Abstract

Treated inhumanely and denied any self respect by the Caste system, buddhism for millions of excluded caste in Maharashtra came as a radical departure from persistent oppression. While Hinduism stood for enslavement, oppression, subjugation, discrimination, inequality and humiliation of untouchables, Buddhism came as a vehicle of change, emancipation and liberation imbued with humanity, equality, liberty and fraternity. This article written as a reflection on fifty years of conversion to Buddhism unpacks the degree of internalization of the ideals of ‘dhammakranti’ and unravels struggles to realize emancipation as envisaged by Babasaheb Ambedkar.

Introduction

The mass Conversion (popularly known as Dhammakranti) of predominantly Mahars and other untouchable castes such as Matangs and Chambhars in Maharashtra with Babasaheb Ambedkar on Oct. 14, 1956 is the most important historical event in the lives of today’s Buddhists and yesteryear’s Mahars, Matang and Chambhar ex-untouchables (1) . Lakhs of them got Diksha (initiation) from Ambedkar and subsequently he (Ambedkar) administered twenty two oaths to all those gathered there for what is popularly known among the Maharashtrian Buddhists as Dhammakranti or Revival of Buddhism (2) (coming back into Buddhist fold) or Anupravartan (3) . These oaths are like a preamble/Bible for many Buddhist Dalits in Maharashtra and are strictly followed by many committed Buddhists and Ambedkarites in their day to day affairs. There is compulsory recitation of them in important ceremony such as Buddhist Wedding/Marriage. Buddhism for millions of Buddhists in Maharashtra came as a radical departure from Hinduism. Buddhism, therefore, is a vehicle of change, emancipation, liberation and the core of it is humanity, equality, liberty and fraternity which were denied to the millions by Caste-Hindus in Hinduism. Hinduism, on the other hand stood for enslavement, oppression, subjugation, discrimination, inequality and humiliation of untouchables.

Rationale for Conversion:

This Conversion was the most special and qualitatively very different from the conversions taken place in the history of India before and after this particular conversion in more than one sense. First, it was the culmination of Babasaheb’s long revolutionary struggle for equality, social justice and human dignity for millions of ex-untouchables in this country. Second, it was directly aimed at reconstructing a new social order in the form of adapting Buddha’s ‘Dhamma’ a moral order based on equality between human beings. Third, for almost 21 years, Babasaheb was mentally preparing the members of Untouchable community across all sub-castes (he conducted some 40 conferences with different caste groups within untouchables with the aim to convince why conversion? and what way emancipation?) for their liberation from the enslavement imposed upon them in the Hindu Caste/Varna system. So it was for the socio-cultural, economic and political emancipation of the ex-untouchables and to permanently break down the shackles of untouchability and Brahmanic hegemony. And last but not least, the Untouchables followed Ambedkar and embraced Buddhism with determination to leave Hindu fold forever and change their fortunes with their own efforts with no fear in mind as to what difficulties they may have to face in future.

This going back (Dhammakranti) to Buddhism by Babasaheb with lakhs of his followers in 1956 has no parallels in India and across the world. Majority of the conversions mainly to Christianity and Islam have taken place due to special educational, religious and economic incentives offered by the missionaries in Christianity and the use of fear of sword by Islamic invaders. And these religions have imposed their religious order through religious head or authority and therefore offered no relief from discriminatory practices. Where as, Buddhism offered complete freedom and no religious head or guru dictating orders or issuing fatawas (dictates). It is in this background that the benefits of conversion to Buddhism be viewed.

Conversion to Buddhism offered innumerable benefits and they can be listed as follows:

More than anything else, the struggle of ex-Mahars and other ex-untouchable castes under the leadership of Babasaheb Ambedkar was struggle for self-respect and human dignity and not for any material gains. And they succeeded in carving out a distinct space of respect and dignity as Buddhists for themselves. Being Buddhists gives a sense that we are different and we are one of the oldest religion/Dhamma of this soil which provided a definite psychological edge to these new members over the members of other castes within Hindu fold, and the sad part is that they can hardly do anything to change their status in that caste hierarchy.

