Ensure meaningful celebration of Ambedkar’s birth anniversary at his memorial in Chennai, Madras HC tells DIPR

The Madras High Court has directed the Director of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) and Greater Chennai City Commissioner of Police to ensure that the birth anniversary of B.R. Ambedkar is celebrated “meaningfully and peacefully” at his memorial located at Raja Annamalaipuram on April 14, 2025.

The Madras High Court has directed the Director of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) and Greater Chennai City Commissioner of Police to ensure that the birth anniversary of B.R. Ambedkar is celebrated “meaningfully and peacefully” at his memorial located at Raja Annamalaipuram on April 14, 2025.

Justice D. Bharatha Chakravarthy also ordered that the memorial be opened to the public at 7:30 a.m. on April 14, as a large number of people from various parts of the State are expected to gather there to pay their respects.

The orders were passed after hearing advocates N.G.R. Prasad and A.B. Karl Marx Siddharthar, representing two different writ petitioners who complained of severe restrictions imposed by the police on public access to the memorial in previous years.

S. Anbarasi, 18, a first-year law student, who was one of the writ petitioners, told the court that public access to the memorial was not allowed till 11 a.m. in 2023 and 2024, citing the ceremonial visit of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, and that it had caused great public inconvenience.

She also said people were forced to vacate the memorial by 5:45 p.m. in previous years, and sought a direction to the DIPR, Public Works Department (PWD), and Commissioner of Police to permit public access to the memorial from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. this year.

On the other hand, Additional Advocate General J. Ravindran told the court that the DIPR and PWD had decided to keep the memorial open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. this year, and that necessary arrangements for seating the visitors, lighting the venue, toilet facilities, and provision of drinking water and ramps would also be made.

After recording his submission, the judge ordered the opening of the memorial at 7:30 a.m. “Additionally, people who want to stay there for a longer time in the periphery area, without affecting other people to visit the site and exit, can also be permitted to stay where shamianas are provided,” he said.