Rich Tributes Paid to Basaveshwara and Ambedkar in London
Marking the Anti-discrimination day in London, Her Excellency Mrs. Ruchi .Ghanashyam, The Indian High commissioner to United Kingdom paid rich tributes to Basaveshwara and Ambedkar on 14th April. Basaveshwara and Ambedkar’s birth anniversaries are jointly celebrated as Anti-discrimination day in London every year.
This year, which is also the 885rd Birth Anniversary of Basaveshwara, was celebrated as joint anniversary of Basaveshwara and Ambedkar and also to mark as an anti-discrimination day in London. The Indian High commissioner to United Kingdom, Mrs. Ruchi Ghanashyam and The Deputy Indian High Commissioner, Mr Charanjeet Singh paid joint tribute to Basaveshwara and Ambedkar at Albert embankment in London.
The event was organized by the Former Mayor of the London borough of Lambeth, Dr Neeraj Patil on behalf of the Lambeth Basaveshwara Foundation, a non-profit organization that own’s the intellectual property rights of the Basaveshwara statue and its vicinity.Speaking on the occasion Dr Patil said, “We are paying tribute to both Basaveshwara and Ambedkar jointly because both share a conceptual relationship. Both opposed caste discrimination and gender inequality.”
Basaveshwara pioneered the idea of Democracy in the 12th century, Ambedkar was the architect of Indian Democracy and its Constitution. They were both champions of liberty, freedom of speech and human rights. Members of Indian community took a pledge at the statue to oppose caste discrimination, said Dr. Patil.
On 14th Nov 2015 Prime Minister Modi had simultaneously unveiled the statue of Basaveshwara and Ambedkar’s house in London.
Ambedkar House in London was brought by Government of Maharashtra and converted into a museum. He had stayed here while acquiring higher education in London during 1921-1922. The Ambedkar house is located in the London borough of Camden and the address is 10, King Henry’s Road, London NW3 3RP.
The Basaveshwara statue erected at the Albert Embankment is not only the first statue to be unveiled by an Indian Prime Minister in the UK, but is also the first conceptual statue approved by the British Cabinet in the vicinity of the British Parliament.
