Dalitbandu was the mouthpiece of All India Scheduled Caste Federation in Marathi language and it was edited by a firebrand Buddhist Ambedkarite, P.N.Rajbhoj. The Marathi word Dalitbandu can be translated as friend-brother of Dalits. This must be running for almost 17 years as a mouthpiece of Dalits, but when the Scheduled Caste Federation was organised it might have been converted into the Marathi mouthpiece of AISCF.

The time of actual mass embracing of Buddhism on 14th October 1956 is the consummation of efforts of many years and the Buddhist movement reached its crescendo in 1956, but as the issue of Dalitbandu published on 21 May 1951 will show the tempo was already built up. This special issue of Dalitbandu was devoted to “Bhagwan Buddha”. The issue runs in 39 pages and every article is devoted to the Buddha and His Dhamma.

This issue has a small piece by a legendary Buddhist monk, Bodhananda, who talks about forced ignorance of 70 per cent of India’s population and how important is to annihilate the caste and Varna. There is a message from Bhadant Anandkaushalyayana and many prominent people. It has an article from Dadasaheb Gaikwad. It includes the Marathi translation of Babasaheb Ambedkar’s article The Rise and Fall of Hindu Women which was published in the Mahabodhi Journal in English. It includes an article on Ashoka by Buddhabhakt V. R. Ranpise. Then one short message from Babasaheb and two more speeches of Babasaheb Ambedkar. The Pali Scholars of Marathi languages like Tungar and C.V. Joshi has contributed an article in this special issue.

There is a long editorial on Buddhism by Rajbhoj Saheb. There is an article by Valisinha, the General Secretary of the Mahabodhi Society titled “Buddha and Dalits”. There is a compilation of Das Sila by Shantabai Dani. There is an article on Sunit from Bhangi Samaj who was converted by the Buddha. And the special issue ends with photographs of World Fellowship of Buddhists (WFB) in 1950.

There are advertisements related to Babasaheb Ambedkar’s book Buddha Upasana Path (बौद्ध उपासना पाठ) and photos of the Buddha in three colours. Babasaheb Ambedkar is addressed as Buddhabhakt in one place and other writers also declare himself a Buddhabhakt.

The special issue is published by Bhartiya Bauddhajan Sangh of which Babasaheb Ambedkar was the president.

This description of the magazine and its content has a special significance for the Buddhists today. That their leaders and community was well prepared to launch Buddhist movement for some time and looking at the articles and their content it is clear that the interest in Buddhism was pervasive.

This wonderful mixing of organisations and people on the Buddhist lines is astonishing.

The editor was from the Chamar community, the other writers are from different communities including Brahmins, the issues touched are from conversion of Sunit to the liberation of women. This assortment of issues and people bound by a quest towards Buddhism in 1951 inscribed in the special issue of Dalitbandu is itself a testimony to the preparedness of people.

This spirit is rekindled again and again and it needs to be flared up now till the end of time.

Jai Bhim!

May the Buddha be mightily Victorious!

Author – Mangesh Dahiwale, Human Rights Activist