A conversion in Nagpur

The golden jubilee of Ambedkar8217;s conversion to Buddhism is celebrated this Saturday. His legacy survives in interesting ways

Fifty years ago, Dr B.R. Ambedkar embraced Buddhism along with his followers at Nagpur. Little did he imagine at that point that this conversion would indirectly become a major hurdle in uniting Dalits of different castes.

He had vowed to spread the religion of equality and scientific temper throughout the country, but he died two months later leaving this gargantuan task to his short-sighted and self-centred followers. Although a staunch critic of the caste system in Hinduism, for him conversion was not an impulsive decision. He had declared 20 years before his death that although he was born a Hindu, he would not die as one. He chose to become a Buddhist after studying its tenets and those of other religions. He chose Buddhism because it was based on equality and was firmly rooted in India8217;s soil.

When he embraced Buddhism, he administered 22 oaths. They included never worshipping Hindu gods and goddesses, never inviting a Brahmin for rituals and never drinking liquor. He claimed that Buddhism, in its pure form, had no place for rituals and notions of rebirth. Ambedkar8217;s conversion to Buddhism was not only a revolt against caste oppression, it was an attempt to wean away illiterate, ignorant and poor Dalits from the clutches of Hindu hegemony. His message to Dalits was: 8220;Leave your villages and go to the cities for education and livelihood.8221;

After the conversion on October 14, 1956, he was to visit Mumbai for the conversion of some more of his followers, scheduled for December 16. He died on December 6. After his death, the Bharatiya Boudha Mahasabha the Buddhist Society of India he had founded to spread the religion got divided into two parallel organisations by the same name, one run by his widow 8212; Savita/ Mai Ambedkar 8212; the other by Meeratai Ambedkar, the wife of Ambedkar8217;s son, Yeshwantrao.

Two major issues had dogged Ambedkar8217;s conscience at the time of his conversion. One, whether those Dalits who had converted to Buddhism would be entitled to benefits on a par with Scheduled Castes; and whether all Dalits would embrace Buddhism. He had claimed that he would ensure that neo-Buddhists would get all the benefits due to them, as their socio-economic status had not changed.

Ambedkar8217;s premature death changed everything. Mahars who had embraced Buddhism were out at sea as the law offered reservations for Hindu-Mahars and not Buddhists. It took a special pact between one of Ambedkar8217;s closest aides 8212; Bhaurao alias Dadasaheb Gaikwad 8212; from Nashik, and the Maharashtra government, to consider converted Buddhists on a par with SCs. The problem was solved at the state level, but the central government was not willing to relent. Job aspirants were told that if they wanted reservations, they would have to remain Hindu-Mahars. This led to a piquant situation. Lakhs of Mahars who had converted to Buddhism and were seeking government help in education and employment chose to remain 8216;Hindu-Mahars8217; on record, while in their private lives they continued to follow Buddhism. This also had a piquant side-effect: in the census, they recorded themselves not as Buddhists, but as Hindu-Mahars. The problem was only solved by V.P. Singh, when he became the prime minister in 1989. A law was passed treating Dalits who had converted to Buddhism on a par with SCs.

But Ambedkar8217;s dream of uniting the 8216;have-nots8217; could not come about, as Buddhism turned out to be the major hurdle. The rift between the Buddhists and Dalits from other castes like the Chamars widened as the newly converted Buddhists started abusing Hindu deities publicly. During the early days, the militant Dalit Panthers, established in 1974, even burnt copies of the Manusmruti and Bhagvad Gita publicly to protest against the caste system. The division of Dalits on religious lines benefited organisations like the Shiv Sena. Buddhists and Shiv Sainiks fought many a pitched street battle, both in Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra as a consequence.

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Over the years, however, a measure of maturity has dawned on Buddhist leaders. The earlier radical edge got blunted. Many Buddhists went on to get a good education and hold high positions in government, and even in the private sector. Some of them, however, changed their surnames to escape being identified as a Dalit and branded as a 8220;son-in-law of government8221;. But most neo-Buddhists today do not practise the tenets of Buddhism or follow the 22 oaths administered to them. Many continue to visit the shrines of their traditional Hindu deities like Khandoba.

The golden jubilee of Ambedkar8217;s conversion is celebrated this Saturday. His legacy continues to survive in interesting ways. For instance on Dassehra day last week 8212; the day Ambedkar converted 8212; people from several nomadic and denotified tribes embraced Buddhism at Nagpur.