-254-kerala-governor-275122">Citizenship Amendment Act </a>in several parts of the country, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/justice-sharad-arvind-bobde-47th-chief-justice-of-india-who-advocates-use-of-artificial-intelligence-in-courts-262959">Chief Justice of India </a>(CJI) <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/sharad-arvind-bobde-to-take-oath-as-47th-cji-today-262801">Sharad Bobde</a> on Saturday said that citizenship was not just about people's rights, but also about their duties towards the society.

"You all have a responsibility to be an active citizen too and citizenship is not just about rights but it is equally about your duties towards society," said Bobde at the facilitation event organised by Nagpur Municipal Corporation.

Emphasising on the value of justice, he said, "I have always believed that donating justice is a sacred duty. It is a natural right for every person in the country to get justice. Dr. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/ambedkar-national-memorial-a-one-of-a-kind-experience-193318">Babasaheb Ambedkar</a> reiterated this fact not only from the Constitution but also from the 1956 revolution. The imagination of justice varies from person to person, time, and situation. It cannot be tied in any one frame."

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/how-citizenship-amendment-act-caa-is-different-from-nrc-and-npr-274608">How Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is different from NRC and NPR</a>

"What is justified today may not be justified tomorrow. But it is okay to expect justice and use appropriate tools for it. Along with the imagination of justice, rights and duties are equally important. Some people think that they only have rights and no duties. According to me, along with rights, duty is equally important," he said.

The CJI added that "if we do not follow our duties then there will be an imbalance in the society."

Protests broke out in different parts of the country against and in support of CAA which grants citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, Buddhists and Christians fleeing religious persecution from <a href="https://www.wionews.com/pakistan/pakistani-businessmen-indicted-in-us-and-accused-of-illicit-acquisition-of-missile-technology-275064">Pakistan</a>, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/at-1st-india-central-asia-dialogue-new-delhi-focuses-on-afghanistan-189989">Afghanistan </a>and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/how-caa-and-nrc-are-affecting-india-bangladesh-ties-271710">Bangladesh </a>and who came to India on or before December 31, 2014.

Amid the ongoing protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act in several parts of the country, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sharad Bobde on Saturday said that citizenship was not just about people's rights, but also about their duties towards the society.

Amid the ongoing protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act in several parts of the country, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sharad Bobde on Saturday said that citizenship was not just about people's rights, but also about their duties towards the society. "You all have a responsibility to be an active citizen too and citizenship is not just about rights but it is equally about your duties towards society," said Bobde at the facilitation event organised by Nagpur Municipal Corporation. Emphasising on the value of justice, he said, "I have always believed that donating justice is a sacred duty. It is a natural right for every person in the country to get justice. Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar reiterated this fact not only from the Constitution but also from the 1956 revolution. The imagination of justice varies from person to person, time, and situation. It cannot be tied in any one frame." Also read: How Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is different from NRC and NPR "What is justified today may not be justified tomorrow. But it is okay to expect justice and use appropriate tools for it. Along with the imagination of justice, rights and duties are equally important. Some people think that they only have rights and no duties. According to me, along with rights, duty is equally important," he said. The CJI added that "if we do not follow our duties then there will be an imbalance in the society." Protests broke out in different parts of the country against and in support of CAA which grants citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, Buddhists and Christians fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh and who came to India on or before December 31, 2014.

Citizenship not just about rights but duties towards society too: CJI Bobde

The Maharashtra cabinet on Wednesday gave a nod to the proposal to raise by 100 feet the height of a proposed statue of the 'Father of the Constitution' <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/ambedkar-national-memorial-a-one-of-a-kind-experience-193318">BR Ambedkar</a>, at the Indu Mills compound here.

The decision was taken in a meeting presided by Maharashtra Chief Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/uddhav-thackeray-has-given-consent-to-become-maharashtra-chief-minister-sanjay-raut-263954">Uddhav Thackeray</a>.

Earlier, the proposed height for the statues was 250 feet but the Cabinet decided that the height should be 350 feet. The height of the pedestal will be 100 feet, thus, the total height of the statue will be 450 m from the ground. The upcoming memorial will cost a total of Rs 1100 crore.

The statue will be located close to Bharat Ratna Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar's memorial site Chaityabhoomi.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/ajit-pawar-took-false-documents-to-raj-bhawan-yesterday-sanjay-raut-264162">Ajit Pawar</a> said that our goal is to construct the Babasaheb memorial within two years (2022). "We do not need to do politics on what the previous government did and did not do. Now we have to move forward. The previous government had said that it would build the statue of Babasaheb Ambedkar, but only did 'Bhoomi Pujan'."

NCP leader Pawar inspected the site for the proposed statue at Indu Mill on January 2 and informed Thackeray about it.

Following the decision, the burden of the expenditure required to construct the statue has been increased by more than 300 crores as the previous government had kept its height low and the construction cost was Rs 700 crore.

The Maharashtra cabinet on Wednesday gave a nod to the proposal to raise by 100 feet the height of a proposed statue of the 'Father of the Constitution' BR Ambedkar, at the Indu Mills compound here.

