AMBEDKAR & NON-VIOLENCE

Ambedkar
-The greatest non-violent social revolutionary of 20th century.

Ambedkar came from martial background. His father served army. Fighting was in his blood. He could have raised a huge number of soldiers who were ready to fight both conventional and non-conventional battles. His clan, the Mahars, excelled in Guerrilla warfare and insisted upon waging an unconventional war. Had he consented, the history of India would have been different
But Babashaeb had a clear vision of his own. And this did not come in one day. Boy Ambedkar, suffered inequality, hatred and injustice at Satara School. Daily, he heard his father read scriptures that did not offer him any solution to end his miseries in school and society. A turning point came when Guru Keluskar presented him, his book on the life of The Buddha. He read again and again and discovered his salvation in the Buddha. As he grew up, he found he was not alone. Millions of Indians remained victims of the denial of right to life, equality, liberty, dignity and justice.
After his completion of education in the west, he gradually organized his people for assertion of basic human rights. Ambedkar stressed that the primary objective of the Depressed Classes was to employ an army of social workers to fight for civil rights and in their programmes civil disobedience and bloodshed were unavoidable.( Letter to Mr. A.V.Thakkar, on14 November 1932.)
Ambedkar launched Kalaram Temple Entry Satyagraha in May 1930, which ended at the end of October 1935. More than 16000 persons including 500 women joined this movement. This was a peaceful Satyagraha led by Ambedkar but the caste Hindus resorted to violence and riots broke out.
On 3-3-1934, he took a complete 180o turn and decided to abandon civil disobedience and concentrate in social awakening through non-violent means. (Letter of Ambedkar from Rajgraha, Dadar, Bombay, dated 03-03-1934 to Mr. Bhaurao).
Therefore, the struggle had to be democratic and non-violent, without any hatred and malice. He was against all kinds of so called satyagrahs. He was a strict believer of the rule of law. Nothing illegal should be done to achieve goals. Strikes, civil disobedience and agitations have no place in his scheme of things.(Ambedkar, 1949.) He inspired his people to suffer, bleed and die but not kill any one. But why? He had no other alternative. He was deeply rooted in the non-violent way of the Buddha.
Imagine half a million people in one place only in 1956, instead of taking the way of the Buddha with him, take arms and fight, what would happen! Blood for blood! That was not to be. It was the most non-violent, peaceful gathering that 20th century had witnessed. Suddenly, and at once, Buddhism, which had been driven out of India, had returned. A new era in the history of India had begun. He was the greatest non-violent social revolutionary of 20th century.
Upendranath
16 January2009
Salt Water Lake, Calcutta.