In his last advice to untouchables, Dr Ambedkar said, “my final words of advice to you are Educate, Agitate and Organize.”

But BJP government in Gujarat is hellbent to distort that famous slogan of Dr Ambedkar, the slogan which has been used by Dalits to fight against caste discrimination since advised by Dr Ambedkar. It is another attempt by Brahmins of BJP/RSS to appropriate Dr Ambedkar so that they can continue to fulfil their agenda of Hindu Rashtra.

In class 5 Gujarati textbook a chapter titled ‘Bharat Ratna – Dr Ambedkar’, book which is prepared by the Gujarat State Board of School Textbooks, has changed the slogan from Educate, Agitate, Organise to Educate, Organise and Self-reliance.

The part in the chapter reads (in Gujarati), “Babasaheb nu ek sutra ganthhe bandhva jevu chhe: Shikshit bano, Sangathhit Bano, Swavlamban j Sachi Sahay Chhe (One slogan of Babasaheb is worth remembering: Educate, organise and self-reliance is the true assistance)” reports Indian Express.

Since when organize is translated to Hindi or any other language as self-reliance? The chapter on Dr Ambedkar is written by Hasyada Pandya, a Brahmin. No surprise that the mischief has been done again.

One of the friends on social media said, ‘oh, he must have misunderstood or not aware of the actual slogan.’

Then why did the work to write on Dr Ambedkar was assigned to a Brahmin? It also shows how illiterate Brahmins are at any work they are assigned to but still get all the jobs through their caste-connections. If Brahmin can’t translate well, why don’t they hire more Dalits, who know their pain and struggle better than anyone else?

With such changes and falsifying the facts, Brahmins want to create wrong impressions young minds so that when they grow up it would be easier to turn them into ‘bhakts’.

Indeed self-reliance is good, nothing wrong in that but it makes sense in a just society, how could anyone be self-reliant in a caste-ridden society? A caste-ridden society doesn’t give so-called lower castes any chance to succeed and oppress them at every single chance then what self-reliance Brahmin is talking about?

In recent Dalit movement in Gujarat, which had led the resignation of previous BJP Chief Minister in the state as well, the slogan had become dangerous for the ruling caste. Dalits in Gujarat had been using it to assert their rights.

Babasaheb Ambedkar gave a trinity of principles for the social transformation “educate, agitate, and organise”, and was the motto of Bahishkrit Hitakarini Sabha founded by Babasaheb in 1924. Bahishkrit Hitakarini Sabha’s objectives were opening hostels, schools, libraries, and social centres where the untouchable youth could study, meet and learn.

It is important as well to use the slogan in the same way as advised by Dr Ambedkar (though some parts surely go hand-in-hand). After getting ‘educated’ (and educating others, not just getting academic qualifications), ‘agitate’ (brainstorm, bring agitated thoughts for the movement, विक्षोभ या आंदोलन पैदा करो in Hindi), and then ‘organize’ the movement against caste tyranny. Sometimes, the order has been changed by communists especially (by flipping ‘agitate’ and ‘organize’) but we believe that the order said by Dr Ambedkar makes more sense than any other order of the slogan.

Why the BJP government is afraid of ‘agitation’ of Dalits for their own rights? BJP/RSS understands well that Dalits are taking inspiration from Dr Ambedkar and every day Dalits are rising/agitating against oppression. Almost every day, BJP/RSS is taking another step to make people passive inbreeding ‘chalta hai’ mentality to fulfil its agenda.

Agitation by Dalits would continue till we don’t get equal rights, no matter what attempts Brahmins make to distort our history. We will continue to write our history with our pens and will not tolerate such mischiefs done to our history.

We demand that slogan be restored to original words as said by Babasaheb Ambedkar and Brahmin writer should be punished for changing the facts and famous words by the legend.

BSP chief, Behan Mayawati has condemned BJP’s move to manipulate the slogan for its benefits and the move exposes BJP once again that it is an anti-Dalit political party.

दलित अत्याचार व उत्पीड़न के जघन्य अपराधों के साथ-साथ गुजरात बीजेपी सरकार के इस प्रकार के घोर षडयंत्रकारी कदम का तीव्र विरोध स्वाभाविक है। परमपूज्य डा. अम्बेडकर के ऐतिहासिक नारों/उद्धरणों को तोड़मरोड़ कर पढ़ाने का बीएसपी तीव्र विरोध करती है व उसे तत्काल वापस लेने की मांग करती है।

— Mayawati (@Mayawati) August 3, 2019

Author – Pardeep Attri, edited by Velivada Team