The Maharashtra cabinet on Wednesday gave a nod to the proposal to raise by 100 feet the height of a proposed statue of the 'Father of the Constitution' BR Ambedkar, at the Indu Mills compound here. The decision was taken in a meeting presided by Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. Earlier, the proposed height for the statues was 250 feet but the Cabinet decided that the height should be 350 feet. The height of the pedestal will be 100 feet, thus, the total height of the statue will be 450 m from the ground. The upcoming memorial will cost a total of Rs 1100 crore. The statue will be located close to Bharat Ratna Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar's memorial site Chaityabhoomi. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said that our goal is to construct the Babasaheb memorial within two years (2022). "We do not need to do politics on what the previous government did and did not do. Now we have to move forward. The previous government had said that it would build the statue of Babasaheb Ambedkar, but only did 'Bhoomi Pujan'." NCP leader Pawar inspected the site for the proposed statue at Indu Mill on January 2 and informed Thackeray about it. Following the decision, the burden of the expenditure required to construct the statue has been increased by more than 300 crores as the previous government had kept its height low and the construction cost was Rs 700 crore.

Thackeray government approves proposal to raise proposed statue of BR Ambedkar by 100 feet

Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, popularly known as Babasaheb was the man behind India's constitution and the undisputed leader of India's Dalits.

He was born on April 14, 1891, in town and military cantonment of Mhow in the central provinces (now in Madhya Pradesh) into a Mahar family, a caste considered untouchable.

He was last of his parents' 14 children.

Born in a Dalit family, Ambedkar himself was a victim of the social evils since childhood days.&nbsp;

He was so oppressed that throughout his life, he campaigned to eliminate social discrimination against untouchables.

He drafted the Indian constitution, championed Dalit and women's rights, and remains a beacon for marginalised groups in Indian society. Today, he would have been 128 years old.

He was the first Minister of Law and Justice in 1947, but he resigned when his women rights bill was opposed by the Parliament.

Ambedkar was a diabetes patient and died in his sleep at the age of 65 on December 6, 1956, &nbsp;three days after he completed his manuscript— The Buddha and his Dhamma.

Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, popularly known as Babasaheb was the man behind India's constitution and the undisputed leader of India's Dalits. He was born on April 14, 1891, in town and military cantonment of Mhow in the central provinces (now in Madhya Pradesh) into a Mahar family, a caste considered untouchable.

Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, popularly known as Babasaheb was the man behind India's constitution and the undisputed leader of India's Dalits. He was born on April 14, 1891, in town and military cantonment of Mhow in the central provinces (now in Madhya Pradesh) into a Mahar family, a caste considered untouchable. He was last of his parents' 14 children. Born in a Dalit family, Ambedkar himself was a victim of the social evils since childhood days. He was so oppressed that throughout his life, he campaigned to eliminate social discrimination against untouchables. He drafted the Indian constitution, championed Dalit and women's rights, and remains a beacon for marginalised groups in Indian society. Today, he would have been 128 years old. He was the first Minister of Law and Justice in 1947, but he resigned when his women rights bill was opposed by the Parliament. Ambedkar was a diabetes patient and died in his sleep at the age of 65 on December 6, 1956, three days after he completed his manuscript— The Buddha and his Dhamma.

Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar: The leader of India's oppressed

Union Minister Ramdas Athawale Friday demanded that Mumbai Central railway station be renamed after Dalit icon Babasaheb Ambedkar, reported news agency PTI.

Union minister of state for Social Justice and Empowerment in a statement on Friday said that he would soon meet Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Railway Minister Piyush Goyal to submit this demand.

"Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar had spent a lot of time in Mumbai and led several social movements conceptualised by him. It will be appropriate to name Mumbai Central station after him," Athawale reportedly said.

"Dalits welcomed the renaming of Mumbai International Airport and Victoria Terminus after Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. We would also be happy if Babasaheb's name is given to Mumbai Central railway station," Athawale said.

Earlier in July this year, Elphinstone Road station on Western Railway's suburban network was rechristened Prabhadevi.

The decision to change the name of Elphinstone Road station was approved by the Maharashtra Assembly on December 16, 2016.&nbsp;

Union Minister Ramdas Athawale Friday demanded that Mumbai Central railway station be renamed after Dalit icon Babasaheb Ambedkar, reported news agency PTI. Union minister of state for Social Justice and Empowerment in a statement on Friday said that he would soon meet Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Railway Minister Piyush Goyal to submit this demand.

Union Minister Ramdas Athawale Friday demanded that Mumbai Central railway station be renamed after Dalit icon Babasaheb Ambedkar, reported news agency PTI. Union minister of state for Social Justice and Empowerment in a statement on Friday said that he would soon meet Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Railway Minister Piyush Goyal to submit this demand. "Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar had spent a lot of time in Mumbai and led several social movements conceptualised by him. It will be appropriate to name Mumbai Central station after him," Athawale reportedly said. "Dalits welcomed the renaming of Mumbai International Airport and Victoria Terminus after Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. We would also be happy if Babasaheb's name is given to Mumbai Central railway station," Athawale said. Earlier in July this year, Elphinstone Road station on Western Railway's suburban network was rechristened Prabhadevi. The decision to change the name of Elphinstone Road station was approved by the Maharashtra Assembly on December 16, 2016.

