Remembering Babasaheb Ambedkar Again And Again

Remembering great beings, again and again, is a process by which one can become aware of life, mind, mission, and philosophies of such great beings. Though Babasaheb Ambedkar did not write autobiography except a few fragments of his experience with untouchability in the Waiting for Visa. Increasingly much literature and information are available today to create the portrait of Babasaheb Ambedkar in its various shades: intellectual, spiritual, political, philosophical, to name a few.

His close aides and friends have kept meticulous records of his life and movement. In Marathi, two sets of biographies are available which is the rich source of information. Today so much is available in English written by Rattu Sahab, Devidayal, and two Shastris. The books written by them are the first-hand accounts of working closely with Babasaheb Ambedkar.

“My Experiences and Memories of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar” by Shankaranand Shastri is one such book that can help us to remember Babasaheb Ambedkar and his personality. Written with a fervour of an activist, just like Vasant Moon’s Vasti, it gives a flavour of the movement as run and experienced by them.

Shankararand Sahab gives accounts of many things and events in the life of Babasaheb Ambedkar. It also exposes the characters of the contemporaries of Babasaheb. Gandhi’s hatred towards the untouchables, Golwarkar’s plea to Babasaheb to help to save the RSS, Birla’s offer of money to Babasaheb to stop critiquing the Gita and the list goes on.

Babasaheb Ambedkar was very powerful when he was leading his movement for justice and when he was leading his country to democracy. Powerful and influential people came to him for help. He was the saviour of people and the nation.

Here is a story for the readers.

In 1948, the Brahmin leader K.N. Munshi organised a secret conference of Brahmins to organise them to secure their caste interests. The news was delivered to Babasaheb Ambedkar by one who attended it. Shastri Sahab was there and he wrote that hearing it Babasaheb smiled and said that they are right in organising to secure their caste interests, what is stopping the non-Brahmins to organise for their interests. It was up to non-Brahmin to form their own unity and rule this country. How far they should discard the Brahminic caste, culture, and ceremonies is left to the non-Brahmins. So long as worshipping of Brahmin gods continued, the Brahmins will continue to rule.

So, dear Bahujan readers, how long we let them rule over us is in our hands!