Babasaheb tiles fly off the shelf

LUCKNOW: Tiles with image of Dr B R Ambedkar are in such demand, they are out of stock. On the lines of gods and goddesses, it is now the turn of freedom fighters to have their images etched on tiles and along with Mahatma Gandhi and Chandra Shekhar Azad, they feature Babasaheb and on the occasion of his 125th anniversary, the tiles have fallen short in supply.
According to Gurmeet Singh, Ambedkar’s tiles come in two shapes – 8X12 (inches) and 18X12 (inches), costing Rs 70 and Rs 250, respectively.Singh said, “Sale of Ambedkar tiles gathers momentum particularly a month before his birth anniversary.” He added that this year, almost 250 tiles were bought by followers of Babsaheb.
“This year, we got three big orders for the 125th birth anniversary of Babasaheb Ambedkar. One order came from Neelmatha area of Lucknow, while others came from Hardoi and Azamgarh,” said Sanjeev, another trader of ceramic tiles.
Traders said Ambedkar first appeared on tiles in 1985, for awareness among the dalits after the BAMCEF movement peaked in 1990s. “But, very few used to buy the tiles then. In the past couple of years, there has been a hike in sale,” said Sanjeev.
An ardent Ambedkar follower, Rajendra Gautam of Chinhat who has installed the tiled picture of Ambedkar said, “Babasaheb is our spiritual icon. He suffered trauma to ensure the future generation could hold its head high.” Gautam said all auspicious events in his family begin with tributes to Babasaheb. “This year, I bought some Babasaheb tiles and would formally integrate it with the place of worship in our house,” he added.
Dassu Pasi, resident of Mohtasimganj in Allahabad would be celebrating Babasaheb’s 125th birth anniversary by installing the Ambedkar tile at his residence. “This will inspire the next generation of my family to carry forward Babasaheb’s legacy among our brethren,” said Dassu.