Rename Mumbai Central Railway station after Ambedkar: Union minister Athawale

&quot;My house is being rebuilt, so we are living in my mother&rsquo;s home,&quot; says Lilabai Shinde of Lawarde village in Mulshi taluka, Pune district, when we visit her in April 2017. She is the only daughter of Jai Sakhale, a singer from the grindmill songs database, who had lived next door to her. After showing us her mother&rsquo;s framed photograph, Lilabai wraps it neatly in a newspaper and puts it in a tall tin box used to store grain. Seeing our puzzled faces, she explains: &quot;There are no nails on the walls of this house.&quot;

On our visits to meet the singers whose work is in the database, we realise that many are related by birth or marriage. Some are mothers and daughters, others are sisters or sisters-in-law, and still, others are mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law. Lilabai&rsquo;s mother, who passed away in 2012, left behind ovi that were featured in The farmer and the rain song in May 2017.

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Lilabai and her mother both contributed couplets to the grindmill songs database (Others)
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The original grindmill songs team had handwritten seven ovi by Lilabai, but they had not been recorded on audiotapes. So during our visit, we requested that she sing for our camera. Though reluctant at first, she eventually agreed. She took us to the grindmill in the roofed courtyard outside her home and sat down before it. She held the bamboo stick that turns the mill&rsquo;s wheel and sang 11 ovi in praise of Babasaheb Ambedkar.

Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar was born on April 14, 1891, in Mhow, a cantonment town in what were then the Central Provinces (today&rsquo;s Madhya Pradesh). A social reformer, political leader, jurist and the architect of India&rsquo;s Constitution, he died on December 6, 1956, in Delhi at the age of 65.

Babasaheb Ambedkar fought lifelong for the rights of the oppressed. The essay The Annihilation of Caste (1936), widely considered his magnum opus, was an integral part of his crusade to bring justice to the underprivileged castes and to affirm the values of liberty, equality and fraternity. &lsquo;Educate, agitate, organise!&rsquo; was his message to his followers.

Babasaheb Ambedkar brought much-needed hope to Dalits by showing them the path of education and embracing Buddhism. It was a way out of the oppression of caste-based Hindu society, which branded them &lsquo;outcastes&rsquo; and &lsquo;impure&rsquo;.

On our visits to meet the singers whose work is in the database, we realise that many are related by birth or marriage. Some are mothers and daughters, others are sisters or sisters-in-law, and still, others are mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law. Lilabai&rsquo;s mother, who passed away in 2012, left behind ovi that were featured in The farmer and the rain song in May 2017.

The grindmill songs of Lilabai Shinde

Watch video: Lilabai Shinde and her neighbour sing that Bhim has now become&nbsp;the king of Indrasabha, the council of gods in heaven

&nbsp;

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These ovi express the reverence and gratitude that many Dalits, especially women, have for Dr Ambedkar. But they do so in a very personal way &ndash; he is affectionately called Bhim, Bhimbaba, Bhimraya or Babasaheb. They also express pride in Dr Ambedkar&rsquo;s achievements, and the desire to be treated with respect and to be seen as equals.&nbsp;

Bhim is my gurubhau [teacher and brother],&rdquo; sings Lilabai of Dr Ambedkar. For her, he is a guide, a confidant, a brother. (People of different sexes or castes nurture such relationships without the fear of societal opposition. If the man is a gurubhau, the woman is a gurubahin, that is, a teacher and sister.) Lilabai sings that she feels so blessed, her pestle may as well be made of gold. Taking Bhim&rsquo;s name, she says, brings sweetness to her mouth; she feels &ldquo;purified&rdquo; (and no longer &quot;untouchable&quot;) just thinking of him.

The temple of Buddha has a golden door, says Lilabai in the fourth couplet, and that her son is very devoted to the Buddha. The singer&rsquo;s mother, we learn, hurriedly wore a white sari to take diksha from Babasaheb, to embrace Buddhism.

<div class="ui-state-default"><img alt="" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/03-dscn1075-ss-ambedkar_lives_on_in_rural_.max-1400x1120-20171206052543.jpg" />
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Lilabai at the grindmill just outside her home (Others)
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In the fifth couplet, the singer asks: &ldquo;Who calls us outsiders?&rdquo; She means: Who calls us &quot;outcasts&quot;? Bhim, she reminds us, has made all Brahmins his brothers-in-law. (This is a reference to the fact that Dr Ambedkar&rsquo;s second wife Savita was a Brahmin.)

In the sixth ovi, Lilabai, who wants to buy jasmines to decorate Bhim&rsquo;s turban, asks a woman gardener, &ldquo;What do you have in your basket?&rdquo; In the seventh, she says that on the train that&rsquo;s arriving (a symbol of progress) are stalks of tur (a legume), which symbolise honour and prosperity, while the &ldquo;Marathi people&rdquo; dispose of animal carcasses. In this ovi, she vents the anger many Dalits have towards the upper castes &ndash; generations were compelled to clean up and remove animal carcasses and many are forced to do so even today. The train with stalks of tur signals progress and a future of respect for Dalits while the &ldquo;Marathi people&rdquo; refers to the upper castes who have forced Dalits to do menial, degrading work.

In the last three ovi, the singer laments the loss of Dr Ambedkar. He may be no more, she says, but he is the king of Indrasabha, the council of gods in heaven governed by Lord Indra in Hindu mythology. She offers rice to God, feeling thankful that the precious Bhimrao of the Dalits, their gold, is now in heaven.