The biggest benefit of being Buddhist therefore, is that it helped millions of Buddhists and their successive generations to regain their Humanity, self-respect and a status of being human beings, in other words it has shaped the attitude and gave all ex-untouchables (and other Dalits who converted later) a new dignified identity. Thus, it has provided the most vital alternative to Hinduims in terms of religion and most importantly the moral order based on Pradnya (wisdom), Sheel (morality) and Karuna (compassion).

Majority of ex-untouchables (emphasis on former-Mahars) gave up all their traditional occupations that were imposed upon them in the Hindu Social Order as being the Antyajas or lowest in that order. Babasaheb’s teachings were taken very seriously and internalized by all from old to the new borne. For Babasahebe Ambedkar introduced the Buddha, Dhamma and his teachings to millions of ex-untouchables. His slogan of ‘Educate, Agitate and Organize’ was internalized deep into the hearts and was taken as the weapon of liberation and emancipation.

For Buddhists, education became the key aspect of their lives, cleanliness, and adaptation of good lifestyle, which was also marked by the radical change in their thinking and living patterns. Buddhists in Maharashtra in last fifty three years of Dhammakranti have set new examples of being highly educated to becoming class one to super-class one officers in govt. departments. This was not possible for many non-Buddhists Dalit or Scheduled Castes or even for OBC-Shudra Castes, especially by remaining in Hindu fold or Brahmanic enslavement. Buddhist educated person aspires to be like Ambedkar, he likes to be highly educated and styles everything (his dressing) after Ambedkar. Every Buddhist goes to Dikshabhumi (site of conversion) at Nagpur and Chaityabhumi (Babasaheb’s monument resembling stupa where he was cremated) on Dhammachakra Anupravartan Day (4) and Dec 6 th Death Anniversary of Babasaheb respectively. On both these occasions all Buddhists, Ambedkarites gather at these two sites and take back home the relevant Buddhist and Ambedkarite literature and the memories of their glorious struggle for humanity and dignity. And this strengthens their resolves to make constant efforts to evolve equalitarian socio-cultural, economic and political order envisaged by Ambedkar and his teacher Buddha.

There was large scale migration to urban centers as a response to Babasaheb’s call to leave villages as they are dens of oppression. This migration in a way provided opportunities for upward mobility. Many of them joined as menial labour in Railways, Dockyards, workers in Textile Mills and Factories. And they gave education to their children against all odds and also created their own culture rooted in Buddhism. Almost all localities in urban areas have at least one Buddha Vihara as a center to carry out social and cultural activities besides being centre of social movement. The Concrete cultural symbols and the new identity as Buddhist often become the ground for the upper caste to isolate and discriminate against the Buddhist. The orthodox caste Hindus never liked the idea that the ex-untouchables have changed their religion. The Caste-Hindus, even today address the converted Buddhists often by their caste name or as Neo-Buddhists. The term Neo-Buddhists is used simply to underline their previous status as untouchables. Many a times they are also addressed as Jai-Bheemwale more often in sarcastic tone. By using the term Jai-Bheemwale, they express their anger towards Babasaheb Ambedkar who was responsible for social transformation in the lives of Buddhists.

The first generation learners tried to make the best of whatever little education they could get and wrote extensively on their experiences of Untouchability, Caste-based inequalities and humiliation at the hands of all four Varnas above them. In last 53 years of Dhammakranti, hundreds of Autobiographies have been written pointing out at oppression and humiliation meted out to the ex-untouchbles as the victims of oppressive Hindu social order. Many of them also wrote their experiences as Modern Buddhists and how they were targeted and ostracized because of converting into Buddhism, practicing a new way of life radically different from that of Hinduism. The significant observation, in this regard, is made by an Ambedkarite intellectual Dr. Yashwant Manohar. He states that,

“It is Dalit Literature and the literary movement that provided platforms to many oppressive, deprived and excluded groups to voice their concerns. Like other literary movement, it never observed the caste boundaries but rather broke them and appealed all those excluded to join the revolutionary path of social change. It has constantly expanded its reach and aimed at evolving a universal perspective of emancipation from all oppressions” (5) .

