Tributes were today paid to Dalit icon B R Ambedkar on his 126th birth anniversary at the Basaveshwara statue in London borough of Lambeth.
The event wasorganised by Former Mayor of London borough of Lambeth Neeraj Patil on behalf of The Lambeth Basaveshwara Foundation.
Speaking on the occasion, Patil said the reason for celebrating Ambedkar's birthday at the Basaveshwara statue was the conceptual relationship shared between the two great men.
He said, "Basaveshwara and Ambedkar fought against untouchability and caste discrimination in the Indian society."
Patil saidBasaveshwara pioneered the idea of Democracy in the 12th century and Ambedkar was the architect of the Constitution for the world's largest democracy.
"Basaveshwara and Ambedkar were both economists and statesmen who resigned from their powerful positions. Basaveshwara resigned from the cabinet of Bijala (the then ruler)and Ambedkar resigned from the cabinet of Nehru. Both promoted gender equality and tolerance and were strong advocates of freedom of speech," he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had unveiled the statue of Basaveshwara andhad inaugurated Ambedkar's house on the same day on November 14, 2015.
Basaveshwara statue is not only the first statue to be unveiled by an Indian Prime Minister in the UK but also the first conceptual statue approved by the British Cabinet in the vicinity of the Parliament.
The Ambedkar House in London was bought by Government of Maharashtra and converted into a museum. This is the home where he lived while acquiring higher education in London during 1921-1922.
The Ambedekar house is located in the London borough of Camden.
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