The final ovi tells us that after his death, Bhimbaba&rsquo;s body was taken away in a car and as the vehicle moved, people walked behind it. This also symbolises the path chosen by many Dalit followers of Dr Ambedkar. Like him, they left the Hindu fold and embraced Buddhism. And following in his footsteps chose to educate themselves so they may live free of oppression.

??? ??? ????? ??? ???? ???????&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; bhima bhima mha?u bhima majha gurubha&#39;u 
?????????? ???? ???? ???????? ????&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;son&#39;yacya sa?ayi dete tanda?ala ghavu

??? ??? ????? ??? ?????? ???&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;bhima bhima mha?u bhima sakharaca kha?a 
????? ???? ??? ??? ??????? ???????&nbsp; &nbsp; dhyana yeta mani go?a jhalyata datada?ha

?????????? ???????? ???????? ????&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;bud&#39;dhacya mandirala son&#39;yaci kava?a&nbsp; 
???????? ?????? ?? ???????? ???&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;majhyahi ba?ala la&#39;i bud&#39;dhaci ava?a

???????? ?????? ????? ?? ??? ???&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; pa??ha?ya sa?ila nesate ga? gha&#39;i gha&#39;i&nbsp; 
???? ???????? ?????? ???? ???? ??&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; baba sahebaci dik?a gheti majhi a&#39;i

?????? ?????? ???? ????? ???? ????&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;amacya lokala ko?a? mha?e vale vale&nbsp; 
?????? ?????? ?????? ?? ???? ????&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; amacya bhimani bahma?a ga? kela? sale

????? ??? ?????? ?????? ???&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; ma?i?a ba&#39;i tujhya ?opalita ka&#39;i&nbsp; 
???????? ???????? ??? ???? ???&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;bhimacya turyala ikata ghete ja&#39;i

??? ???????? ?????? ???????&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;ali agi?aga?i ga?ila turaka?hi&nbsp; 
?????? ???????? ??????? ??? ????? ?????&nbsp;majhya bhimacya rajyata ?hora va?hati mara?hi

???? ??? ???? ???? ????? ???? ????&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;mele bhima baba ko?a? mha?e mele mele&nbsp; 
??????????? ???? ?????????? ???? ????&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;svargyata gele indrasabhece raje jhale

??????????? ???? ???? ???????? ???&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;vargicya deva tula tanda?aca? va?a&nbsp; 
???? ??? ???? ??????? ??? ???? ????&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;mele bhima baba svargi ahe amaca? sona?

???? ??? ???? ????? ????? ???&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; bhimarayaca ala ga?ita maita &nbsp; 
???? ????? ???? ???? ????? ????&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;mhora calala maita maga calala rahita

Bhim, Bhim, I say, Bhim is my gurubhau [teacher-brother] 
I pound the rice with a pestle of gold

Bhim, Bhim, I say, Bhim is like a chunk of sugar&nbsp; 
I think of him and my teeth are sweetened

Bhim, Bhim, I say, Bhim is like a packet of sugar&nbsp; 
By taking Bhim&rsquo;s name my body is purified

The Buddha&rsquo;s temple has a gold door 
My son is very devoted to the Buddha

She wears the white saree hurriedly &ndash; &nbsp; 
My mother takes diksha from Babasaheb

Who says to our people &#39;Outsiders! Outsiders!&#39; 
My Bhim has made all Brahmins his brothers-in-law

O gardener woman, what [flowers] do you have in your basket? 
I want to buy jasmines to decorate Bhim&rsquo;s turban

Here comes the train, which has stalks of tur&nbsp; 
In my Bhim&rsquo;s kingdom, the Marathi people dispose of the carcasses

Bhimbaba died &ndash; but who says he is dead? 
He has gone to heaven and become the king of Lord Indra&rsquo;s council

God of heaven, an offering of rice to you&nbsp; 
Bhimbaba is dead, our gold is in the heaven

Bhimbaba is dead, his body is in the car 
The car goes ahead, people follow behind

Performer/Singer: Lilabai Shinde

Village: Lawarde

Taluka: Mulshi

District: Pune

Caste: Nav Bauddha (Neo-Buddhist)

Age: 60

Children: Three sons and a daughter

Occupation: Rice farmer

These songs were recorded on April 30, 2017.

This <a href="https://ruralindiaonline.org/articles/ambedkar-lives-on-in-rural-womens-songs" rel="nofollow">article</a> was originally published on 05/12/2017 on the <a href="https://ruralindiaonline.org/" rel="nofollow">People&#39;s Archive of Rural India</a>.

