Friday, 4 July 2014
Wednesday, 24 April 2013
Bhagwan Das: A True Ambedkarite
Bhagwan Das: A True Ambedkarite
- S.R.Darapuri I.P.S. (Retd) 
Mr. Bhagwan
Das was born in an Untouchable family living at Jutogh Cantonment, Shimla
(Himachal Pradesh) India on 23 April, 1927. He served in the Royal Indian Air Force
during World War II and after demobilisation served in different
capacities in various departments of Government of India at Saharanpur, Shimla
and Delhi. He did MA. in History (Punjab University) and LL.B from Delhi
University. He did research on the ‘Indianisation of the Audit Department from
1840-1915.’ He had been contributing articles and short
stories to various papers and journals published in India and abroad.
His father Mr. Ram Ditta was fond of reading newspapers and was a great admirer of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. Inspired and encouraged by his father, Mr. Das worked with Mr. T. R. Baidwan who was one of the most prominent leaders of the Untouchables in Shimla Hills, and joined the Scheduled Castes Federation at the tender age of 16. Since then he had been actively associated with the Ambedkarian Movement and did a great deal to promote the ideas of Babasaheb Ambedkar and to unite and uplift the downtrodden not only of India but also of other countries of Asia. Mr. Das was associated with many organizations of Lawyers, Buddhists. Scheduled Castes and Minorities in India. He was General Secretary, United Lawyers Association Supreme Court, New Delhi; General Secretary, Bouddh Upasak Sangh, New Delhi; Founder Chairman, Ambedkar Mission Society, which has branches in many parts of the world. He revived Samata Sainik Dal (Volunteers for Equality) founded by Dr. Ambedkar in 1926-27. He was Regional Secretary (North) Indian Buddhist Council; Founder, Society for the Protection of Non-Smokers. He was also founder President of Society for Promoting Buddhist Knowledge and Edited Samata Sainik Sandesh (English) from 1980-1990.
Mr. Das was
associated with the ‘Peace Movement’ since the end of World War II in
which he served on the Eastern Front (Burma)
with the Royal Air Force (R.A.F.) as Radar Operator under South East
Asia Command. He was one of the founder members of the World Conference
on Religion and Peace (WCRP) (India) and participated in its Conferences
held in Kyoto, Japan (1970); Princeton, USA (1979); Seoul, Korea (1986);
Nairobi, Kenya (1984) and Melbourne, Australia (1989). He was also
appointed Director of Asian Centre for Human Rights of Asian Conference on
Religion and Peace (ACRP) in 1980 and continued to serve
in this capacity- monitoring the news of violation of human rights in Asian
countries and organising camps for training of human rights workers, speaking
and writing for the cause.
Mr Bhagwan Das
acted as advisor to the International Movement against All Forms of
Discrimination and Racism (IMADAR), an International NGO based in Japan. He also
delivered presentation about the problem of discrimination against oppressed
caste in India at Buraku liberation and Human Rights Research Institute
(BLHRRI) in Osaka. Mr. Das was also invited to deliver a lecture on
‘Discrimination’ by the Peace University, Tokyo (1980) and he also addressed
several meetings organised by the Burakumins of Japan. He
gave a historical testimony
before the United Nations in regard to the plight of Untouchables in South
Asia, in the meeting of Sub-Committee on Human Rights held at Geneva,
Switzerland in August 1983. He visited England in 1975, 1983, 1988, 1990 and
1991 in connection with lectures and seminars.
He
participated in the seminar held in Hull University in 1990 as a representative
of the Ambedkar Centenary Celebration Committee UK and also held a seminar on
Human Rights in India at London University, School of Asian and Oriental
Studies in February 1991. He was invited to deliver Ambedkar Memorial Lectures
in Milind Mahavidyalaya, Aurangabad (1970);
Marathwada University (1983); Nagpur University, PWS College, Nagpur; Ambedkar
College, Chanderpur and Amraoti University 1990. Mr Das also visited Nepal
(1980 and 1990), Pakistan (1989), Thailand (1988), Singapore (1989) and Canada
(1979 to study the problems of deprived and disadvantaged members of society,
women and children. He delivered
lectures in Wisconsin University (USA) in 1979 and North- Field College (USA)
on Castes in contemporary India. He was invited to give lectures on Dr Ambedkar
at the Institute of Oriental Studies, Moscow in June, 1990.
