New York: Mayor Eric Adams has proclaimed April 14 this year as Dr B R Ambedkar Day in New York City, with its 8.5 million residents celebrating the day, a top official in the mayor’s office said.
Deputy Commissioner for the New York City Mayor’s Office for International Affairs Dilip Chauhan made the announcement here.
Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Dr Ramdas Athawale, who delivered a keynote address at a special event organised at the UN headquarters on Monday to commemorate Ambedkar’s 134th birth anniversary, was also present on the occasion.
“A historic moment at the UN Headquarters in New York as Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar’s birth anniversary is officially proclaimed by the NYC Mayor’s Office. My heartfelt thanks to Mayor @NYCMayor and Deputy Commissioner Dilip Chauhan for honouring Babasaheb’s global legacy of justice and equality,” Athawale posted on X along with photos and a video.
Proclamations are issued for only one day, week, or month per year.
The proclamation states that Ambedkar was an Indian economist, political leader, and social reformer who chaired the committee that drafted the Constitution of India.
“Ambedkar – whose message to his followers was ‘educate, agitate, organize!’ – advocated against the exploitation of farmers and tenants in India, as well as the social institution of untouchability. After experiencing severe caste discrimination in his youth, he spent the rest of his life fighting for the diversity, equity, and inclusion, which, collectively, have long defined the five boroughs.”
Chauhan called for recommitting to the values that Ambedkar lived and died for—liberty, equality, fraternity, and dignity for every human being.
Born on April 14, 1891, Ambedkar – popular among his followers as Babasaheb – was the chairman of the Constituent Assembly’s most crucial Drafting Committee that earned him the moniker Architect of the Indian Constitution. Ambedkar had received his PhD in Economics from Columbia University in 1927 and an honourary degree in 1952.
Chauhan said Ambedkar’s ideals go beyond borders and time, finding strong connections in the halls of the United Nations and New York—a city built by immigrants, energised by its diversity and united by its shared belief in opportunity and inclusion.
Foundation for Human Horizon President Deelip Mhaske said it is a profound recognition of one of the world’s most transformative champions of equality and civil rights that April 14 has been proclaimed as ‘Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar Day’.
Mhaske expressed gratitude to Adams noting that “this proclamation is more than symbolic—it is a moral declaration that positions New York as a global capital for human rights and justice.”
Earlier at the event organised by the Permanent Mission of India to the UN, Athawale said the principles that B R Ambedkar fought for — equity, representation and human rights — are more relevant than ever in the international community’s collective efforts to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
“Dr Ambedkar’s life is not merely a chapter in Indian history—it is a beacon for all humanity. Born into adversity, he transcended every barrier imposed by caste, poverty and colonial oppression to become a global advocate for equality, dignity and democracy.
Prior to the event at the UN, Athawale also paid his homage at Ambedkar’s statue in the Lehman Library at Columbia University, which he said in a post on X, was “erected as a symbol of knowledge.”