Image Credit:&nbsp;Samyukta Shastri

(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

For Babasaheb Ambedkar?s death anniversary on December 6, the Grindmill Songs Project presents ovi by Lilabai Shinde of Lawarde village, who sings of Dr. Ambedkar with affection, reverence and gratitude

"My house is being rebuilt, so we are living in my mother’s home," says Lilabai Shinde of Lawarde village in Mulshi taluka, Pune district, when we visit her in April 2017. She is the only daughter of Jai Sakhale, a singer from the grindmill songs database, who had lived next door to her. After showing us her mother’s framed photograph, Lilabai wraps it neatly in a newspaper and puts it in a tall tin box used to store grain. Seeing our puzzled faces, she explains: "There are no nails on the walls of this house." On our visits to meet the singers whose work is in the database, we realise that many are related by birth or marriage. Some are mothers and daughters, others are sisters or sisters-in-law, and still, others are mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law. Lilabai’s mother, who passed away in 2012, left behind ovi that were featured in The farmer and the rain song in May 2017. Lilabai and her mother both contributed couplets to the grindmill songs database (Others) × The original grindmill songs team had handwritten seven ovi by Lilabai, but they had not been recorded on audiotapes. So during our visit, we requested that she sing for our camera. Though reluctant at first, she eventually agreed. She took us to the grindmill in the roofed courtyard outside her home and sat down before it. She held the bamboo stick that turns the mill’s wheel and sang 11 ovi in praise of Babasaheb Ambedkar. Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar was born on April 14, 1891, in Mhow, a cantonment town in what were then the Central Provinces (today’s Madhya Pradesh). A social reformer, political leader, jurist and the architect of India’s Constitution, he died on December 6, 1956, in Delhi at the age of 65. Babasaheb Ambedkar fought lifelong for the rights of the oppressed. The essay The Annihilation of Caste (1936), widely considered his magnum opus, was an integral part of his crusade to bring justice to the underprivileged castes and to affirm the values of liberty, equality and fraternity. ‘Educate, agitate, organise!’ was his message to his followers. Babasaheb Ambedkar brought much-needed hope to Dalits by showing them the path of education and embracing Buddhism. It was a way out of the oppression of caste-based Hindu society, which branded them ‘outcastes’ and ‘impure’. On our visits to meet the singers whose work is in the database, we realise that many are related by birth or marriage. Some are mothers and daughters, others are sisters or sisters-in-law, and still, others are mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law. Lilabai’s mother, who passed away in 2012, left behind ovi that were featured in The farmer and the rain song in May 2017. The grindmill songs of Lilabai Shinde Watch video: Lilabai Shinde and her neighbour sing that Bhim has now become the king of Indrasabha, the council of gods in heaven × These ovi express the reverence and gratitude that many Dalits, especially women, have for Dr Ambedkar. But they do so in a very personal way – he is affectionately called Bhim, Bhimbaba, Bhimraya or Babasaheb. They also express pride in Dr Ambedkar’s achievements, and the desire to be treated with respect and to be seen as equals. Bhim is my gurubhau [teacher and brother],” sings Lilabai of Dr Ambedkar. For her, he is a guide, a confidant, a brother. (People of different sexes or castes nurture such relationships without the fear of societal opposition. If the man is a gurubhau, the woman is a gurubahin, that is, a teacher and sister.) Lilabai sings that she feels so blessed, her pestle may as well be made of gold. Taking Bhim’s name, she says, brings sweetness to her mouth; she feels “purified” (and no longer "untouchable") just thinking of him. The temple of Buddha has a golden door, says Lilabai in the fourth couplet, and that her son is very devoted to the Buddha. The singer’s mother, we learn, hurriedly wore a white sari to take diksha from Babasaheb, to embrace Buddhism. Lilabai at the grindmill just outside her home (Others) × In the fifth couplet, the singer asks: “Who calls us outsiders?” She means: Who calls us "outcasts"? Bhim, she reminds us, has made all Brahmins his brothers-in-law. (This is a reference to the fact that Dr Ambedkar’s second wife Savita was a Brahmin.) In the sixth ovi, Lilabai, who wants to buy jasmines to decorate Bhim’s turban, asks a woman gardener, “What do you have in your basket?” In the seventh, she says that on the train that’s arriving (a symbol of progress) are stalks of tur (a legume), which symbolise honour and prosperity, while the “Marathi people” dispose of animal carcasses. In this ovi, she vents the anger many Dalits have towards the upper castes – generations were compelled to clean up and remove animal carcasses and many are forced to do so even today. The train with stalks of tur signals progress and a future of respect for Dalits while the “Marathi people” refers to the upper castes who have forced Dalits to do menial, degrading work. In the last three ovi, the singer laments the loss of Dr Ambedkar. He may be no more, she says, but he is the king of Indrasabha, the council of gods in heaven governed by Lord Indra in Hindu mythology. She offers rice to God, feeling thankful that the precious Bhimrao of the Dalits, their gold, is now in heaven. The final ovi tells us that after his death, Bhimbaba’s body was taken away in a car and as the vehicle moved, people walked behind it. This also symbolises the path chosen by many Dalit followers of Dr Ambedkar. Like him, they left the Hindu fold and embraced Buddhism. And following in his footsteps chose to educate themselves so they may live free of oppression. ??? ??? ????? ??? ???? ??????? bhima bhima mha?u bhima majha gurubha'u ?????????? ???? ???? ???????? ???? son'yacya sa?ayi dete tanda?ala ghavu ??? ??? ????? ??? ?????? ??? bhima bhima mha?u bhima sakharaca kha?a ????? ???? ??? ??? ??????? ??????? dhyana yeta mani go?a jhalyata datada?ha ?????????? ???????? ???????? ???? bud'dhacya mandirala son'yaci kava?a ???????? ?????? ?? ???????? ??? majhyahi ba?ala la'i bud'dhaci ava?a ???????? ?????? ????? ?? ??? ??? pa??ha?ya sa?ila nesate ga? gha'i gha'i ???? ???????? ?????? ???? ???? ?? baba sahebaci dik?a gheti majhi a'i ?????? ?????? ???? ????? ???? ???? amacya lokala ko?a? mha?e vale vale ?????? ?????? ?????? ?? ???? ???? amacya bhimani bahma?a ga? kela? sale ????? ??? ?????? ?????? ??? ma?i?a ba'i tujhya ?opalita ka'i ???????? ???????? ??? ???? ??? bhimacya turyala ikata ghete ja'i ??? ???????? ?????? ??????? ali agi?aga?i ga?ila turaka?hi ?????? ???????? ??????? ??? ????? ????? majhya bhimacya rajyata ?hora va?hati mara?hi ???? ??? ???? ???? ????? ???? ???? mele bhima baba ko?a? mha?e mele mele ??????????? ???? ?????????? ???? ???? svargyata gele indrasabhece raje jhale ??????????? ???? ???? ???????? ??? vargicya deva tula tanda?aca? va?a ???? ??? ???? ??????? ??? ???? ???? mele bhima baba svargi ahe amaca? sona? ???? ??? ???? ????? ????? ??? bhimarayaca ala ga?ita maita ???? ????? ???? ???? ????? ???? mhora calala maita maga calala rahita Bhim, Bhim, I say, Bhim is my gurubhau [teacher-brother] I pound the rice with a pestle of gold Bhim, Bhim, I say, Bhim is like a chunk of sugar I think of him and my teeth are sweetened Bhim, Bhim, I say, Bhim is like a packet of sugar By taking Bhim’s name my body is purified The Buddha’s temple has a gold door My son is very devoted to the Buddha She wears the white saree hurriedly – My mother takes diksha from Babasaheb Who says to our people 'Outsiders! Outsiders!' My Bhim has made all Brahmins his brothers-in-law O gardener woman, what [flowers] do you have in your basket? I want to buy jasmines to decorate Bhim’s turban Here comes the train, which has stalks of tur In my Bhim’s kingdom, the Marathi people dispose of the carcasses Bhimbaba died – but who says he is dead? He has gone to heaven and become the king of Lord Indra’s council God of heaven, an offering of rice to you Bhimbaba is dead, our gold is in the heaven Bhimbaba is dead, his body is in the car The car goes ahead, people follow behind Performer/Singer: Lilabai Shinde Village: Lawarde Taluka: Mulshi District: Pune Caste: Nav Bauddha (Neo-Buddhist) Age: 60 Children: Three sons and a daughter Occupation: Rice farmer These songs were recorded on April 30, 2017. This article was originally published on 05/12/2017 on the People's Archive of Rural India. Image Credit: Samyukta Shastri (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Opinion: Ambedkar lives on in rural women's songs