Mr. Das practiced
law in the Supreme Court of India. With a view to improving the professional
competence of and helping upcoming advocates belonging to Untouchable and Indigenous
Groups he founded ‘Ambedkar Mission Lawyers Association and Legal Aid Society
in 1989. He was General Secretary of ‘Professions for People’, an organisation
founded in Delhi to elevate professional standards.
Mr. Das was
invited to preside at the Dalit and Buddhist Writer’s Conference held at Akola
in 1989 and was closely associated with various organizations of Dalit Writers.
Mr. Das wrote more
than five hundred articles, papers for seminars, short stories for various
newspapers and journals. His papers on ‘Revival of Buddhism’, ‘Some problems of
Minorities in India’; ‘Reservation in Public Services’ have been published in
Social Action magazine brought out by Indian Social institute, New Delhi and
Delhi University Buddhist Department. He also wrote many papers on Reservation
and Representative Bureaucracy, Discrimination against the Dalits in Public Services,
Minorities etc. He was a member of the ‘Committee for evolving new strategies
for the development of Scheduled Castes and Tribes — VIII Plan’ set up by the
Government of India and also a member of Ambedkar Centenary Committee of the
Government of India. Mr. Das wrote many books in Urdu, English and Hindi on Dr.
Babasaheb Ambedkar, untouchables, Scavengers and Sweepers, Human Rights and Discrimination, etc. Prominent among them are ‘Thus Spoke
Ambedkar (Vol. 1 to 4,
Ed)’; ‘Ambedkar on Gandhi and Gandhism (Ed)’; ‘Ambedkar ek parichey ek Sandesh
(Hindi)’; ‘Main Bhangi Hoon, (the story of an Indian sweeper told in the first-
person)’. This book has been translated into German, Punjabi, Kannada and
Marathi; ‘Valmiki aur Bhangi Jatiyaan (Hindi)’; ‘Kya Valmiki Achoot they?
(Hindi)’; Valimiki (Hindi); Dhobi (Hindi); ‘Dr. Ambedkar aur Bhangi Jatiyaan (Hindi)’, ‘Dr. Ambedkar: Ek Parichay Ek Sandesh (Hindi)’; ‘Bharat Mein Baudh Dhamm ka punar Jagran evam Samasyaen
(Hindi)’; Revival of Buddhism in India and Role of Dr. Ambedkar.
He translated into
Urdu former President of the USA, Lyndon Johnson’s book ‘My
Hope for America’, Dr Ambedkar’s Book ‘Ranade, Gandhi and Jinnah’ besides
editing Bhadant Anand Kaushalyayan’s ‘Gita ki Buddhi wadi Samiksha’.
He was also
writing on Reservation and Representative Bureaucracy in India; Untouchables in
the Indian Army (Mahar, Mazhbi, Chuhra, Pariahs, Mangs, Dhanuks, Dusadhs,
Chamars, Kolis and Bheels), Mandal Commission and the Future of Backward
Classes; Twenty- Two Oaths of Buddhism and Conversion; Ravidassis and Balmikis
of Northern India; Buddhism and Marxism; Ambedkar as a Religious Leader but unfortunately
his untimely death deprived him of completing these books.
Mr. Das had toured
almost the whole of India to study the problems of Hindu-Muslim riots,
religious conflicts, atrocities committed on the Untouchables and Tribal
people, with the group ‘Threat to Diversity’, ‘Swaraj Mukti Morcha’ and as
Chairman, Samata Sainik Dal.
Mr. Das attained
Nirvana on 18th November, 2010. He was a staunch Ambedkarite, a
crusader against Untouchability, an iconoclast, a practicing Buddhist, a
renowned writer on Dalits, Buddhist and Ambedkarite Movement, Human Rights and
Law, a politician and a committed Social Activist.
