When 75 year old Champabai, a Dalit, illiterate women, who worked 18 hours a day and earn less than a one dollar, but still send her kid to Harvard & University of Pennsylvania, mother of five kids, walked on the dais of United Nations to facilitate the Deputy Secretary General Madam Amina Mohamad and other world leaders, thousands of people in the room had teary eyes and broken hearts. United Nations top officers express her feeling saying “it’s time to end the Caste, women should not suffer so much to live human life, especially when Dalit population can formed the third largest country in the world. I bow to Dr. Ambedkar who empowered women to reach the highest places like herself.”

This year United Nations officially joined to celebrate the 126th Birth Anniversary of Dr. Ambedkar. Permanent Mission of India to United Nations, United Nations (UNDESA), and Foundation For Human Horizon come together to honor the father of Indian constitution. The overall theme of the Conference was “’Empowering People through Digital Technologies for Social and Financial Inclusion’”. The event was joined by Google’s innovation head Oliver Rabenschlag, IBM’s Dr. Julia Glidden, State Bank of India’s USA country head Padmaja Chundure and HiTLAB’s president Stan Kochanski digital technology leaders and other participants to discuss the current situation, challenges and advancements relating to the use of technology in uplifting the marginalized groups of the society including women and children. The Digital India push is bringing down the technology and skills divide within the Indian society leading to a greater social and financial inclusion and the empowerment of all, especially the vulnerable and marginalized sections of society.

Prime Minister Shree Narendra Modi, who was scheduled to deliver video conferencing send a congratulating message “Dr. Ambedkar will always be remembered as a prolific thinker. His economic policies favored creating more opportunities for the disempowered. As the Labor Minister, he worked extensively for the rights of industrial workers.”

Katherine Newman, the Vice Chancellor at University of Massachusetts Amherst, said that Ambedkar was the first in the world to introduce affirmative action when he wrote reservations into the Constitution.

Oliver Rabenschlag said “Ambedkar was visionary to enable economic equality for the marginalized communities; companies like Google will initiate affirmative action for the Dalits”

Julia Glidden said “Deelip’s mother story inspire me to change the world and do my part as a human being. I, till my last breath will strive to help the Dalit communities at IBM as well as in my personal life.”

Padmaja Chunduru said “Dr. Ambedkar’s contribution to form RBI and SBI is known and his economic policies helped India to lead in many innovations. SBI continued to support Dalit entrepreneurs through various government schemes”

Deelip Mhaske in his opening address requested United Nations to include a plan to eliminate caste by 2030; he reminded United Nations charter “WE THE PEOPLES OF THE UNITED NATIONS

DETERMINED to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person AND FOR THESE ENDS to employ international machinery for the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all peoples”

Indian delegate leader K.P. Chaudhary was facilitated for his work as social worker. He said “United Nations platform has ability can create the world leaders who can strive for marginalized sections of the communities and supported the call to end caste by 2030.

Deelip Mhaske

President

Foundation For Human Horizon

Video of the celebration of 126th Birth Anniversary of Dr B.R. Ambedkar at the United Nations

A few photos from the event

Google’s head of innovation Olivier with Indian friends at Dr Ambedkar Jayanti Celebrations

Bangra on the street of New York

[irp]