14th January,1994 : Dr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar Marathwada University’s Namantar Din. Movement which led to change the name was called “Namantar movement”, started around 1978 by Dalit Panther leaders. There has been a long struggle for changing the name of Marathwada university to Ambedkar’s name.

Large number of dalits suffered in this, many Dalit women were tortured by so called upper caste people (Shiv Sena, RSS people), those were opposing this renaming of University.

Gate of the renamed university and statue of Dr. Ambedkar in distance

There were many songs of struggle, such as..

Marathwada is Burning 

One Pochiram Kamble, sweating to fill his stomach,

He became the enemy of the village,

“Jay Bhim” was on his lips…

Accosted in the fields, bound with a rope,

His hands and feet branded, then thrown in the fire,

He burned fiercely, the son of Bhim…

We see all this with open eyes,

Still we live our lives,

By our own hands feeding,

The fire that burns the corpse,

We the people of Bombay and Pune —

How hollow is our pose!

We gossip about revolution

But lead the lives of eunuchs,

Oh, kill, smash, cut, break,

Whatever comes in our way!

Marathwada is Burning, Marathwada is Burning …

— By Vikas Ghogare (from Reinventing Revolution by Gail Omvedt)

At present with this university, there are more than 160 colleges affiliated and more than 25 courses are taught.

Photo credit – Wikipedia