Race vehicles clocked forbidden speeds on Hyderabad’s most touristy road. The Tank Bund street, on the banks of the Hussain Sagar lake, was remodeled right into a racing circuit for the ultimate spherical of the 2022 Indian Racing League in December. The circuit―round 2.8km lengthy―encircled a 11-acre parcel of land, on which stood a pair of large bronze sneakers. As drivers lapped the circuit it appeared they had been circumambulating the sneakers, as if paying obeisance.

The sneakers are the bottom of a statue of B.R. Ambedkar in his signature pose―guide in hand and pointing to the long run. When full, it is going to be 125 ft tall. Constructed into the pedestal shall be an Ambedkar museum, an audio-visual room and a photograph gallery. The venture, Ambedkar Smriti Vanam, would be the state authorities’s greatest tribute to Ambedkar. The statue is anticipated to value Rs150 crore; it can use 791 tonnes of metal and 96 tonnes of brass.

The thought of the statue was first floated in 2016, throughout Ambedkar’s a hundred and twenty fifth birthday celebrations. Telangana Chief Minister Ok. Chandrashekar Rao laid the muse stone for the venture and a cupboard sub-committee went to mainland China, Hong Kong and Sikkim to finalise designs and plans. Now, after a number of deadlines, there’s a rush to unveil the statue on Ambedkar’s start anniversary―April 14―this yr. It is usually an election yr. As of mid-January, the statue’s legs have began to take form.

Ram Vanji Sutar, who designed the Statue of Unity, and his son Anil Sutar are the sculptors. Anil is giving the ultimate touches to components of the statue at his Noida workshop; they are going to be assembled on web site. “Round 200 artisans labored on the mannequin, which took one yr to make,” mentioned Anil. “We have now designed many Ambedkar statues up to now, however that is the tallest. I’m pleased that it has come out nicely.” Anil is assured that the work shall be accomplished within the coming weeks.

Again in Hyderabad, the roads and constructing division, which is executing the venture, has already accomplished the civil works on the location, together with a two-acre park. In the midst of the man-made Hussain Sagar lake is a 58-feet-tall statue of Lord Buddha on a concrete island. And, not removed from Ambedkar Smriti Vanam are statues of former prime ministers Indira Gandhi and P.V. Narasimha Rao, and a memorial for former chief minister N.T. Rama Rao. Alongside the close by Decrease Tank Bund street, there are statues of distinguished folks from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, together with freedom fighters, revolutionaries, artists, reformers and writers.

At 125 ft, Ambedkar would dwarf different icons within the neighbourhood. That is seen as a acutely aware transfer by the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (previously the Telangana Rashtra Samithi). The federal government has additionally named its upcoming state secretariat, additionally in the identical neighborhood, after Ambedkar. Not too long ago, BRS working president and IT Minister Ok.T. Rama Rao challenged the Centre to call the brand new Parliament after Ambedkar.

BRS MLA and former deputy chief minister Thatikonda Rajaiah―a dalit chief―has inaugurated greater than 25 Ambedkar statues in his constituency, Station Ghanpur, within the final two phrases. Not too long ago, after he inaugurated one such statue, he obtained emotional after an upper-caste celebration chief in contrast his life with Ambedkar’s and touched his ft. Rajaiah mentioned Telangana and its folks had been direct beneficiaries of Ambedkar because the state was created due to Article 3 of the Structure. “After the formation of Telangana, our CM has been following the footsteps of Ambedkar,” he mentioned. “We have now created small districts as Ambedkar believed in decentralisation. Based mostly on his research on the famines between 1860 and 1910, Ambedkar urged reforms in agriculture and we’re implementing them.” Rajaiah added that the celebration’s initiatives and schemes named after Ambedkar mirror its dedication to his ideology.

The BJP, which is attempting onerous to achieve traction in Telangana, had additionally recognised the significance of getting an Ambedkar statue. Earlier than the meeting elections in 2018, it promised a 150-feet-tall statue of Ambedkar. Nevertheless, it doesn’t appear to be impressed by the BRS’s efforts. Anugula Rakesh Reddy, state BJP spokesperson, mentioned that the celebration was dedicated to the promise made in 2018, however, added that whereas the BJP follows Ambedkar in letter and spirit, there isn’t a place for Ambedkar in KCR’s coronary heart. “He didn’t fulfil guarantees made to dalits and now when scheduled caste voters are shifting away, he’s utilizing Ambedkar’s identify,” mentioned Reddy.

Within the Bahujan Samaj Social gathering camp, there’s a newfound vitality after former IPS officer R.S. Praveen Kumar took over the reins of the state unit. He’s touring the state, selling the ideology of Ambedkar and celebration founder Kanshi Ram. The celebration is attempting to achieve the help of scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, different backward castes and minorities, who collectively represent round 85 per cent of the state’s inhabitants. It is usually highlighting the truth that the Telugu states have had only one chief minister from these communities in seven a long time of independence.

“We welcome the venture, however what’s the usage of statues?” requested BSP spokesperson Venkatesh Chowhan. “Will they modify lives? Generate employment? Sanitation employees are being exploited and dalit kids are dying due to malnutrition. Will [statues] handle these points?” He added that Ambedkar was against such hero-worship. Chowhan asserted that the BSP had been the true political inheritors of Ambedkar’s legacy and that each different celebration needed to acceptable Ambedkar for votes.