In order to
commemorate his memory and his work at Nagpur it has been decided to dedicate a
section of the library being set up at Deeksha Bhoomi Nagpur. It will be a
befitting homage to his historical contribution to the Ambedkarian literature
and movement. Similarly one Bhagwan Das Memorial Award has been instituted in School of Ambedkar Studies of Babasaheb Bhimrao
Ambedakr University, Lucknow (U.P.)
Like
Karl Marx’s call “Workers of the World Unite” Bhagwan Das gave a call “Dalits of World Unite” which is quite relevant today. His
pioneer work for internationalizing the problem of
Untouchability will be viewed as his historical
contribution to the eradication of caste based discrimination.
I am sure his legacy will live long to guide the Dalits in
their fight for emancipation. No
doubt he will be rememnbered as a True Ambedkarite.
Sunday, 18 November 2012
भगवान दास मेरी नज़र में - एस आर दारापुरी
(भगवान दास जी की 18 नवम्बर को दूसरी पुण्यतिथि पर विशेष)
(विख्यात अम्बेडकरवादी चिन्तक भगवान दास अपने जीवन काल में बौद्धिक कार्यों के जरिये समाज के सबसे उपेक्षित तबके के उत्थान में पूरी निष्ठा के साथ लगे रहे। दलितों की समस्यायों को उन्होंने अंतर्राष्ट्रीय मंचों पर उठाने का ऐतिहासिक काम किया। इस संस्मरण के लेखक एस आर दारापुरी का मानना है की अगर मार्क्स ने
दुनियां के मजदूरों को एक होने का आह्वान किया तो भगवान दस में भारत और एशिया के दलितों को एक होने का सन्देश दिया। )
मैं भगवान दास जी को पिछले 42 वर्ष से जानता था। उन्हें दिल्ली में बाबा साहेब के सबसे बड़े विद्वान् और समर्पित पैरोकारों में से एक के तौर पर जाना जाता था।
मैनें उन्हें पहली बार नई दिल्ली के लक्ष्मीबाई नगर में बौद्ध उपासक संघ की मीटिंगों में सुना था। कुछ वर्षों तक आंबेडकर भवन बौद्ध गतिविधियों का केंद्र रहा था। बुद्धिस्ट सोसाइटी आफ इंडिया द्वारा साप्ताहिक धार्मिक मीटिंगें आयोजित की जाती थीं। श्री वाई सी शंकरानंद शास्त्री तथा सोहन लाल शास्त्री दोनों पंजाब की एक आर्यसमाज संस्था ब्रह्म विद्यालय की उपज थे और बौद्ध आन्दोलन के अगुआ थे। आर्य समाज की मीटिंगों की तरह ये लोग साप्तहिक मीटिंगें किया करते थे। कुछ कारणों से दोनों के बीच मतभेद हो गए और वे एक दूसरे से अलग हो गए। श्री शंकरानंद शास्त्री ने अपने कुछ साथियों को लेकर बौद्ध उपासक संघ बना लिया और रिज़र्व बैंक आफ इंडिया के एक कर्मचारी श्री रामाराव बागडे के फ्लैट के सामने आंगन में साप्ताहिक मीटिंगें शुरू कर दीं। श्री भगवान दास इन मीटिंगों में मुख्य वक्ता के रूप में रहते थे।
