Bhubaneswar: Once denied the basic right to drink water at school, Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar’s legacy today resonates far beyond India’s borders. In a symbolic global tribute, a stretch at the intersection of 61st Street and Broadway in Woodside, Queens, New York, has been named “Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Way.”
Born into a Dalit family, Dr. Ambedkar faced severe caste discrimination, social exclusion and humiliation from an early age. Rather than allowing these experiences to define his limits, he transformed them into a lifelong struggle for equality, justice and human dignity.
An eminent economist, jurist, social reformer and independent India’s first Law Minister, Dr. Ambedkar played a pivotal role in shaping modern India. As Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Indian Constitution, he laid the foundation for a democratic framework that guarantees fundamental rights, freedoms and safeguards for all citizens—especially communities that had been oppressed for centuries.
The naming of a street in New York after Dr. Ambedkar stands as an international acknowledgment of his ideas and ideals. It reflects how his vision of social justice and equality continues to inspire movements and minds across the world, reaffirming that struggles rooted in dignity and rights transcend national boundaries.
-OdishaAge
