Vol. 17, Part III · pages 496–500

467I ALWAYS......................HEART Dr. Patankar and Mr. Chitre, of Siddharth College, gave a dinner at the C. C. I. to Dr. Ambedkar on the eve of his departure. No one has ever seriously questioned Dr. Ambedkar’s patriotism, and he made it plain during an after-dinner talk that it was never his intention to run down India during his stay in the United States. During an interesting conversation, the doctor revealed that he liked Maulana Azad’s Hindi very much. “If that is the type of Hindi which we are asked to follow, it will be a very good thing, and not the highly Sanskritised kind,” Dr. Ambedkar said adding that the Maulana’s Hindi hardly contained any Arabic or Persian words nor any Sanskritised expressions and yet was chaste, polished and dignified. The plane carrying Dr. Ambedkar took off from Bombay Santacruz Airport around mid-night. He was carrying an overcoat on his arm, a hat on his head and had put on a black neck tie. He bade ‘Good bye’ to the people with his known smile. All this has been captured in a photograph published on the front page of Free Press Bulletin of June 2, 1952. COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HONOURS DR. B. R. AMBEDKAR New York, June 6, 1952. Columbia University Yesterday hailed Dr. B. R. Ambedkar as “one of India’s leading citizens— a great social reformer and a valient upholder of human rights,” in awarding him an honorary degree at its 198th commencement exercises. Dr. Ambedkar received the honorary doctorate of laws and letters before the large crowd assembled to watch 6,848 graduates of Columbia’s 17 schools and colleges received degrees for completing courses of study. Honoured, among with Dr. Ambedkar were Mr. Laster B. Pearson, Canadian Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Daniel Mornnet, the noted French literary historian, and eight American citizens.” (The Times of India, Saturday 7-6-1952, page 6) The news appeared with a photograph of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar and Mr. Wallace Stevens, a poet and Executive from Hartford, Connecticut who were honoured with the honorary degree of letters, “Doctor of Laws”.

468 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES “DOCTOR OF LAWS” Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, who received the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws from Columbia University, New York, on June 5, is seen above with a another receipient. Mr. Wallace Stevens, poet and Insurance Executive from Hartford, Connectieut, who received the honorary degree of Letters.” (The Times of India, 13-6-1952, with a photograph of Wallace Stevens and Ambedkar). The citation of this degree of Doctor of Laws is both in Latin and English and it was read out by Hon’ble Grayson Kirk, the then Vice-President and provost of the university. The citation is as follows : CITATION COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK BHIMRAO RAMJI AMBEDKAR, LL. D. Born in India and schooled there under heavy hardships : B. A. of the University of Bombay at twenty and for three years a graduate student in this University, receiving the doctorate in political science, subsequently a student of the Inns of Court and the University of London obtaining a doctorate in economics ; for the past three decades as barrister. University professor and member of the legislative council as a framer of the Constitution, member of the cabinet and of the Council of State, one of India’s leading citizens, a great social reformer and a valiant upholder of human rights. In the exercise of the authority conferred upon me by the Trustees, I gladly admit you to the degree of Doctor of laws, honoris causa, in this University and confer upon you all the rights and privileges which attach thereto, in token whereof I hand you this diploma. Sd/- Grayson Kirk, June 5,1952 Vice-President and Provost.

469I ALWAYS......................HEART SURATORS UNIVERSITATIS COLUMBIAE NEO EBORACENSIS OMNIBUS ET SINGULIS QUORUM INTEREST SALUTEM HIS LETTER’S TESTAMUR NOS UNANIMI CONSENSU Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar AD GRADUM DOCTORIS IN LEGIBUS HONORIS CAUSA PROVEXISSE EIQUE OMNIA IURA ET PRIVILEGIA QUAE A D ISTUM ATTIENENT DEDISSE ET CONCESSISSE IN CVIVS R EI PLE NIVS TESTI MONIUM SIGILLO HVIVS UNIVERSITTIS ET PRAESIDIS CHIR OGRAPHO DIPLOMA HOCCE MUN IEN DUM CURAVIMVS DATUM NOVI EBORACI DIE MENSIS IVNII QUINTO, ANNOQUE DOMINI Sd/- Grayson Kirk, MILLESIMO N ONGENTESM PROPR AE SES QUINQUAGESIMO SECUNDO Seal of the University of Columbia.1 zz 1 : Khairmode, Vol. 10, Pp 280-288.

136 ALL MY ATTENTION IS CONCENTRATED ON BUILDING OF HALL FOR FEDERATION “It was decided to hold a gathering of ‘Untouchables’ on Sunday, the 28th September 1952 at 4 p.m. on Nare Park Ground at Bombay. (Opposit to GIPR work shop). It was also decided that Dr. Ambedkar would address it. Accordingly a hand bill was issued jointly duly signed by J. G. Bhatankar, Secretary Scheduled Castes Federation and Mumbai Municipal Kamgar Sangh; L. F. Hindlekar, General Secretary Mahar Dnyati Panchayat Sangh Mumbai; S. A. Upshyam, Secretary Scheduled Castes Improvement Trust and M. M. Sasalekar, J.O.C. Samata Sainik Dal. The ground was overcrowded by the ‘Untochables’. Exactly at 5.30 p.m. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar came to attend the gathering. The ‘Untouchables’ greeted him with thunderous applause. After introductory remarks, Upshyam requested Dr. Ambedkar to address the gathering.” 1 At present Dr. Ambedkar said, all his attention was concentrated on the building of a hall for the Federation. He was leaving for Delhi next week and would not return for some days. He had a fear that his absence from Bombay, the work of swelling the fund would not progress. While making an appeal for generous donations from members of his community, Dr. Ambedkar said that the common people would support him in the case. In the last few months, a sum of Rs. 22,000/- had been collected. Dr. Ambedkar had once thought that a hall had to be built even if it necessitated raising a loan. Now, he had changed his mind and the hall had to be constructed out of the funds donated by members themselves.” 2 zz 1 : Janata, 4th October 1952. 2 : The Times of India, dated 29th September 1952.

137 RECOGNISE URIVERSITY EDUCATION TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE MODERN WORLD On December 16, 1952,* Dr. B. R. Ambedkar addressed the students’ annual gathering at Elphinstone College on “the problems of modern students”. He appealed to the students to reorganize university education to meet the requirements of the modern world, and to make the University a place for knowledge and not a centre for training clerks:” 1 zz * As per ‘Janata’ the date of fuction was 15th December 1952.—Editors. 1 : Keer, P. 445.