The voice of dissent is as important as the voice of consent. The Ambedkarite movement is not a monotonous movement. It is spread across regions, linguistic landscapes, different caste configurations, regional nuances, and different trajectory of responses to the caste-based discrimination. To fix up all this diversity into a singular whole might be an ideal goal, but it seems impractical to have a monotony. The movement must be by definition dynamic and ever-evolving taking into consideration the changes that are happening around.

In the movement led by Babasaheb Ambedkar, he always valued free speech and tried to understand various viewpoints and the regional variances. Free speech is an integral part of the Ambedkarite movement, but as much as free speech is important, patient and deep listening is equally important. It is the communication that makes a community by holding “things, ideas, goals, and mission” in common. This commonality is possible only through communication and hence it is important to communicate on the basis of understanding the others.

If we trace the changes happening throughout India in the Ambedkarite movement, they are the harbinger of the great future ahead. The way the Punjabi Dalits are mobilising and the way Tamil Dalits are asserting their culture are just a few examples of the diversity and creativity within the Ambedkarite movement.

When people communicate in the beginning, there is always a confusion and little bit of confrontation but a continuous communication can iron out a lot of creases and that is why the continuous communication is the heart of the movement. If we add creativity to communication, then it becomes impactful. A community is possible in communication only. Community exists in communication and hence free speech is vital and important. Eventually, the communication becomes an intellectual exercise in sharpening the ideas by the continuous challenge to them and dissection of it from all the useful thinking scalpels. When the ideas are forged through such communication, the ideas become leading values of the community and direct the community.

Who would have thought before 20 years that “Bahujan” will become a mainstream idea? Who would have thought that the “Ambedkarite unity” is possible not only on the national level but increasingly on the international level?

Such an awakening is due to many minds working together and eventually forging the useful “ideas” for their entire society.

Author – Mangesh Dahiwale

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