Chair, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies  and Gentleman, May I apologize for my absence from this most august gathering. I so looked forward to joining you, but sadly the poor state of my health prevents me from doing so. How ever, though I may not be with you in person, I am with you in spirit, emotion and solidarity.
          I was delighted to receive your kind invitation to be your Chief Guest at the 18th national convention of BAMCEF and to inaugurate your unique website.
          Firstly permit me to pay tribute to your president, Mr. Waman Meshram, a charismatic, cerebral and courteous leader. It was my privilege to meet your president in London. I was not the only one to fall under his compelling spell. He was calm, composed and impressed all who met him with his superb logic and his powerful intellect.
          The Chinese have a proverb- a family in trouble always produces a great son. The Dalits, who have had more than their fair share of problems and tribulations, have produced some first rate leaders, starting with Dr.Babasaheb Ambedkar, that gigantic scholar, philosopher, jurist, statesman and social reformer. President Mr. Waman belongs to this magnificent tradition.

        Babasaheb was meticulously thorough, scrupulously honest in everything he did. When he returned to his motherland, he threw himself, into the struggle for freedom with great courage and vision. For him freedom did not just mean freedom for the old Brahminic order, but for all the people of India, particularly his own grievously oppressed people, the Dalits.
        He never deviated from that goal and for good measure he also espoused gender equality, at a time when it was not fashionable, either in the east or west.
       Not all the so-called leaders of the freedom movement agreed with his enlightened world view. True, some of them made noises about caste equality, but in many instances this was just sheer hypocrisy. They sought to preserve the old decaying order at all costs.
       They tried by every means at their disposal, from outright threats to cajolery and even bribery, to deflect Babasaheb from his chosen path. There was emotional blackmail in the form of fasts. He was often excluded from important Congress meetings which were dominated by a Brahminic cabal.
       And when it came to talk with the British, every effort was made to keep him out, lest the embarrass his supposed colleagues with his just demands for the liberation of his people. 

          But Babasaheb stood firm and, till his dying day, never betrayed his people. His noble stand aptly summarised by a famous religious leader, who posed the question: "What does it benefit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul.?"
In contrast men lesser intellect and questionable molarity ,who ostentatiously paraded their self importance and saviour like qualities, were reduced to dwarves in his towering presence. Some never forgave Dr. Ambedkar for that, and tried to not only discredit him but to write him out of history.
          But history, not crude propaganda triumphed. Dr. Ambedkar occupies a glorious, unsullied chapter not only in the history of Indian emancipation, but in the entire history of the oppressed of the world. History has shown that Mahatmas, like phantoms, may raise dust, but they soon evaporate in to nothingness. They did nothing for the people, they were but mendacious servants of the castes and bourgeois order.
          Allow me to salute you with the eloquent words of Dr. Ambedkar: “Noble is your aim and sublime and glorious is your submission.” Blessed are those who are awakened to their duty to those among whom they are born."Glory to those who devote their time, talents and their all to the amelioration of slavery."
          Ladies and gentlemen, we are living in the turbulent times. The world has become even more of an interdependent global village. Isolation is out of the question.

In this convention, 500 workers from various organisations and states were present. During the convention they indicated their inclination to become members of BAMCEF. This means they wish to join BAMCEF. The process of admitting them has been started.  We anticipated that the things will move in the right direction as we planned, nevertheless we never expected quick gains and enhancement in this short period of time. But this is happening. This is a great achievement. We are finding it difficult to count the achievements of this convention.

And that is the reason why it should be called the historical convention and the historical convention!!!!