Creation of Plethora of Dalit Literature (6) came as a result of uninterrupted process of consciountization of Buddhist as ex-untouchables. The roots of this literature are in the emancipatory ideology of Buddhism introduced and initiated by Ambedkar. The literature is the most radical and revolutionary in nature and out-rightly rejects the rituals, superstitions, blind faiths, beliefs in Gods and goddesses in Hinduism. The Dalit Literature is but Human literature (7), preaching equality among human beings, rationalism, critical thinking of mind and promoting scientific temperament. In fact, the second generation grew up reading this literature which was a very hard hitting critique of caste system and in-equalitarian order. This gave birth to a most revolutionary and militant movement in the history of Modern Maharashtra, the Dalit Panther.

The emergence of Dalit Panther can be attributed to this Dalit Literary Movement. And for the Panthers the biggest fodder came from Ambedkar’s writings, Ambedkar’s initiation of lakhs of Mahars into Buddhism and his contribution as Chief Architect of Indian Constitution and a nation builder. Many Buddhist took a two-lane highway of ‘Buddhism and Indian Constitution’ to regain their lost position in the Indian history. The Buddhist achieved a sort of bloodless revolution if we look at the progress they made in such short period of time. This progress of Buddhists encompasses all religious, social, educational and politico-economic spheres of their life. And what is most striking about it is that it is achieved through sheer hard work and continuous struggle and by making immense sacrifices. In this journey, Babasaheb’s teaching including Buddhism remained a guiding force behind their entire struggle for the respectable life in this society.

No any other ex-untouchable caste (especially in Maharashtra) could achieve by remaining within Hindu fold what Buddhist could achieve especially in cultural, political, educational and socio-economic spheres of life. They lead every anti-caste struggle from the front. It is only the Buddhist community in Maharashtra which kept alive the progressive thoughts and ideologies of Mahatma Phule and Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaja (the non-Dalit social reformers) and thus Buddhists became the sole torch bearers of all the progressive ideologies in this modern era.

Taking clue from Ambedkar’s writings ‘The Untouchables’ (1948) and his theory of ‘Broken Men’ in which Babasaheb emphasizes that,

“Untouchables were the Buddhists and untouchability was born out of struggle for supremacy between Buddhism and Brahminism. Mauryan Dynasty or the Empire of Samrat Ashoka was the biggest Empire and he made Buddhism as State religion. This was of course the greatest blow to Brahmanism. Brahmins lost all state patronage and were neglected to secondary and subsidiary position. Ashoka prohibited all animal sacrifices which constituted the essence of Brahmanic Religion.

Brahmins thus lost besides patronage, the main occupation of performing sacrifices for a fee and thereby substantial source of living. Brahmins lived as the suppressed and depressed classes of people during this period till Pushyamitra (a Samvedi Brahmin) raised the banner of revolt and decided to end the degradation of the Brahmins by destroying the Buddhist state and reestablish the state with practice of Brahmanic religion”.

The Buddhists today trace their roots to this historical period that Babasaheb has underlined, and believe that the Mahars were the Kings and ruler of Maharashtra and that is how the name ‘Maharashtra’ came to be. The caves of Karla around Mumbai, Bhaja near Igatpuri, Ajanta and Ellora near Aurangabad and Archeological excavation near Nagpur bear imprints of Buddhist period and Kingdome and its patronage to Buddhism. This gives Buddhists a pride that they had a glorious past and history and that was triumphed over by Brahmanism.

The converted Buddhists claim this glorious past of Buddhism as the oldest religion known for its egalitarian order. This also becomes a solid ground for them to reject the in-equalitarian Hindu social order and reclaim their status as Buddhists and follower of Buddhism, the core of which is equality, liberty and fraternity.

