Kamal Ghorui
CHENNAI: On April 14, members of the Ambedkar Association of North America (AANA) came together for the first time to observe the 131st birth anniversary of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar in Detroit, Michigan.The attendees paid homage to Buddha, Jotiba Phule and Ambedkar, following which Bhikku Muditha, a monk from Sri Lanka, and Bhikku Dharmananda, a monk from Bangladesh, offered Dhamma sermons, in which they spoke at length about the Buddhist philosophy and Ambedkarite values that find relevance today in upholding constitutional morality.The cultural programme organized by NRIs in the US saw Buddha and Bhima songs being sung and dance performances by children on Babasaheb’s life. The Ambedkar Association of North America is involved in a wide range of social projects in education and healthcare. Governor of Michigan Gretchen Whitmer declared April 14, 2022, as ‘Doctor B R Ambedkar Equity Day’, and Michigan’s senator (state legislature) Dayna Polehanki called Dr Ambekar the Martin Luther King of India.The event also saw NRIs of the Ambedkarite movement joining from Ohio, Indiana and Chicago (Illinois).