उन्हें दलितों की एकता में रूचि थी और उन्होंने बहुत सी जातियों मसलन धानुक, खटीक, बाल्मीकि, हेला, कोली आदि को अम्बेडकरवादी आन्दोलन में लेने के प्रयास किये। ज़मीनी स्तर पर काम करते हुए भी उन्होंने दलितों एवं अल्पसंख्यकों के विभिन्न मुद्दों पर लेख लिखे जो पत्र पत्रिकायों में प्रकाशित होते रहे। उन्हें अंग्रेजी और उर्दू में महारत हासिल थी और सरल हिंदी तथा कुछ गुरमुखी लिपि में पंजाबी पढ़ सकते हे। बंगाल और अराकान में एयरफोर्स की नौकरी करते हुए उन्होंने बंगाली भाषा भी सीखी थी पर अब भूल गए थे ।
मुझे नौकरी में रहते हुए लगभग पूरे भारत वर्ष में घूमने और अनुसूचित जातियों से सम्बधित अधिकारियों, प्रोफेस्सरों, अध्यापकों और नेताओं को जानने का मौका मिला। मेरा विश्वास है कि श्री दास के पास पुस्तकों का सबसे बड़ा भंडार था। वह कभी न थकने वाले पाठक थे और काम के अधिकाँश घंटे पढने में बिताते थे। पुस्तकों और पत्र पत्रिकायों पर उनका काफी पैसा खर्च होता था। उनके पुस्तक संग्रह में विदेशी और भारतीय लेखकों की दुर्लभ पुस्तकें शामिल थीं। उनकी फाईलों में अलग अलग विषयों पर अच्छे लेख और पर्चे थे जिन्हें या तो वे प्रकाशित नहीं करा सके या फिर उनके बारे में भूल गए।
उनसे बातचीत के दौरान मुझे पता चला कि उनका जन्म 23 अप्रैल, 1927 को भारत की गर्मियों की राजधानी शिमला के निकट छावनी जतोग में हुआ था और उनका परिवार काफी खुशहाल था लेकिन एक अछूत परिवार में जन्म के कारण अपमान और भेदभाव का वह शिकार होते रहे। उन्हें उनके पिता पर गर्व था जिन्होंने उनके चरित्र पर गहरा प्रभाव डाला। उनके पिता डॉ आंबेडकर के वह बहुत प्रशंसक थे और समाचार पत्र पढ़ने के शौक़ीन थे। उन्हें हिन्दू, ईसाई, इस्लाम और सिख धर्म के ग्रंथों के अलावा आयुर्वेद की पुस्तकें पढ़ने का भी शौक था। श्री दास को ज्ञान से प्रेम अपने पिता से विरासत में मिला था।
ऐसा लगता है कि दास साहेब अपने समय के अधिकतर अछूतों की तरह इसाईयत से प्रभावित हुए। बाद में उन्होंने आर्य समाज साहित्य, कुरान और इस्लाम विचारधारा की अन्य पुस्तकें पढ़ीं। काफी समय तक उन्होंने मार्क्सवादी साहित्य का अध्ययन किया और मार्क्सवाद पर लिखते भी रहे लेकिन कमियुनिस्ट नेताओं के जातिवादी चरित्र ने उनका मन खट्टा कर दिया। उन्होंने इन्गर्सेल, टाम पेन, वाल्टेयर, बर्नार्ड शा, और बर्टरैंड रस्सल का अध्ययन किया। बाबा साहेब भीम राव आंबेडकर से सीधे संपर्क में आने से पहले उन्होंने धर्म के बारे में अपने विचार विकसित कर लिए थे। बाबा साहेब से उनकी जान पहचान पिछड़ी जातियों के प्रसिद्ध नेता शिव दयाल सिंह चौरसिया ने करवाई थी जो कि काका कालेलकर आयोग के सदस्य थे और राज्य सभा के सदस्य भी थे।
श्री भगवान दास ने बाबा साहेब की रचनाओं और भाषणों का सम्पादन किया और उन पर पुस्तकें लिखीं। उनका " दस स्पोक आंबेडकर" शीर्षक से चार खण्डों में प्रकाशित ग्रन्थ देश और विदेश में अकेला दस्तावेज़ था जिनके जरिये डॉ आंबेडकर के विचार सामान्य लोगों और विद्वानों तक पहुंचे।
यह काम उन्होंने 1960 के दशक में शुरू किया था और जब अभी इस की तरफ महारष्ट्र सरकार का ध्यान भी नहीं गया था। उन्होंने सफाई कर्मचारियों और भंगी जाति पर चार पुस्तकें और धोबियों पर एक छोटी पुस्तक लिखी। उनकी बहुचर्चित पुस्तक "मैं भंगी हूँ" अनेक भारतीय भाषायों में अनूदित हो चुकी है और वह दलित जातियों के इतिहास का दस्तवेज़ है।