Creation of Alternative Culture:

Buddhists have evolved or rediscovered their own Buddhist culture having history of 2550 years. This is diametrically opposite to Brhamanic, caste-ridden culture in Hindu society. This by any yardstick should have become the mainstream culture having inherent universal perspective of humanity and emancipation from all exploitations. But since it challenges and contests the hegemony of the few it is treated more as counter-culture to Brahmanism. Buddhists always try to reject or criticize every thing that preaches inequality and is inconsistent with the society envisaged by Babasaheb Ambedkar.

Many Buddhists have named themselves and their children after the famous Buddhist monks, scholars, kings, emperors such as Ashwaghosh (who was Buddhist Scholar), Milind (Buddhist king), Nagsen, Anand (Buddhist monk) and Amrapali, Vaishali, Karuna, Pradnya, Sanghapriya, Bodhika, Arahat, Rahul, Siddharth, Gautam etc. are some common names. Even some of the residential buildings are also named after famous Buddhist heritages such as Takshasheela, Rajgriha, Rajratna, Sanghdeep (Bhavans/Niwas) etc. thereby indicating their distinctive identity as well as their commitment to most ancient egalitarian Buddhist culture.

Rejection of Sanskritization and Emphasizing De-sanskritization:

With the Dhammakranti that is after going back into Buddhism, the Hinduism and caste-system became negative reference group for the conscious Buddhists and they started rejecting the cultural practices negating equality between human beings. Majority of Buddhist women observe no fasts of any Hindu Gods and Goddesses or Hindu festivals (Dipawali, Navaratra, Ganeshutsav). Even the Hindu Gods and Goddesses are criticized and ridiculed by Buddhist-Dalit poets/poetess and writers. Siddhivinayak Temple in Mumbai is provided with high security and this is ridiculed that God became vulnerable and cannot protect himself then how will he protect his devotees. In fact, many shudra, ati-shudra castes still within the Hindu fold have adopted sanskritization as process of elevating their low status in ritual hierarchy, however, Buddhists-Ambedkarites have rejected sanskritization. The Buddhists have their own ‘Buddhist style of Wedding’ and this is evolved over a period of time. It rejects Hindu way/style of wedding (based on Vedic style) and provides concrete cultural alternative. It harps upon gender equality, rejects dowry system prevalent in Hindu marriages. Some ornaments like ‘Mangalsutra’, ‘Toradi’ (a chain worn on anklets) and ‘Jodvi’ (put in one of the fingers of leg) are rejected on the ground that they are sign of her subordinate position in society and have reduced her to dasi .

Besides this, Buddhists have their own places or sites which have religious, socio-cultural and historical importance in their lives such as Dikshabumi at Nagpur (Conversion took place), Chaityabhumi Mumbai (cremation of Babasaheb), Mahad (Chavadar Tank Satyagraha and Manusmruti burning), Bhima Koregaon (where Mahar as part of British Army were responsible for the defeat of Peshwas in 1818). Millions of Buddhists and Ambedkarites gather at these sites/places on occasion of ‘Dhammachkra Pravartan Day’, Ambekar’s Birth and Death Anniversary. These sites for Buddhists are also very vital cultural symbols as they act as main elements in revivalism of their cultural identity in modern India.

Today Boudda wada (Buddhist locality) in any village or town has a very distinct identity. Even many of the non-converted ex-untouchable caste distinguish themselves from converted Buddhists. There are statues or busts of Ambedkar and Buddha and sometimes Mahatma Phule installed at the entrance of the locality or there may be a Buddha Vihara inside the locality.

