AMBEDKAR – The Greatest Indian
I
wrote
in
this
blog
about
the
opinion
poll
being
conducted
by a
TV
Channel,
CNN-IBN.
The
nationwide
poll
is 1
of
the
3
modes
of
selecting
the
Greatest
Indian.
The
other
modes
are
a
Market
Research
Survey
and
Jury
Selection.
All
three
modes
carry
equal
(1/3rd)
weight
age.
The
first
mode
that
is
the
voting
by
the
public
ended
yesterday
June
25.
The
first
10
names
in
the
voting
would
be
considered
for
the
other
two
modes
to
decide
the
Greatest
Indian.
The
Leader
Board
of
the
voting
indicating
the
ranking
out
of
the
50
shortlisted
personalities
has
thrown
a
surprising
result
with
Dr.
B.R.
Ambedkar
on
the
top
with
a
good
margin,
the
details
of
which
((for
the
first
ten)
are
given
below.
The
total
number
of
votes
polled
was
71,29,050.
LEADER
BOARD
1
Dr.
B R
Ambedkar
2812494
2 A
P J
Abdul
Kalam
2391374
3
Vallabhai
Patel
1091479
4
Kanshi
Ram
252728
5 A
B
Vajpayee
67794
6
Sachin
Tendulkar
43625
7 J R D Tata 29484
8 Mother Teresa 29456
9 Rajinikanth 25383
10 Rajagopalachari 25290
The second mode that is the Market Research Survey will start on 1st July till July 20 and the highly distinguished Jury will make the Jury Selection of which the final result will be announced on August 15 for the Greatest Indian. Let us watch this fascinating exercise to identify the Indian Icons. I am confident that the identification and selection of the Greatest Indian will be free and fair from the inherit social biases.
Dr.
Ambedkar
topping
the
list
is
not
at
all
surprising.
He
deserves
to
be
at
the
top
by
his
own
right.
It
is
gratifying
to
note
that
Ambedkar
is
being
accepted
and
accorded
his
due
place
by
the
society
as
large
as a
national
leader.
The
dalits
should
feel
happy
and
stop
considering
him
only
the
leader
of
the
dalits.
It
would
be
great
disservice
to
the
great
leader,
Ambedkar.
As
regards
Kanshi
Ram,
I
was
taken
aback
when
I
saw
his
name
in
the
shortlisted
fifty.
It
means
good
consideration
by
the
Jury
to
short
list
him.
I
was
further
surprised
when
he
stood
at
the
second
position
in
the
voting
for
almost
the
first
week
of
the
voting.
In
the
final
run,
Kanshi
Ram
stood
at
number
four
after
Vallabbhai
Patel.
I am
reminded
of
journalist
and
columnist
M.J.
Akbar’s
prophetic
remarks
on
the
rise
of
Kanshi
Ram
in
Indian
politics
in
one
of
the
Indian
magazines
when
he
wrote
“Kanshi
Ram
has
come
but
yet
to
reach”.
Kanshi
Ram
gave
the
dalits
and
backwards
of
India
a
sense
of
purpose
and
made
their
identity
vocal.
Hope
that
Babu
Kanshi
Ram
gets
a
due
space
and
recognition
in
the
days
to
come.