DR. B.R. AMBEDKAR-MESSIAH OF UNTOUCHABLES

•  (Relevant for Sociology Syllabus: Paper 1- Stratification and Mobility & Paper 2 Caste System, Social Movements in Modern India)
• (Relevant for GS Syllabus: Paper1- Social empowerment)

Dr. BR Ambedkar – Messiah of untouchables

• While working as Professor of Political Science at Sydenham College, Bombay, Ambedkar was introduced to the progressive reformer, Rajarshri Shahu Maharaj, King of Kolhapur Residency, who was also an ardent supporter of lower castes.
• Shahu Maharaj was perhaps the first ruler in India to take affirmative action, when, as early as in 1902, the following proclamation was issued by Kolhapur State: “His highness is pleased to direct that from the date of this order, 50% of the vacancies that may occur, shall be fixed by recruits from among the backward classes.”
• At that time Brahmins had monopolised almost 90% of all administrative jobs. Backward classes loosely meant the group that comprised of all non-Brahmins, including untouchables.
• Maharaja also implemented many other social reforms like free compulsory primary education, legalizing widow remarriage and banning of devdasi pratha (dedicating the girls to the service of God).
• When Shahu Maharaj and Dr BR Ambedkar met, they hit it off almost instantly. In 1919, Ambedkar was toying with the idea of starting a newspaper to voice the concerns of untouchables.
• Shahu Maharaj donated a sum of Rupees 2500 to kick-start the project. In January 1920, the first edition of the fortnightly newspaper, titled, “Mook Nayak” (Leader of the Dumb) was published from Bombay. In it, Ambedkar wrote: “India is the land of inequality. Hindu Society is like a multi-storeyed tower without an entrance or an exit; one has to live and die in the storey in which one is born.”
• In March 1920, Shahu Maharaj and Ambedkar jointly organized a conference for the welfare of untouchables at Mangaon in Kolhapur. Shahu Maharaj asked Ambedkar to chair the conference.
• Addressing the conference, His Majesty told untouchables: “You have found your saviour in Ambedkar. I am confident that he will break your shackles. Not only that, a time will come, so whispers my conscience, that he will shine as a front-rank leader of all-India fame and appeal.”
• In July 1920, when Ambedkar was short of funds to go to London to resume his studies, Shahu Maharaj came to his aid by making up the shortfall. In 1921, when Ambedkar urgently needed some money to pay his fees and to buy return fare to India, he wrote to Shahu Maharaj from London, asking for a loan of 200 pounds, which he promised to pay back with interest.
• In June 1923, after his return from London, Ambedkar started practice as a barrister at Bombay Bar. Initially, due to prejudice against his low caste, it was hard to get clients.
• Despite this, he would charge low fees or no fees from the genuinely poor. When he won a case for three non-Brahmins, charged with libel for publishing a pamphlet declaring that Brahmins had ruined India, his practice took off.
• Ambedkar believed that his mission in life was the amelioration of Depressed Classes. He was convinced that unless untouchables themselves rebel against their own condition, their lot cannot be improved.
• To rouse their self-respect, he would publically remonstrate them: “You have been groaning from time immemorial and yet you are not ashamed to hug your helplessness as an inevitability. Why didn’t you perish in the pre-natal stage instead? If you believe in living a respectable life, you should believe in self-help, which is the best help.”
• In July 1924, Ambedkar founded “Bahikshrit Hitakarini Sabha” (Untouchables Welfare Association) and in June 1928, “Depressed Classes Education Society” for the uplift of untouchables. These institutes started a number of hostels for Depressed Class students.
• On 1st January 1927, Ambedkar visited historical Koregaon War memorial, at Poona. The memorial had been built by East India Company to commemorate the soldiers who had lost their lives in the 1818 war with the Peshwas.
• Peshwas were notorious for maltreatment of untouchables. Many Mahars (community of Ambedkar), on rolls of British Army, fought against the Peshwas.
• Ambedkar said that fighting for British was not a matter of pride for Mahars. However, utter contempt with which Peshwas treated untouchables and deprived them of avenues of economic growth had compelled them to join the Army of East India Company.

MAHAD SATYAGRAHA:

• In the mid-1920s, the Municipal Committee of Mahad, in district Raigad of Maharashtra, passed a resolution allowing untouchables to use water from Chavdar Tank. Despite this, the caste Hindus were not allowing untouchables to fetch water from the tank though they had no objection to Muslims and Christians taking water from the same tank.
• On 20th March 1927, to restore the legal right of untouchables, Ambedkar led a procession of ten thousand untouchables to Chavdar Tank. Defying caste Hindus, they drank water from the tank.
• The procession then returned peacefully back to their base camp in the town. In memory of Mahad Satyagrah, 20th March is celebrated as “Social Empowerment Day”.
• By evening, a rumor started circulating in the town that next day, untouchables would enter the holy temple of Thought of desecration of the holy temple was much too much to bear for Caste Hindus. A band of youths, armed with bamboo sticks, clashed with untouchables at the campsite, knocking down their tents and chasing them.
• Clashes broke out between the two groups. Many untouchables rushed to take shelter in Muslim houses. Police took action to restore peace; attackers were arrested and charged with arson.
• Smarting under defiance of untouchables, Caste Hindus retaliated. They started harassing untouchables, evicting them from their lands, refusing to sell them grains and prosecuting them on one pretext or the other.
• Orthodox Hindus also purified the defiled Tank by downing cow dung, cow urine and curd into the tank amidst chanting of hymns & mantras. This shameful conduct of Mahad Hindus was widely condemned by the press and the public.
• Veer Sarvakar said that removal of untouchability was not only a need of the hour but also the call of true religion. He said the notion of purifying oneself with animal urine was more ridiculous than the notion of defilement at human touch.
• Purification of the Tank added insult to the wounds of untouchables. An indignant Ambedkar decided to launch another Satyagrah on December 25 & 26 1927. Some leaders expressed an apprehension that there was a rumour that the government may ban the Satyagrah.
• Ambedkar told them that if the government prohibits Depressed classes from exercising their right, then, to shame Caste Hindus, the matter would be taken to the League of Nations.
• In the meanwhile, to counter Ambedkar’s move, caste Hindus filed a case against Ambedkar and others in the court on the plea that the Tank was a private property & untouchables had no right to get water from it. The court issued an injunction prohibiting Satyagraha till the hearing of case was completed. Ambedkar’s hands were tied. (Ten years later Bombay High Court ruled that untouchables have a right to use the tank.)
• On 25th December 1927, as a protest against tactics of Caste Hindus, in presence of and with the consent of Ambedkar, one of the leaders of untouchables, Shastrabudhe, burnt Manusmriti – the Hindu scripture that codifies Caste System. The day is celebrated as “Manusmirti Dahan Divas” by Ambedakarites.

