The BJP-led alliance Government in Maharashtra has decided to purchase a home in london, where BR Ambedkar lived in his student days in early 1920s, and convert it into a memorial for the Architect of Indian Constitution, by mid-April this year. Announcing his Government’s plans to purchase the heritage property in london, Maharashtra’s visiting Education Minister Vinod Tawde said in a statement issued from london that he had visited the residential property along with the Federation of Ambedkarites and Buddhist Organisation (FABO), UK, and senior officials of the Indian High Commission (IHC), london and initiated necessary steps to purchase the property through an estate agent.
Tawde is currently away in london taking part in the deliberations at the World Education Forum being held at Central Hall in Westminster london. “Dr Ambedkar’s london residence to be purchased by State Government. Visited the house & spoke to the Buddhist foundation president & met with IHC (officials)….They will go through all legal & international formalities & hope to make it a Ambedkar memorial in london by 14th April 2015. A proud moment for me!” Tawade tweeted from london.
The 2,050 sq ft residential property is located on King Henry’s Road, london, where Ambedkar lived while studying at the london School of Economics in 1921-22. The original six-bedroom terraced house has recently been converted into a one-bedroom garden flat and a five-bedroom maisonette. It needs extensive repair and restoration. A blue plaque at the house's entrance commemorates late Ambedkar’s stay in the house.
Tawde said in a statement issued separately that after learning from FABO’s president Santosh Das that it could be purchased through an estate agent for Rs35 crore, he spoke to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis — who is away in Switzerland attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, and appraised him about the availability of the property.
“With the Chief Minister giving a go-head, we initiated the process to purchase the residential property. After the decision was made, Indian High Commission in london-based India House Ranjan Mathai, Das and I visited the residential property King Henry’s Road, london,” Tawde said. The Minister said that he had requested the london-based Indian officials concerned to complete all the legal formalities to purchase the residential property within next two months. “We plan to complete the purchase formalities in the next couple of months and throw open the place to public on April 14, coinciding with the 124th birth anniversary of late BR Ambedkar,” Tawade said.
The King’s Henry Road residence had been put up for an auction six months ago. The auction notice had created a furore among various Dalit and Ambedkarite organisations, so much so that they had sought the intervention of either the State Government or the Centre in the matter on the ground that the King Henry’s Road residence a historical significance for all Indians.