Dr BR Ambedkar’s Name Changed to Bhimrao Ramji Aambedkar in Uttar Pradesh

Lucknow, Mar 29: The Uttar Pradesh government, led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on Wednesday passed an order asking all departments and high court benches to use 'Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar' ins

Lucknow, Mar 29: The Uttar Pradesh government, led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on Wednesday passed an order asking all departments and high court benches to use ‘Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar’ instead of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar for the iconic Dalit leader. The government also changed the spelling of Ambedkar in Hindi. The Hindi spelling of Ambedkar has been changed so that his name is pronounced ‘Aambedkar’.

In December 2017, Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressing his concerns over the prevalent incorrect spelling of Dr BR Ambedkar. Signing the pages of Constitution of India, Dr Ambedkar had written his name as ‘Bhimrao Ramji Aambedkar’.

“The main point is the way the name should be pronounced. While its English spelling is correct, the spelling will have to change in Hindi, as will the pronunciation. Ramji was his father’s name. As per common practice in Maharashtra, father’s name is used as a middle name for sons,” Dr Lalji Prasad Nirmal, director of Babasahib Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Mahasabha, was quoted as saying.

In his letter to all government departments, Jitendra Kumar, principal secretary, general administration department, said that taking cognizance of the 8th Schedule of the Indian  Constitution, where Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar’s name is written as Dr Bhimrao Ramji Aambedkar, the government has “directed the authorities concerned to correct the name in all records, documents related to the government.”