According to people with knowledge of the situation, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has written to the Maharashtra government requesting authority over the Dr. BR Ambedkar Museum in London in order to turn it into an independent entity and “prevent hijacking of the institution by forces inimical to the national interests.”
A director rank official from the Indian government would be in control of the museum’s operations when it becomes an independent entity, according to the MEA’s letter to the state government, which was sent last month.
The letter said, “This would assist us in promoting a greater knowledge of Ambedkar’s work, including his ideas on nation building, diversity, inclusiveness, institution building, and decentralisation, among others. The letter’s copy has been viewed by HT.
The letter said, “London gives a big potential for it and the museum has enormous gathering power which may be employed effectively to represent the values of Babasaheb.
Ambedkar lived at the London home at 10 King Henry Road for two years, from 1921 to 1922.
The Maharashtra government bought it for £3.2 million in 2015, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated it in the same year.
A massive mural of the Indian Constitution’s preamble hung on one of the walls, a collection of black-and-white images, Ambedkar’s well-known statements, and a room devoted to bound copies of his works are all located on the museum’s main floor.
According to an official with knowledge of the situation, the social justice department of the state government has prepared a positive response to the Centre’s proposal, which will be sent to the Ministry of External Affairs after consultation with the chief minister Eknath Shinde and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.
An official with knowledge of the situation said that the state government pays the Indian High Commissioner around 1.5 crore annually for maintenance of the museum.