Mah govt acquires Ambedkar's UK home

A three-storey town house on King Henry road in north London, where Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, the father of the Indian Constitution and crusader for Dalit rights, lived for about a year (from 1921-22) when he was studying at the prestigious London School of Economics (LSE), has been purchased by government of Maharashtra.

The deal was finalized recently by a high-level government delegation for an estimated price of between 3.2 - 4mn pounds, which will be paid by the state government. The 2,050 square foot residential property in London went up for sale through an estate agent last year.

The building, which already has a memorial plaque dedicated to "Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, Indian Crusader for Social Justice", is in need of some essential repairs post which the Maharashtra government plans to re-open it to the general public as a memorial-cum-museum dedicated to the late leader.  Some of the other proposals under consideration are to utilize one of the floors as a temporary residence for Indian students arriving in the UK for further studies.

Hailing it as a historic moment for the whole of India, Rajkumar Badole, the state's minister of social justice and special assistance said, "It is not just a house but has the emotions of all Indians attached to it. This has been a very fruitful visit and we expect the formalities regarding the purchase to be completed by the end of May."

Badole, who was leading a three-member delegation that also included state minister Dilip Kamble and principal secretary Ujjwal Uke, has also broached the idea of starting a Dr Ambedkar Chair at the LSE which in turn would be linked with two new scholarships for Indian students.

Confirming this, he said, "An informal proposal to set up a chair in memory of Dr. Ambedkar has also been discussed with LSE, in return for which the university could offer to cover tuition fees for two Indian students looking to study there."

The Indian High Commission in London is now overseeing both initiatives subsequent to detailed discussions between the delegation and India's deputy high commissioner to the UK, Dr Virander Paul.

The decision for Maharashtra to purchase the home was cleared by the Narendra Modi-led government at the centre, with the state Cabinet giving its final nod to the proposal in February this year.

About Dr. B.R. Ambedkar: Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (14 April 1891 – 6 December 1956), popularly known as Babasaheb, was an Indian jurist, economist, politician and social reformer who inspired the Modern Buddhist Movement and campaigned extensively against social discrimination against untouchables (Dalits), women and the labour class. He was Independent India's first law minister and the principal architect of the Constitution of India.