If New York is famous for its Statue of Liberty, Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh is going to be famous for the ‘Statue of Social Justice’, said Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, who unveiled a 125-foot tall statue of Dr B R Ambedkar at Swaraj Maidan in Vijayawada on Friday evening.
Before unveiling the statue, Reddy addressed the Samajika Samatha Sankalpa Sabha, a meeting where people gather to decide how to achieve social justice. He said that the statue reflected the spirit of the Dalits and other downtrodden sections of the nation, such as women and minorities.
The statue, which stands on an 81-foot pedestal at the Smriti Vanam, raises the overall height of the monument to 206 feet, making it the tallest Dr. Ambedkar structure ever created in the world, he stated.
“The statue is the pillar of the struggle against untouchability. We still struggle with untouchability in other forms today,” he said. Ambedkar inspired the Dalits and other marginalised sections of the society to fight against their discrimination, he added.
Reddy said that his government ensured that Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes and minorities received about 50-60% of the nominated posts. “Right from day one, we have been implementing the Ambedkar vision in all aspects in letter and spirit,” the chief minister said.