A bit of Ambedkarites really feel that historic occasions and altering social circumstances within the area compelled political events to personal Ambedkar’s ideology. Karthik Navayan, an advocate and Ambedkarite, mentioned that as much as the Nineteen Nineties Ambedkar was brazenly opposed and disowned. “What modified?” he requested. “Two grisly instances of caste violence. In 1991, eight dalits had been massacred in Tsunduru (now in Bapatla, Andhra Pradesh) by a mob of upper-caste males. In 1985, six dalits had been killed by a bunch of upper-caste folks in Karamchedu (additionally in Bapatla now).” The incidents, mentioned Navayan, led to a robust dalit motion within the Telugu states, which in flip compelled mainstream political events to embrace Ambedkar.

Unstoppable: Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy (seated) nearly lays the muse stone for the Vijayawada Ambedkar statue in 2020.

Furthermore, schooling went up amongst backward communities and oppressed castes, and plenty of see Ambedkar as an inspiration. Due to this fact, political events realised they can not survive by distancing themselves from him. Navayan mentioned the Telangana authorities naming initiatives after Ambedkar could make the middle-class, scheduled castes and scheduled tribes pleased.

With Telangana doing a lot, Andhra Pradesh couldn’t afford to be left behind.

On the centre of Vijayawada is the Swaraj Maidan. The 20-acre authorities property has lately gained a popularity for being politically inauspicious. There’s a perception in political circles that any chief minister who visits the grounds for official features will lose the following election.

That is the venue chosen for Andhra Pradesh’s Ambedkar Smriti Vanam, maybe within the hope that an Ambedkar statue will carry optimistic vibes to the grounds. The statue right here may also be 125-feet-tall and it’s also anticipated to be unveiled on Ambedkar’s start anniversary this yr. Elections within the state are scheduled for 2024.

The venture is anticipated to value the state exchequer round 0280 crore. A memorial park with an auditorium and an open theatre may also be a part of the venture. The administration is racing towards time to finish the venture as Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy is personally monitoring its progress. Social Welfare Minister Merugu Nagarjuna, who’s dealing with the venture, mentioned that Reddy has been asking for weekly updates. “Though there was no explicit demand for the statue, we initiated it out of respect for Ambedkar,” he mentioned, insisting that the statue is to not win votes, however for future generations to find out about Ambedkar.

The YSR Congress Social gathering is highlighting how its authorities is undertaking what the Telugu Desam Social gathering led by former chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu couldn’t. Naidu laid the muse stone to construct a 126-feet-tall Ambedkar statue in Inavolu village close to Amaravati in April 2017. Nevertheless, the venture bombed.

In 2022, the YSRCP authorities had additionally carved out a brand new district from East Godavari and named it after Ambedkar (Dr B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema). The transfer led to violence as a bit of locals opposed it. As mobs clashed on the streets, the homes of a dalit minister, Pinipe Viswarup, and YSRCP legislator Ponnada Satish had been torched. Although there was stress to roll again the choice, the federal government stood agency. Political analysts see this as a strategic transfer that will have received over the dalits.

In September 2022, an Ambedkar temple was inbuilt Patharapalli, close to Srikakulam in northern Andhra Pradesh. The native residents determined to offer the icon holy standing and had been supported by their consultant―YSRCP MLA Gorle Kiran Kumar. He mentioned that the elders of the village had determined to assemble a temple and mentioned that the venture took 9 months to finish. The village has round 500 scheduled caste voters and a sizeable inhabitants of different backward castes. “Within the eyes of SCs, OBCs and admirers of Ambedkar, we earned respect due to the temple,” mentioned Kumar.

Whereas the YSRCP is making quite a few makes an attempt to connect itself to Ambedkar, it’s also dealing with flak for treating Ambedkar indifferently on one difficulty. There’s a authorities scheme that gives monetary help to scheduled caste college students to pursue greater research in overseas universities. It was referred to as Ambedkar Abroad Training Funding. The identify was modified to Jagananna Abroad Training Funding after the YSRCP got here to energy. The TDP had protested the identify change. “How can anybody settle for it?” requested TDP chief and former minister Nakka Anand Babu. “Does it make sense to remove the identify of Ambedkar? We’ll proceed to protest on the difficulty.”

It’s evident that Ambedkar and his legacy have turn into an integralpart of politics within the two Telugu states. Other than the large gamers, the smaller events, too, declare to be following the trail of Ambedkar. There are at the least six registered, however unrecognised, events within the two states which have Ambedkar of their identify. The Bahujana Rashtram Social gathering (Phule-Ambedkar), established in 2018, is one such celebration. It’s headquartered in Hyderabad and can be energetic in Andhra Pradesh.

Murala Rathnaraju, the celebration’s nationwide vp and Andhra Pradesh president, mentioned there isn’t a celebration like his relating to implementing Ambedkar’s imaginative and prescient. He’s upbeat because the celebration is getting ready to contest elections for the primary time. “I labored with a number of political events, together with the Congress, the TDP and the BSP,” he mentioned. “They’ve exploited Ambedkar and his followers for votes. We’re not saying we’ll turn into the ruling celebration in a single day, however we’ll at the least make a distinction. As a begin, we’ll contest in each constituency in Andhra Pradesh whereas educating voters about Ambedkar.”

Can appropriating Ambedkar fetch votes and win elections? Bode Manohar, a analysis scholar from Jawaharlal Nehru College, feels that it could not essentially be the case and that so much would depend upon native components. “At present, if any celebration needs to speak in regards to the Structure and a democratic setup, they’ve to speak about Ambedkar,” he mentioned. However, elections, he added, had been a unique ball recreation. “In Maharashtra, Ambedkarite politics existed for six a long time, however did not convert right into a political power,” he mentioned. “In Uttar Pradesh, there have been no such actions, however Kanshi Ram and his BSP nonetheless obtained a breakthrough and managed to remain in energy.”