Media Release

Mangaluru, Apr 15: Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL) celebrated 128th birth anniversary of Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar on April 14.

On the occasion, M Venkatesh, managing director, senior management personnel and MSSEWA office bearers paid floral tributes to Babasaheb Ambedkar in the Administration building in the morning.

Later in the evening, Ambedkar Jayanti was celebrated in MRPL Employees Recreation Centre. M Venkatesh, managing director, B H V Prasad, GGM (HR), senior officers of MRPL, office bearers of MRPL SC/ST Employees Welfare Association, employees and their family members were present on the occasion.

B H Anil Kumar, IAS, additional chief secretary to government of Karnataka, department of Higher Education was the chief guest. BH Anil Kumar spoke on the occasion and recalled the challenges MRPL faced during his tenure as DC in 1996-98. The hard work and decisions taken at that time helped the company to grow and also to have such a development in this area, he opined. When we speak about Dr Ambedkar’s life story, the discrimination faced by him is still prevalent in the rural areas of our country. Dr Ambedkar is responsible to get the Poona Pact signed and as a result of which reserved constituencies for SC/STs came into existence which are there even today, he observed. The constitution of India is first social document which has such a large number of liberties for everyone and every institution including liberties for women, he said. Educate, organise and agitate was his mantra for eradication of social evils, he said and appealed everyone to ensure their children educated.

M Venkatesh, managing director spoke on the occasion and said just follow the basic rules and things will fall in line. He recalled the difficulties faced by Dr Ambedkar and said that it is his special talent that got recognition from the Maharaja of Baroda, who granted the scholarship to study in Columbia University,as a visionary step. The four Doctorate degrees of Dr Ambedkar speak volumes of his talent and knowledge he had at that time. As the first Law &Justice Minister of Independent India he rigorously supported women’s rights. Managing Director recalled many of his quotes and concluded by saying ‘We are Indians firstly and lastly’, the famous quote of Dr Ambedkar.

Later cultural programme was held on the occasion. DPS School students performed a skit and a dance. A dance troupe performed a skit on Dr Ambedkar.