Mahad Satyagraha

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B. R. Ambedkar and Mahad Satyagraha on an Indian 1991 stamp

Mahad Satyagraha or Chavdar Tale Satyagraha was a

untouchables to use water in a public tank in Mahad (currently in Raigad district), Maharashtra, India.[1] The day (20 March) is observed as Social Empowerment day in India.[1]

Background

Bronze sculpture depicting Mahad movement by B. R. Ambedkar

By the

Bombay Province
passed the resolution in its municipal council to enforce the act. But it was failed to implement because of the protest from the savarna Hindus.

Satyagraha

Flyer published before Mahad Satyagraha in 1927

In 1927, Ambedkar decided to launch a satyagraha (nonviolent resistance) to assert their rights to use water in the public places.

Mahad, a town in Konkan, was selected for the event because it had a nucleus of support from 'caste hindus'. These included A.V.Chitre, an activist from the Marathi

CKP who was president of the Mahad municipality.[3]

Surendranath Tipnis, the president of the Mahad municipality declared its public spaces open to untouchables and invited Ambedkar to hold a meeting at Mahad in 1927.[4] After the meeting, they proceeded to the 'Chowder tank'.[5] Ambedkar drank water from the tank and thousands of untouchables followed him.[5][4]

Ambedkar also made a statement addressing the Dalit women during the Satyagraha. He asked them to abandon all old customs that provided recognizable markers of untouchability and asked them to wear saris like high caste women. Before that time, the Dalit women were not allowed to drape saris completely. Immediately after Ambedkar's speech at Mahad, the dalit women readily decided to drape their saris like the higher caste women. 'Radical' upper caste women namely Lakshmibai Tipnis and Indirabia Chitre helped the Dalit women dress like 'upper caste women' by covering the legs of the dalit women down to their ankles.[6]

A riot broke out following a rumour that Ambedkar and his followers were planning to enter a Hindu temple in the town. And the caste Hindu argued that untouchables polluted the tank by taking water from it. To purify the tank cow-urine and cow-dung were used. 108 pots containing a mixture of these products were emptied into the tank while Brahmins recited mantras. The tank was then declared fit for upper caste hindu consumption.[2]

Ambedkar decided to hold the second conference in Mahad on 26–27 December 1927. But caste Hindus filed a case against him that tank as a private property.[7] He was not able to continue his satyagraha as the case was sub judice.

On 25 December (

Manusmriti Dahan Din), Shastrabuddhe under the guidance of Ambedkar, burnt Manusmriti, a Hindu law book, as a protest. In December 1937, the Bombay High Court ruled that untouchables have the right to use water from the tank.[8][9]

On 19 March 1940, Dr. Ambedkar arranged a rally and public conference in Mahad to recollect 14th Mahad Satyagraha Day as "Empowerment Day". On this day, Adv. Vishnu Narhari Khodke, as President of Mahad Municipal Corporation, arranged a function and honoured Dr. Ambedkar with a Letter of Honour (मानपत्र) for his "Chavdar tale Satyagraha" and "Manusmruti Dahan" and other movements in Mahad.[10]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "March 20 observed as social empowerment day to commemorate Mahad Satyagrah by Dr. Ambedkar" (Press release). Press Information Bureau. 20 March 2003. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
  2. ^
    ISBN 978-81-208-3023-3
    .
  3. ISBN 9788132119838
    .
  4. ^
    ISBN 9780230298088
    .
  5. ^
    ISBN 978-81-7099-629-3
    .
  6. ISBN 9781317673316
    .
  7. ISBN 978-81-7648-352-0
    .
  8. ISBN 978-81-7154-329-8
    .
  9. ISBN 9781317673316
    .
  10. ^ Ambedkar, Bhimrao Ramji (2010). dr.ambedkars writings and speeches volume 18 part 2. p. 337.
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