The town of Talegaon Dabhade, 30 km from Pune, houses a bungalow that holds within its walls special memories of Dr B R Ambedkar. This bungalow, which was once “in a state of complete disrepair”, now stands as a testament to the spirited fight waged by a group of people to salvage and preserve its legacy.
The bungalow was part of a larger parcel of land held by Ambedkar for the development of an University, says L D Kamble, vice president of the Vishwaratna Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Smarak Samiti, which is responsible for the upkeep of the building.
A 16-hour study circle was held on Thursday to commemorate Ambedkar Jayanti. Also seen are the cupboard and the table used by Ambedkar (Express)
“This was a second home for Dr Ambedkar. He stayed multiple times in the bungalow and worked on the Constitution as well as other projects he was involved with before he passed away,” Kamble said.
According to him, the Samiti has been running study circles over the past six years on Ambedkar Jayanti. This time, a 16-hour session was held on Thursday.
Located just about a kilometre from the Pune-Mumbai Highway, the bungalow fell into disuse after Ambedkar’s demise in 1956. The Samiti was formed in 2004 by a group of people who were concerned by news of the possible redevelopment of the bungalow, and wanted to develop it as a memorial.
“Back in 1959, the land as well as the bungalow was transferred to the Administrator General of Mumbai. Over the years, it was divided and sold to others. The bungalow and some land attached to it was sold to a resident of Mumbai. The Samiti had its work cut to prove the ownership and start the process of government acquisition of the bungalow. Kisan Thul, the secretary, worked hard to collect revenue documents and carry out correspondence with the necessary departments,” Kamble said.
After eight years, the bungalow finally came under government control with the Samiti given the responsibility of maintaining the bungalow in 2012.
“When the bungalow was handed over, it was in dire need of repairs. A portion of the roof was damaged due to years of neglect and the walls required a fresh coat of paint. While the Talegaon Dabhade Municipal Council issued tenders for the work, members of the committee took it on themselves to carry out the repairs. We raised the money needed to start the work through crowd-funding,” Kamble said.
Today, the bungalow houses a table and a cupboard used by Ambedkar. There is also an idol of the Buddha, which is a gift from Thailand, and a stage and statues of Ambedkar and Ramabai Ambedkar.
“The bungalow is on the national map for followers of Dr Ambedkar. Our visitors’ books have records of foreign visitors,” Kamble said.
“We want this bungalow to be developed as a monument of national importance. Also, a library and study room should be developed around the bungalow.”
