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A Tribute to 'Father of Modern India'

Dr Suryaraju Mattimalla Dr Suryaraju Mattimalla
01 Dec 2025


O Father of India, on this sacred day,
Not in prayer of sorrow do we gather,
For your light is still dancing in our hearts.
A fire that never dies, never ends.

Today, as millions catch the winds of time,
To Chaitya Bhoomi, they bring their tears,
But also, their hearts, with pride, full,
In your wisdom, we are freed of fears.

O Ambedkar, thou wast born in a world so cold,
A world that worlded the untouchable soul,
But thee, like the first dawn's red rays,
You broke the chains, you made us strong

From the ghettoes of hopelessness you rose,
With knowledge and strength and love that grows.
Before your eyes, we saw a future bright,
Where all men could stand in light.

Before you, our forefathers walked in shame,
With the burden of the untouchable names,
With their spit served on earthen pots,
And thorny branches to make their footmarks fit.

But you, O Babasaheb, did transcend above,
To set us free from this curse of love-
A love that never was our own to lay claim to,
A love which burned us in the fire.

You spoke with such a clear and true voice,
That even the heavens gave way to you
You broke palisades of caste and hate;
And gave us hopefulness, a bright state.

What thou hast written, what thou hast wrought, what thy soul hath purely fought,
Led us in the blackest night
Your Constitution, a torch of light,
A symbol of justice, a very bright dream.

O Babasaheb, you have a vast legacy,
Out of the ashes of oppression, you made us to last
Your people cast as once a walking carrion,
Now be like scholars, warriors, and champions.

Your blood, your perspiration, your sacrifice,
Have lit the lamps of hope and light
Your people, the theorists, the dreamers,
Their voices are heard now in the chambers of the world.

You brought us recognition, you gave us a name,
A name that was defaced, a name in vain.
But you, O Babasaheb, have written it again,
In the hearts of millions, it will forever remain.

You gave us a human identity,
You have delivered us from the bond of pollution.
Your struggle was not merely for the law and the text,
But for the very soul, for the very next

O Ambedkar, you threw your torch of courage;
Like a star in the sky, you were all alone.
But your fight was never for self or pride,
It was for the untouchables, the cast aside.

From the halls of Columbia University to the streets of the London School of Economics,
You provided us with instruments, commands, and deeds.
Thou made us think we may arise,
And see the world with open eyes,

Your love, your vision, did not die,
It exists in us, every step of the way.
You fought for your world where no one shall fall,
Where all voices, great and small,

Is listened to, is looked at, is held in care,
A world filled with justice in the air.
You freed us from slavery, a place to stand,
You have given us a future and a guiding hand!

Babasaheb, your light still shines.
In every heart which fights deeds for deeds.
Your wisdom, your teaching, still teaches now,
Obviously, in every step we take, in every word we say.

Your light is in every scholar's heart,
In every fighter, in every circumstance.
You are our beacon, you are our star,
I mean, you are never far from us.

O Ambedkar, we celebrate you,
Not with tears, but with a heart so true;
"For you have given us wings, you have given us sky,
With your sacrifice, we learned to fly.

For it is in your name, we stand united,
In the cause of justice, we are excited.
We praise you, O lord of hearts and minds,
For you, opened eyes; for you, re-wrote lines.

O Babasaheb, if there had been no you,
We would have lived a life that we had not seen,
But here now stand we, scholars stood, or poets stood,
Doctors, lawyers, artists and know-alls.

We emerge from the ashes of our past,
And carry your vision, so vast.
Your name is on which we will not fall,
For you gave us a part of humankind, you gave us all.

O Babasaheb, your legacy is my gold,
A tale of bravery, a plucky soul,
We love and proudly bear your torch.
And tread carefully the way you set beside
Thank thee, O master of hearts and minds,
To bring us out of the dark confines,
Today, we pay our homage to you, Babasaheb,
For thou art before us as a guide, our light before us.

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