The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has ordered to change the name of Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar to Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar in all government and court records. As per the order, the word Ramji will be added as the middle name and Ambedkar will be spelled as Aambedkar in Hindi. The move has apparently annoyed the opposition as well as the social reformer’s grandsons.
Ahead of the Ambedkar Jayanti on April 14, a circular for the same was issued by the Principal Secretary (State General Administration) Jitendra Kumar on Tuesday. It was sent to all the departments and registrar of Allahabad and Lucknow benches of the High Court. Later, on Thursday, the order was issued to all the government offices ordering them to put up Ambedkar’s photographs with his full name from April 1.
Apparently, the move has angered the social reformer’s grandsons Prakash Ambedkar and Anand Ambedkar as they told the media that Ambedkar used to write his full name only in signatures and used initials for all other purposes.
Meanwhile, BSP Chief Mayawati has said that BJP should first start writing PM Modi’s name as Narendra Damodardas Modi. The BSP party is miffed with the additional ‘Ramji’ title as Ambedkar was a Dalit and the change has reportedly hurt the sentiments of the Dalit community.
Interestingly, the decision was originally taken by Governor Ram Naik in December 2017 with an aim to “correct”
Ambedkar’s name in the records. The Governor is not happy with the way things have turned out from the decision. He says that he noticed the error and pointed it out in a letter to the PM, the President, the Home Minister, BSP Chief, and Ambedkar Mahasabha.
I am a Marathi & so was he. Hindi speaking states have been writing his name incorrectly. Most importantly his name is written as Bhim & Rao as two words, however, the correct way to write is Bhimrao: Ram Naik, Governor, UP on addition of ‘Ramji’ to BR Ambedkar’s name by UP govt. pic.twitter.com/5NJIFcnjoJ
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 29, 2018
He also clarified that this is the actual full name of BR Ambedkar. As opposed to what many people think, the word Bhimrao is written as one single word while the ‘R’ stands for Ramji. It’s actually his father’s name (Ramji Maloji Sakpakl) that he added with his own name. MoS Social Justice Ramdas Athawale said that it’s a matter of pride to refer to him by his father’s name.