Assertive and Politically Conscious Community:

Buddhists are the most radical and assertive community. This is proved time and again and that is how they are also viewed by the others (upper castes). This is one community that does not tolerate injustice. They have carried out the longest struggle for renaming of Marathwada University after the name of Babasaheb Ambedkar. During this struggle many Buddhists and Ambedkarite Dalits were killed, their houses were burnt and their mothers/sisters were raped. But after long struggle, the govt. was forced to name the University after Babasaheb Ambedkar. Through this struggle the Ambedkarites and Buddhists have reclaimed the cultural space that is due to them. Although it was made out to be an emotional issue and Dalits were deliberately kept engaged with it in order to divert their attention from much more concrete issues concerning their socio-cultural and politico-economic development. But it was definitely connected to their democratic aspirations and therefore, with their struggle for democratization of space. Similarly when the Hindu Right wing parties like Shiv-Sena wanted Govt. to ban the book ‘Riddles in Hinduism’ authored by Ambedkar and published by Govt. of Maharashtra. They alleged that it vehemently criticized and degraded the Hindu Gods such as Rama and Krishna. This time again the Buddhists and all Ambedkarites came down on the streets and asserted their position by writing most scholarly articles and generated a debate of highest intellectual quality. Finally, the book was published un-edited without deleting a single word from the (original) manuscript of Babasaheb Ambedkar.

Buddhists in Maharashtra are known for their high level of political consciousness. Because of their awareness and socio-political consciousness, they are strategically isolated, suppressed by the dominant castes in the villages. In a local politics (local bodies), especially on reserved seats, other non-Buddhist Dalit candidates are preferred (brick is softer than stone). The Buddhists are known for their revolt or rebellious nature, for their legal awareness and therefore not accepting any subordinate position in power structure. This nature of Buddhists, challenging oppressive structures does not go down well with the politically dominant caste/class (Maratha) in Maharashtra. The Hindu right wing parties such as BJP, Shiv-Sena, RSS, Bajarang Dal clearly distinguish between Dalits and Buddhist-Dalits (Neo-Buddhists). Those Dalits who are not converted into Buddhism remain within Hindu fold and therefore loyal to tenets of Hinduism. Here the issue is not of Conversion into x or y religion but adherence to or rejection of enslaving religious order.

The Buddhist or any Dalit who dare to defy the hegemony of Hindus become the target of these right wing ideologies or the protector or custodians of Brahmanic tradition and supremacy. During Shiv Sena-BJP rule in 1998, in predominantly Buddhists locality at Ghatkopar, Mumbai, 11 Buddhists were killed in Police firing. Most recently in Sept. 2006 at Khairlanji in Bhandara district of Maharashtra four members of a Buddhist family were brutally (two of the female members) raped and killed. These brutalities are the result of their assertion for basic human rights and more often refusing to accept any subordinate status or position imposed on them.

The cases of atrocities on Buddhists-Dalits are not reported in mainstream media. Today, there are five News Papers published from Mumbai, they are launched and run successfully by Buddhists. ‘Samrat’, ‘Vishwa-Samrat’, ‘Mahanayak’, ‘Bahujanratna-Loknayak’ and ‘Dhamma-Shasan’, all the five are guided by the egalitarian and humanitarian doctrine of Buddhism and give wide coverage to issues concerning Dalit-Bahujan and are committed to Buddha, Phule, Ambedkar and other progressive egalitarian ideologies. The articles are written by cultural, social activists, literates and highly consciountized Buddhist-Ambedkarites having vast experience in Ambedkarian Movement. These news papers are like mouthpiece of the Post-Ambedkarite Ambedkarite Movement in Maharashtra today. Many of the organic intellectuals from Ambedkarite Movement have been intellectually contributing through these news papers which are responsible for consolidating what is called as Ambedkarism or “Ambedkari Vicharsarani”. They focus on contemporary socio-economic and politico-cultural realities concerning Ambedkarite Dalits and other subjugated and marginalized communities and social groups in Maharashtra and other parts of India. One can see a paradigm shift in a perspective today. It is a shift from the famous slogan of Babasaheb Ambedkar- “Educate, Agitate and Organise”, which dominated the thinking of the first and even to some extent second generation of Dalit masses to more concrete and well defined perspective of “Annihilation of Caste” as the unfinished agenda of Ambedkarite-Dalit Movement in Maharashtra today. The progressive ideologies are otherwise deliberately ignored and not given its due recognition by mainstream Brahmin dominated media.

