In today’s age of capitalist globalised society, people from downtrodden communities are embracing and following Dr Ambedkar more than ever in history. Young minds from these communities are responding to the message of Babasaheb, as he instructed – Educate, Agitate, and Organize.

As the time is changing, education and awareness about this oppressing system help oppressed communities to stand against the oppression and raise their voice loud. In the tough situation like this Dr Ambedkar comes to the rescue in making aware of this systemic oppression, showing the right path for agitation and empowering their voices. This is happening across India, across the states, it is the very positive and hopeful advancement, I believe.

Dr Ambedkar announced about his religious conversion that he will not die as a Hindu in 1935. In 1956, October in Nagpur Maharashtra, with approximately 6 lakh followers he embraced Buddha and his Dhamma. In December, the same year he died.

As an obvious result, the Buddhism conversion movement started by him could not travel across the country and stay limited in Maharashtra.

Today Dr Ambedkar and his idea of a moral society is getting accepted in masses in socio-economically weaker sections. Ambedkarite movement is rising more vigorously.

As the conversion movement spread well in the past in Maharashtra, generally Maharashtrian Buddhist followers of Dr Ambedkar are more open to embrace Dr Ambedkar’s idea of Buddha and Buddhism. The Non-Buddhist, (generally) non-Maharashtrian followers of Dr Ambedkar are also aware of Dr Ambedkar’s thoughts on Buddha and Buddhism but struggle to philosophically associate themselves with it. It is completely understandable as they have not gone through the conversion movement in past as Maharashtrian followers did.

Happy Buddha Purnima to everyone.

Today on the occasion of Buddha Purnima I deliberately tried to push these philosophical differences across the spectrum in a provocative way.

I posted a tweet saying “If someone is trying their best to make people aware and spreading the message of Tathagat Goutam Buddha if you can’t help them please don’t discourage them. You can not claim to be Ambedkarite if you are discouraging the movement of Buddhism.”

Quoted Babasaheb “If a modern man knows science must have a religion, the only religion he can have is the religion of Buddha. This conviction has grown in me after thirty-five years of a close study of all religions” and this, “The object of our movement is to achieve social freedom for the Untouchables. It is equally true that this can not be secured without conversion”.

I also criticized Suraj Yengde for not posting a single tweet wishing on Buddha Purnima to his followers.

One of my friends in another conversation said to a friend tweeting “Good you tweeted about Buddha otherwise you will not be considered as Ambedkarite… Happy Buddha Jayanti!”

Now, this raises some important questions which I think should be addressed as early as possible. I am by birth Maharashtrian, born as Buddhist follower of Dr Ambedkar and Buddha, here I want to put my stand on this issue.

The primary question arises here is, ‘can anyone be Ambedkarite/follower of Dr Ambedkar without embracing Buddhism?’ The simple answer is YES. Anyone can read, understand the thoughts of Ambedkar and can follow him. It is absolutely not necessary to embrace Buddhism to be recognised as an Ambedkarite/follower of Dr Ambedkar.

I also want to clearly put this out straight that no one should be forced and persuaded to get them converted in Buddhism against their will. Anybody who is advocating that is a fool.

But when I think of the above question, I feel that it is very shallow in nature and limits our understanding of Dr Ambedkar. I want to take this conversation a little deeper.

I want to start with some questions for you, like, what will happen after annihilating caste from the Hindu religion? Do you think after annihilating caste, Hindu religion will embrace moral values like liberty, equality and fraternity? Do you think the Hindu religion can survive without caste? I think it can not survive.

To find the answers to the above questions, we have no choice but to go near Dr Ambedkar only and seek. Dr Ambedkar gives you straight answers. According to him, the Hindu religion has no place for morality and it is based on inequality at its foundation. He says when this oppressed society will awaken and will realise that it is this Hindu religion which is responsible for it, that time Hindu religion will fall and fall miserably.

The point I want to make here is that Dr Ambedkar not only gives you the strength to rise against oppression but also shows you the path to get out of that oppressing system. He calls it the path of salvation. He talks about the country with a moral society and refers to it as PRABUDDHA BHARAT. He talks about the betterment of not just Dalits but the whole humankind.

This is not his peripheral thought, he invested 35 years of his life studying all the religions, for this issue. Then after reaching to the conclusion, he embraced Buddhism before his Mahaparinirvana.

As a follower of Dr Ambedkar, we should think more about this emancipatory path he showed to us. That is his finest contribution to the humanitarian cause. By ignoring his 35 years of hard work and understanding we will do huge injustice with him.

Let us remember his message again.

Educate, Agitate and Organise!

Happy Buddha Purnima to everyone.

Jai Bhim 💙

Author – Prashant Bhaware

References:

1) Unpublished introduction to Dr Ambedkar’s book, The Buddha and His Dhamma

2) Dr Ambedkar writings and speeches volume 20 (The future of Buddha and his Dhamma)

3) Dr Ambedkar writings and speeches volume 18(1) (What Path to Salvation)