उनकी पुस्तकें और देश विदेश के सेमीनार आदि प्रस्तुत उनके पर्चों से पता चलता है कि उनका अध्ययन कितना विस्तृत था और वह दबे कुचले लोगों के हित के प्रति कितने समर्पित थे। अगर मार्क्स ने दुनियां के मजदूरों को एक होने का आह्वान किया था तो भगवान दास ने भारत और एशिया के दलितों को एक होने का सन्देश दिया। मुझे नहीं लगता कि उनके अलावा कोई ऐसा व्यक्ति है जिसने एशिया के सभी दलितों को एक मंच पर लाने के लिए, उनकी मुक्ति के लिए और स्वाभिमान से उनके जीने के अधिकार के लिए इतना प्रयास किय हो। उन्होंने कुल 23 पुस्तकें लिखीं।
श्री भगवान दास ने भारत में दलितों के प्रति छुआछूत और भेदभाव के मामले को अंतर्राष्ट्रीय मंचों पर उठाने का ऐतहासिक काम किया। भारत, नेपाल, पाकिस्तान , बांग्लादेश और जापान में छुआ छुत के मामले को उन्होंने 1983 में यू. एन. ओ. ( संयुक्त राष्ट्र संघ) में पेश किया और जापान के अछूतों बुराकुमिन के मामले को भी उठाया।
डॉ आंबेडकर भी इस मामले को संयुक्त राष्ट्र संघ में ले जाना चाहते थे पर कुछ कारणों से यह संभव नहीं हो पाया था। श्री दास के प्रयासों का ही यह फल है कि संयुक्त राष्ट्र संघ ने छुआछुत को मानवाधिकारों का हनन मान कर भारत सरकार की जवाबदेही तय की है और अपनी ओर से भारत के लिए दो रिपोर्टर नियुक्त किये हैं। इस के बाद वह 2001 में डरबन में नसल भेद पर संयुक्त राष्ट्र संघ के सम्मेलन में भी गए थे। वास्तव में छुआछुत के मामले को अंतर्राष्टीय मंच पर पहुँचाने का सारा श्रेय श्री भगवान दास को ही जाता है। इस के लिए एशिया के दलित और जापान के बुराकुमिन उनके सदैव ऋणी रहेंगे।
श्री भगवान दास ने बहुत साधारण जीवन जिया। वह बहुत विनम्र थे और भदंत आनंद कौशल्यायन कहा करते थे, "आप में बहुत नम्रता है।" वकील के रूप में वह बहुत मेहनत करते थे। उनके ज्यादा दोस्त नहीं थे और न ही सामाजिक समारोहों में जाने में उन्हें कोई खास ख़ुशी होती थी। लायब्रेरी में या दलित शोषित लोगों की बेहतरी के लिए काम कर रहे बुद्धिजीवियों की सांगत में उन्हें अधिक ख़ुशी मिलती थी।
इस महान व्यक्ति को हम लोगों ने 18 नवम्बर, 2010 को खो दिया जिससे अम्बेडकरवादी आन्दोलन की अपूर्णीय क्षति हुई है। उनके दिखाए गए मार्ग पर चलकर बाबा साहेब के मिशन को अगर हम पूरा कर सकें तो यही उनके प्रति सबसे बड़ी श्रद्धांजली होगी।
मैं भगवान दास जी को पिछले 42 वर्ष से जानता था। उन्हें दिल्ली में बाबा साहेब के सबसे बड़े विद्वान् और समर्पित पैरोकारों में से एक के तौर पर जाना जाता था।