A new garland adorns Dr Ambedkar&rsquo;s statue in Anantapur nearly every day. At around 8:30 a.m., A. Subhan, a flower seller, climbs up the steps to the gold-painted statue with a garland of red roses or lilies woven by his family. Either Subhan or his 17-year-old nephew Bablu make sure this is done regularly.

The ritual started around 2010, after an old statue of Dr Ambedkar, apparently in the way of traffic, was demolished and the present one came up. The statue is located around a kilometre south of the clock tower in the central part of Anantapur town in Andhra Pradesh, within walking distance of Subhan&rsquo;s flower stall.&nbsp;

Other statues close by are rather less fortunate. The first after the clock tower, on the same stretch of road, is of Indira Gandhi. It is covered in jute cloth now but has seen better days when the Congress was in power in Andhra Pradesh (from 2004 to 2014). In 2013, an earlier version of the statue was smashed and burned down by protesters opposing the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh into Telangana. A new statue was later installed, but it continues to be shrouded. A statue of Rajiv Gandhi on this stretch is also covered. Perhaps these reflect the Congress party&rsquo;s subdued fortunes in the state.

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The numerous statues of historical figures and politicians in Anantapur town seem to be forgotten after commemorative events, but Dr Ambedkar is remembered every day (Others)
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Several other statues stand on that road &ndash; Potti Sreeramulu (who died in 1952 fasting for a separate Telugu state of Andhra Pradesh), Abdul Kalam Azad, Y.S. Rajashekhar Reddy, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Babu Jagjivan Ram, Kanshi Ram and Mother Teresa. Occasionally, these too are garlanded. But their flowers soon start decaying, and the leaders seem to be forgotten after commemorative events.

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Subhan, whose flower shop is not far from the statue, says, &#39;We do it because we admire Ambedkar&#39; (Others)
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Babasaheb Ambedkar&rsquo;s statue though is remembered every day. A. Mallesh, a cashier at an Andhra Bank branch near the clock tower, pays Subhan at the beginning of every month for the garlands. &ldquo;He pays me 1,000 rupees,&rdquo; 36-year-old Subhan, a Muslim, says. &ldquo;We don&rsquo;t make any profit, but we do it because we admire Ambedkar.&rdquo; A garland in Subhan&rsquo;s shop costs Rs. 60 to 130, depending on the flowers used.&nbsp;

