Dr Ambedkar was responsible for Women Centric policies of the government : Badiger 

KALABURAGI;  Senior Journalist and Social Activist Mr Suresh Badiger said that Dr B R Ambedkar was the first to lay the strong foundation for all the women centric policies pursued by the union and state governments.

Delivering a special lecture on Dr Ambedkar as part of the 131st Birth Annniversary celebrations of Dr Ambedkar organized by the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, Department of English, and Department of Kannada in the Sharnbasva University in Kalaburagi City on Wednesday, Mr Badiger said that Dr Ambedkar had resigned from the Jawaharlal Nehru cabinet when his proposed Hindu Code bill providing special rights and privileges to women were rejected by Prime Minister Mr Nehru.

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He said that the Hindu Code Bill framed by Dr Ambedkar was the first concrete bill extending right over the ancestral property to women, maternity leave of six months and other benefits for the women “However,  Mr Nehru had rejected the bill citing various reasons”. Protesting against this Dr Ambedkar resigned as the Union Law and Justice Minister immediately.  Later the subsequent governments at the centre was forced to adopt the women centric proposals made in the bill paving for restoring the due full rights of the women in the society.

Mr Badiger said that it was also Dr Ambedkar who had first suggested introduction of the old age pension for the women and this proposal was adopted by Mrs Indira Gandhi when she became the Prime Minister of the country.  “The credit for the old age pension should rightfully go to Dr Ambedkar”.

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Referring to the demonetization of Rs 1000 and Rs 500 denomination currency notes by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his first term, Mr Badiger said that originally the idea of demonetizing the currency notes once in ten years was proposed by Dr Ambedkar at the time of framing the constitution. Dr Ambedkar had suggested this proposal for demonetization with an eye to curb black money and corruption.

Mr Badiger said that the Union Government should construct a memorial at the Wadi Railway Junction in Kalaburagi district and at Dharwad which are connected with Dr Ambedkar. He said that when Ms Ramabai, the first wife of Dr Ambedkar was not well she was hospitalized for three months in Dharwad and Dr Ambedkar paid regular visits to see his convalescing wife. Dr Ambedkar had also visited Wadi Railway Station once and spent more than 45 minutes in the Railway station speaking different sections of the people. “A memorial each should be constructed at Wadi Railway station and Dharwad commemorating the visit of Dr Ambedkar to both these places”.

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Pro Vice Chancellor of the University Prof V D Mytri presided over. Dean of the Journalism and Mass Communication department T V Sivanandan and 4th Semester student of the Kannada department Bhagyashree also spoke. Dr Sunita Patil welcomed and Ms Usha Hatti proposed vote of thanks.  Dr Sumangala Reddy anchored .