The city of Burlington in Ontario Province, Canada, has officially declared April as “Dalit History Month” and designated the 14th of April as Dr BR Ambedkar Day of Equity (Ambedkar Jayanti). Mayor Marianne Meed Ward issued a proclamation on March 20, recognizing the significance of April for Dalit communities, marking the birth and death anniversaries of prominent Dalit leaders and social reformers such as Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar and Jyotirao Phule.
“April holds significant importance for Dalit communities, encompassing the birth and death anniversaries of pivotal Dalit leaders and social reformers in the movement against systemic discrimination based on caste, such as Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar and Jyotirao Phule. Therefore, I, Marianne Meed Ward, Mayor of the City of Burlington, do hereby declare April 2024 as “Dalit History Month” in the City of Burlington. I commend its thoughtful observance to all citizens of our municipality,” the proclamation read. The Mayor issued another proclamation, announcing that April 14 will be celebrated as Ambedkar Jayanti.
The province of British Columbia in Canada, was the first province in North America to designate April as “Dalit History Month” in 2022. Burnaby, a city in British Columbia, took steps to combat caste-based discrimination by adding caste to the list of protected categories in 2023, following a similar move by the city council of Seattle in the USA.