Mallesh&rsquo;s reverence for Dr Ambedkar is rooted in his own experience of caste discrimination. &ldquo;There was no food, no water, no oil for the head, no books to read, no slate to write on [in my village],&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;Now the god has provided us with everything &ndash; god meaning Ambedkar.&rdquo; Mallesh is a Madiga Dalit from Atmakur village of Anantapur district. &ldquo;In our village, there was only one well for drinking water,&rdquo; he recalls. &ldquo;We were only allowed to take water when the [land-owning] farmers came to draw water. Otherwise, there was no water. Madigas couldn&rsquo;t touch [the well].&rdquo;

At school in Anantapur town, Mallesh and other children from Dalit and tribal communities had to sit in a corner of the classroom, while the upper caste students sat in the front. &ldquo;We had to carry mud from outside [and spread it on the floor] for writing. We didn&rsquo;t have slates,&rdquo; he remembers. &ldquo;If someone said &lsquo;Hey Madiga! Take the mud out&rsquo; we had to throw it out.&rdquo; &nbsp;The teacher too often insulted the Dalits by referring to their caste and would beat them with palm canes.&nbsp;

Mallesh, now 59, had to drop out of the school after Class 7 to support his mother when his father, an agricultural labourer, died. He worked as a helper at a government hostel in Anantapur and started applying for government jobs. In 1982, he found work as an attendant at Andhra Bank for a monthly salary of Rs. 500. By 1985, after an interview at the bank, he got a better-paid post as a clerical assistant.

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In 2010, while working as a clerical assistant at the bank, A. Mallesh decided &#39;just like that&#39; to garland Dr Ambedkar for as long as he could (Others)
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Mallesh has also worked in various Dalit unions and organisations and was until recently the zone-wide president of the SC &amp; ST Employees Welfare Association at his bank. He has participated in various protests against caste discrimination. Around 1995, he recalls, he went on a 10-kilometre march from Anantapur to Alamur with left parties and other activists to protest an instance of caste discrimination. Mallesh was also the president of Dandora, a Dalit group formed in the 1990s, but moved out of it by the 2000s due to political differences.

Around 1996, Mallesh prepared for and passed his Class 10 exams. Eventually, this helped him move up from his clerical assistant&rsquo;s post to his present job as a cashier in 2013 &ndash; which now pays him a salary many times more than his initial Rs. 500.&nbsp;

In 2010, while still a clerical assistant, Mallesh decided &ldquo;just like that&rdquo; to garland Dr Ambedkar for as long as he could. He remembers a small informal meeting of bank employees and others from Dalit communities, where they volunteered to pool donations for the garlands. But Mallesh didn&rsquo;t want to chase people for money every month, so he and M. Gopal, an attendant at another branch of Andhra Bank, decided to share the cost. Gopal stopped contributing last year and now only Mallesh pays for the garlands.

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While Subhan garlands the Ambedkar statue early every morning (left), the statue of Indira Gandhi (right) has for long remained wrapped in jute cloth (Others)
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Mallesh doesn&rsquo;t like reading or being lectured about Ambedkar. He says he learnt about Ambedkar by just living the life of a Dalit: &ldquo;I can imagine the kind of hardships he would have faced, based on the hardships I experienced. We can learn just by looking at what he has done for us. Isn&rsquo;t he the one who wrote our Constitution?&rdquo;

On weekends or festival days Mallesh sometimes garlands the statue himself. He is planning to petition the district administration to install a shade to protect it from sunlight, wind and bird droppings. &ldquo;First we will try to get it for Ambedkar,&quot; he says, &quot;then we will ask the same for Jagjivan Ram and then for Kanshi Ram.&rdquo;&nbsp;

Although the flowers on Dr &nbsp;Ambedkar&rsquo;s statue might not be noticed by many in Anantapur, the sweepers who clean the roads in the early mornings know about it. &ldquo;Someone, probably someone big, garlands the statue every day. I don&rsquo;t know who does it,&rdquo; says G. Ramalakshmi, a Dalit woman employed by the town&rsquo;s municipal corporation to clean the streets. As she says this, she touches her fingers to either side of her chin, in a gesture of devotion, &ldquo;When I see the statue with the garland I think that the god [Ambedkar] is doing well. We pray to him while coming to work every day.&rdquo;

This&nbsp;<a href="https://ruralindiaonline.org/articles/the-garland-on-anantapurs-ambedkar-statue/" rel="nofollow" target="blank">article</a>&nbsp;was originally published on 17/ 10/2017 on the&nbsp;<a href="https://ruralindiaonline.org/" rel="nofollow" target="blank">People&#39;s Archive of Rural India</a>.

Photo Credit: Rahul M.

?When I see the statue with the garland I think that the god [Ambedkar] is doing well. We pray to him while coming to work every day.?