Today, Buddhists-Ambedkarites have taken upon themselves the responsibility of awakening the other marginalized, stigmatized and excluded communities and instilling in them the confidence that through social struggle they can change their status and their position in this society. The Buddhists have become examples of change for many voiceless and excluded communities such as 42 Nomadic and De-Notified Tribes namely the Paradhi, Kaikadi, Gondhali, Makadwale, Gosavi ect. in the state. These tribes unlike ex-untouchables are even today not allowed entry in the village and therefore, are far away from the mainstreams of the society. But now looking at Buddhists and the phenomenal progress that they have made in every field, they strongly feel that Babasaheb Ambedkar and the Buddhism as an emancipatory ideology is the only alternative with them to remove the wretchedness imposed on them by the so-called progressive sections of the society. Babasaheb gave this to millions of untouchables whose condition was similar or perhaps worse than them before conversion. Today it is Buddhist community who not only challenges the hegemony of the few but also asserts and speaks out for cause of these DTs and NTs.

In the year 2006 as the 50 th Anniversary of Babasaheb’s Conversion to Buddhism, these excluded tribal groups along with other castes among Dalit such as Matangs have converted to Buddhism in thousands at the Dikshabhumi, Nagpur. Many more excluded groups will follow this path because the restoration of their human-hood is possible only in Buddha’ Dhamma introduced to us by our savior the Babasaheb Ambekar. All excluded communities in contemporary India were once the followers of Buddhism and to convert to Buddhism is nothing but going back to their original Dhamma – a moral order based on trinity of equality, liberty and fraternity and re-establishment of the kingdom of righteousness with humanity as its core concern.

Endnotes

1. From among the untouchable castes it was predominantly the Mahars who followed Babasaheb, however, there were also a few Matangs and Chambhars who were part of this Dhammakranti.

2. Yashwant Manohar’s small book titled “Dhammakrantichi 50 Varsh”, 2006.

3. Discussion with a few scholars in Maharashtra

4. It is called as ‘Dhammchakra Anupravartan Day’- punargati or to re-start or revive, as the Wheel of Dhamma was reset into motions by Babasaheb after over 2500 years of Buddha’s first sermon at Varanasi. However, the first sermon of Buddha is known as ‘Dhamma-chakra Pravartan Day’- ‘Turning of the Wheel of Dhamma/Law’

5. Yeshwant Manohar- “Dhammakrantiche Pannas Varsha”, Yugsakshi Prakashan, Nagpur, 2006 pg.26)

6. There has been a long debate among a few prolific Dalit writers including Raja Dhale, Yeshwant Manohar, Gangadhar Pantawane, Arjun Dangle and many more over the term ‘Dalit’ literature. Raja Dhale proposed to call it- “Ambedkari Preraneche Sahitya” (literature drawing its inspiration from Babasaheb Ambedkar), Y. Manohar calls it- “Ambedkarwadi Sahitya” (Ambedkarite Literature) and G. Pantawane argues that the meaning of ‘Dalit’ is never used in negative sense (as a state of being helpless, lowly, grounded and crushed) in the ‘Dalit literature’, rather it has struck down this old meaning and used it as an instrument in the process of realizing ‘Ambedkarism’ and as vanguard of Ambedkar’s revolutionary ideology with an aspiration of reconstructing the world as envisaged by Babasaheb. It is therefore, Ambedkarism and Dalit Literature are synonymous.

7. This has been emphasized by many Dalit writers, especially by Baburao Bagul, see ‘Poison Bread’ by Arjun Dangle, Orient Longman, 1992.

Reference

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• Guru, Gopal. 1997, Dalit Cultural Movement and Dialectics of Dalit Politics in Maharashtra, Vikas Adhyayan Kendra, Mumbai (Second edition 2004).Guru, Gopal. 1997, Dalit Cultural Movement and Dialectics of Dalit Politics in Maharashtra, Vikas Adhyayan Kendra, Mumbai (Second edition 2004).
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