Congress leader Jairam Ramesh commemorated the 69th anniversary of Dr BR Ambedkar’s conversion to Buddhism today, October 14, emphasising Ambedkar’s profound and enduring engagement with Buddhist philosophy that lasted nearly 50 years.
“Dr Ambedkar’s fascination with the life of the Buddha was almost half a century old, but it was only in 1950 that he spoke of his conversion into Buddhism in public meetings regularly,” Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X.
On October 14, 1956, Dr Ambedkar and his wife, Savita Ambedkar, were formally initiated into Buddhism by Burmese monk Bhikku Chandiramani in Nagpur. Following this, Dr Ambedkar administered 22 revolutionary oaths to approximately half a million people gathered at Deekshabhumi.
Deekshabhumi is the historic site in Nagpur where Dr Ambedkar and his followers converted to Buddhism after Dr Ambedkar administered these oaths to his followers, emphasising their commitment to Buddhism. Dr Ambedkar’s seminal book, published posthumously in January 1957, showcases his profound understanding of Buddhism.
Jairam Ramesh also mentioned Ashok Gopal’s biography, “A Part Apart: The Life and Thought of B R Ambedkar,” which offers new insights into this historic event. Wamanrao Godbole played a crucial role in selecting Nagpur as the site for the conversion.