A new garland adorns Dr Ambedkar’s statue in Anantapur nearly every day. At around 8:30 a.m., A. Subhan, a flower seller, climbs up the steps to the gold-painted statue with a garland of red roses or lilies woven by his family. Either Subhan or his 17-year-old nephew Bablu make sure this is done regularly. The ritual started around 2010, after an old statue of Dr Ambedkar, apparently in the way of traffic, was demolished and the present one came up. The statue is located around a kilometre south of the clock tower in the central part of Anantapur town in Andhra Pradesh, within walking distance of Subhan’s flower stall. Other statues close by are rather less fortunate. The first after the clock tower, on the same stretch of road, is of Indira Gandhi. It is covered in jute cloth now but has seen better days when the Congress was in power in Andhra Pradesh (from 2004 to 2014). In 2013, an earlier version of the statue was smashed and burned down by protesters opposing the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh into Telangana. A new statue was later installed, but it continues to be shrouded. A statue of Rajiv Gandhi on this stretch is also covered. Perhaps these reflect the Congress party’s subdued fortunes in the state. The numerous statues of historical figures and politicians in Anantapur town seem to be forgotten after commemorative events, but Dr Ambedkar is remembered every day (Others) × Several other statues stand on that road – Potti Sreeramulu (who died in 1952 fasting for a separate Telugu state of Andhra Pradesh), Abdul Kalam Azad, Y.S. Rajashekhar Reddy, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Babu Jagjivan Ram, Kanshi Ram and Mother Teresa. Occasionally, these too are garlanded. But their flowers soon start decaying, and the leaders seem to be forgotten after commemorative events. Subhan, whose flower shop is not far from the statue, says, 'We do it because we admire Ambedkar' (Others) × Babasaheb Ambedkar’s statue though is remembered every day. A. Mallesh, a cashier at an Andhra Bank branch near the clock tower, pays Subhan at the beginning of every month for the garlands. “He pays me 1,000 rupees,” 36-year-old Subhan, a Muslim, says. “We don’t make any profit, but we do it because we admire Ambedkar.” A garland in Subhan’s shop costs Rs. 60 to 130, depending on the flowers used. Mallesh’s reverence for Dr Ambedkar is rooted in his own experience of caste discrimination. “There was no food, no water, no oil for the head, no books to read, no slate to write on [in my village],” he says. “Now the god has provided us with everything – god meaning Ambedkar.” Mallesh is a Madiga Dalit from Atmakur village of Anantapur district. “In our village, there was only one well for drinking water,” he recalls. “We were only allowed to take water when the [land-owning] farmers came to draw water. Otherwise, there was no water. Madigas couldn’t touch [the well].” At school in Anantapur town, Mallesh and other children from Dalit and tribal communities had to sit in a corner of the classroom, while the upper caste students sat in the front. “We had to carry mud from outside [and spread it on the floor] for writing. We didn’t have slates,” he remembers. “If someone said ‘Hey Madiga! Take the mud out’ we had to throw it out.” The teacher too often insulted the Dalits by referring to their caste and would beat them with palm canes. Mallesh, now 59, had to drop out of the school after Class 7 to support his mother when his father, an agricultural labourer, died. He worked as a helper at a government hostel in Anantapur and started applying for government jobs. In 1982, he found work as an attendant at Andhra Bank for a monthly salary of Rs. 500. By 1985, after an interview at the bank, he got a better-paid post as a clerical assistant. In 2010, while working as a clerical assistant at the bank, A. Mallesh decided 'just like that' to garland Dr Ambedkar for as long as he could (Others) × Mallesh has also worked in various Dalit unions and organisations and was until recently the zone-wide president of the SC & ST Employees Welfare Association at his bank. He has participated in various protests against caste discrimination. Around 1995, he recalls, he went on a 10-kilometre march from Anantapur to Alamur with left parties and other activists to protest an instance of caste discrimination. Mallesh was also the president of Dandora, a Dalit group formed in the 1990s, but moved out of it by the 2000s due to political differences. Around 1996, Mallesh prepared for and passed his Class 10 exams. Eventually, this helped him move up from his clerical assistant’s post to his present job as a cashier in 2013 – which now pays him a salary many times more than his initial Rs. 500. In 2010, while still a clerical assistant, Mallesh decided “just like that” to garland Dr Ambedkar for as long as he could. He remembers a small informal meeting of bank employees and others from Dalit communities, where they volunteered to pool donations for the garlands. But Mallesh didn’t want to chase people for money every month, so he and M. Gopal, an attendant at another branch of Andhra Bank, decided to share the cost. Gopal stopped contributing last year and now only Mallesh pays for the garlands. While Subhan garlands the Ambedkar statue early every morning (left), the statue of Indira Gandhi (right) has for long remained wrapped in jute cloth (Others) × Mallesh doesn’t like reading or being lectured about Ambedkar. He says he learnt about Ambedkar by just living the life of a Dalit: “I can imagine the kind of hardships he would have faced, based on the hardships I experienced. We can learn just by looking at what he has done for us. Isn’t he the one who wrote our Constitution?” On weekends or festival days Mallesh sometimes garlands the statue himself. He is planning to petition the district administration to install a shade to protect it from sunlight, wind and bird droppings. “First we will try to get it for Ambedkar," he says, "then we will ask the same for Jagjivan Ram and then for Kanshi Ram.” Although the flowers on Dr Ambedkar’s statue might not be noticed by many in Anantapur, the sweepers who clean the roads in the early mornings know about it. “Someone, probably someone big, garlands the statue every day. I don’t know who does it,” says G. Ramalakshmi, a Dalit woman employed by the town’s municipal corporation to clean the streets. As she says this, she touches her fingers to either side of her chin, in a gesture of devotion, “When I see the statue with the garland I think that the god [Ambedkar] is doing well. We pray to him while coming to work every day.” This article was originally published on 17/ 10/2017 on the People's Archive of Rural India. Photo Credit: Rahul M.

The garland on Anantapur's Ambedkar statue