Vadodara: Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani today paid tributes to Bharat Ratna Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar offering flowers at his statue and urn containing his last remains at Sayajinagar in Vadodara to mark the centenary of his resolve to fight injustice against the have-nots. He also met Buddhist monks and shared ideas with them.

Mr. Rupani later laid the foundation stone of a majestic Babasaheb Ambedkar’s ‘Sankalp Bbhumi Smarak’, to be built on a 1,000 sq m plot at Juna Kalyan Nagar on the banks of Vishwamitra River at Vadodara.

Speaking on the occasion, he said that his government decided to build an unparallel ‘Sankalp Bhumi Smarak’ in Vadodara, where he had resolved to work for the uplift of the oppressed this day 100 years ago. The State Social Justice and Empowerment and Tourism Departments decided to celebrate ‘Sankalp Diwas’ centenary in a big way.

He said the memorial befitting the contribution of this great man will have a temple, convention centre, art gallery and museum, for which money is no criteria. It is proposed to be a big attraction for tourists from India and abroad. He said that several great leaders like Maharshi Aurobindo had also resolved from this land of Gujarat to provide direction to India during crises.

Mr. Rupani said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is now changing the history to accord respect due to great Indians like Sardar Patel, Netaji Subhasbabu and Veer Savarkar, who were neglected during the Congress regime busy as they were in idolatry of Nehru-Gandhi family in the past.

He said that Gujarat Government has been working for welfare of the poor, oppressed and have-nots. He said that people belonging to scheduled castes can now become industrialists. He said that Rs.1,032-crore has been earmarked for their uplift. He called upon the people to work for Mr. Modi’s dream of New India.

Vidhan Sabha Speaker Ramanlal Vora said that no Indian leader till date could match Dr Ambedkar in acquiring higher qualification. It was his dream to link every village with electricity and water grid. The Government of India has brought 13,000 villages under electricity supply during the last three years. He said a Budhha Vihar is being built at Devni-Mori at a cost of Rs.1,200-crore.

Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Atmaram Parmar said that Gujarat Government has undertaken several works to keep Dr Ambedkar’s memory live. The resolve that Dr. Ambedkar took this day hundred years back in Vadodara proved to be the turning point in his life and for country.

Those present on the occasion included Parliamentary Secretaries Jethabhai Solanki, Ponambhai Makwana, MPs and MLAs Ranjanben Bhatt, Ramsinh Rathwa, Shambhuprasad Maharaj, Kirit Solanki, Vinod Chavda, Manishaben Vakil, Saurabhabhai Patel, Mayor Bharat Dangar, Municipal Corporation office-bearers, Principal Secretaries S.J. Haider and Kamal Dayani, Municipal Commissioner Vinod Rao, TCGL MD Jenu Devan and DDO Saurabh Parghi.

– Information