KALARAM TEMPLE SATYAGRAHA:

• In 1930, the year of famous Dandi March, Ambedkar, BK Gaikwad and other leaders of untouchables decided to launch one more Satyagraha. This time the objective was to establish the right of untouchables to enter the Kalaram temple of Nasik.
• On 2nd March 1930, Ambedkar led a mile-long procession of 15,000 untouchables, including 500 women, towards the temple. At the top of the column was a brass band signifying peaceful intent of the demonstrators.
• In response to the march, the temple management closed the temple doors and police was posted at all four gates that were barricaded. From next day, protestors started around-the-clock Dharna (sit-in) in front of closed gates, singing Bhajans and reciting hymns.
• For all practical purposes, the temple was now closed to all devotees. Kalaram temple had a tradition of taking out the statue of Lord Rama in a Chariot procession through the city on the day of Ramnavi.
• As of April 9, the auspicious day of Ramnavi approached, a compromise was hammered out. It was agreed that the Chariot will be taken out of the temple by the Caste Hindus; thereafter, strong men from both sides – Caste Hindus and Untouchables – will draw the Chariot through the city. However, as soon as the Chariot came out of the temple, Caste Hindus ran away with it to a narrow lane guarded by police.
• Pandemonium followed when untouchables broke the police cordon and reached for Chariot. A free fight between the two groups erupted in which one young untouchable was killed.
• As a reprisal by Caste Hindus, children of untouchables were thrown out of schools, roads were closed to them and they were maltreated. Gandhi, writing in his paper Young India, advised Depressed classes to suspend the Satyagraha! But Ambedkar, BK Gaikwad and other leaders decided to continue the Dharna.
• Meanwhile, Ambedkar was invited by Viceroy to attend First Round Table Conference to discuss Indian Constitution Reforms. In October 1930, he sailed for London to attend the conference leaving reigns of Kalaram Agitation to the care of BK Gaikwad. At the round table conference, Ambedkar put up a strong case for separate electorate for the untouchables.
• On 30th November 1930, “The New York Times”, published a report, sent by its correspondent, Charles Selden, from London: “His Highness, the Maharajah of Baroda, had as his dinner guests at the Hyde Park Hotel, Sir AP Patro and Dr BR Ambedkar. It was one of many social gatherings incidental to India Round Table Conference.
• Society editors of London newspapers paid no attention to it. But if Indian correspondents had telegraphed it to their home papers it would have been one of the biggest pieces of news coming out of the conference.”
• A Hindu Maharaja dinning with an untouchable as his distinguished guest was indeed a rare event at that time when ordinary Hindus would not give an untouchable even water to drink!
• Towards the end of 1934, BK Gaikwad sought Ambedkar’s advice on the continuation of the Kalaram Satyagraha. Ambedkar replied: “This may appear strange and surprising coming as it does from one who was the author of the Satyagraha. I didn’t launch the temple entry movement because I wanted the Depressed Classes to become worshipers of idols.
• I started temple entry Satyagraha only because I felt that was the best way of energizing the Depressed Classes and making them conscious of their position. As I believe I have achieved that purpose I have no more use for temple entry.
• I want the Depressed Classes to concentrate their energy and resource on politics and education and I hope that they will realise the importance of both” By end of 1934, the Kalaram Satyagraha was called off. Almost five years of agitation failed to move the temple management. The unyielding attitude of Caste Hindus of Nasik was a turning point in Ambedkar’s decision to renounce Hinduism.

MESSAGE TO HIS PEOPLE:

• In 1939, during a debate in Bombay Assembly, Ambedkar reiterated his unwavering loyalty to the cause of untouchables: “Wherever there is any conflict of interests between the country and the untouchables, so far as I am concerned, the untouchables’ interests will take precedence over the interests of the country.
• I am not going to support a tyrannising majority simply because it happens to speak in the name of the country. As between the country and myself, the country will have precedence.”
• On 8th July 1945, Dr Ambedkar founded “People’s Education Society” with the objective of promoting intellectual, moral and social democracy. People’s Education Society runs 12 colleges, including Siddharth College of Law, Bombay, imparting education to as many as 30,000 students, half of them belonging to Depressed Classes. Besides, Society runs many High Schools, Diploma Institutes and Hostels.
• Dr BR Ambedkar’s message to his people was: “With justice on our side, I don’t see how we can lose our battle. The battle is in the fullest sense spiritual. For ours is a battle for the reclamation of human personality which has been suppressed and mutilated by the Hindu Social System. My words of advice to you are: EDUCATE, AGITATE AND ORGANIZE!