मैनें उन्हें पहली बार नई दिल्ली के लक्ष्मीबाई नगर में बौद्ध उपासक संघ की मीटिंगों में सुना था। कुछ वर्षों तक आंबेडकर भवन बौद्ध गतिविधियों का केंद्र रहा था। बुद्धिस्ट सोसाइटी आफ इंडिया द्वारा साप्ताहिक धार्मिक मीटिंगें आयोजित की जाती थीं। श्री वाई सी शंकरानंद शास्त्री तथा सोहन लाल शास्त्री दोनों पंजाब की एक आर्यसमाज संस्था ब्रह्म विद्यालय की उपज थे और बौद्ध आन्दोलन के अगुआ थे। आर्य समाज की मीटिंगों की तरह ये लोग साप्तहिक मीटिंगें किया करते थे। कुछ कारणों से दोनों के बीच मतभेद हो गए और वे एक दूसरे से अलग हो गए। श्री शंकरानंद शास्त्री ने अपने कुछ साथियों को लेकर बौद्ध उपासक संघ बना लिया और रिज़र्व बैंक आफ इंडिया के एक कर्मचारी श्री रामाराव बागडे के फ्लैट के सामने आंगन में साप्ताहिक मीटिंगें शुरू कर दीं। श्री भगवान दास इन मीटिंगों में मुख्य वक्ता के रूप में रहते थे।
उन्हें दलितों की एकता में रूचि थी और उन्होंने बहुत सी जातियों मसलन धानुक, खटीक, बाल्मीकि, हेला, कोली आदि को अम्बेडकरवादी आन्दोलन में लेने के प्रयास किये। ज़मीनी स्तर पर काम करते हुए भी उन्होंने दलितों एवं अल्पसंख्यकों के विभिन्न मुद्दों पर लेख लिखे जो पत्र पत्रिकायों में प्रकाशित होते रहे। उन्हें अंग्रेजी और उर्दू में महारत हासिल थी और सरल हिंदी तथा कुछ गुरमुखी लिपि में पंजाबी पढ़ सकते हे। बंगाल और अराकान में एयरफोर्स की नौकरी करते हुए उन्होंने बंगाली भाषा भी सीखी थी पर अब भूल गए थे ।
मुझे नौकरी में रहते हुए लगभग पूरे भारत वर्ष में घूमने और अनुसूचित जातियों से सम्बधित अधिकारियों, प्रोफेस्सरों, अध्यापकों और नेताओं को जानने का मौका मिला। मेरा विश्वास है कि श्री दास के पास पुस्तकों का सबसे बड़ा भंडार था। वह कभी न थकने वाले पाठक थे और काम के अधिकाँश घंटे पढने में बिताते थे। पुस्तकों और पत्र पत्रिकायों पर उनका काफी पैसा खर्च होता था। उनके पुस्तक संग्रह में विदेशी और भारतीय लेखकों की दुर्लभ पुस्तकें शामिल थीं। उनकी फाईलों में अलग अलग विषयों पर अच्छे लेख और पर्चे थे जिन्हें या तो वे प्रकाशित नहीं करा सके या फिर उनके बारे में भूल गए।
उनसे बातचीत के दौरान मुझे पता चला कि उनका जन्म 23 अप्रैल, 1927 को भारत की गर्मियों की राजधानी शिमला के निकट छावनी जतोग में हुआ था और उनका परिवार काफी खुशहाल था लेकिन एक अछूत परिवार में जन्म के कारण अपमान और भेदभाव का वह शिकार होते रहे। उन्हें उनके पिता पर गर्व था जिन्होंने उनके चरित्र पर गहरा प्रभाव डाला। उनके पिता डॉ आंबेडकर के वह बहुत प्रशंसक थे और समाचार पत्र पढ़ने के शौक़ीन थे। उन्हें हिन्दू, ईसाई, इस्लाम और सिख धर्म के ग्रंथों के अलावा आयुर्वेद की पुस्तकें पढ़ने का भी शौक था। श्री दास को ज्ञान से प्रेम अपने पिता से विरासत में मिला था।
ऐसा लगता है कि दास साहेब अपने समय के अधिकतर अछूतों की तरह इसाईयत से प्रभावित हुए। बाद में उन्होंने आर्य समाज साहित्य, कुरान और इस्लाम विचारधारा की अन्य पुस्तकें पढ़ीं। काफी समय तक उन्होंने मार्क्सवादी साहित्य का अध्ययन किया और मार्क्सवाद पर लिखते भी रहे लेकिन कमियुनिस्ट नेताओं के जातिवादी चरित्र ने उनका मन खट्टा कर दिया। उन्होंने इन्गर्सेल, टाम पेन, वाल्टेयर, बर्नार्ड शा, और बर्टरैंड रस्सल का अध्ययन किया। बाबा साहेब भीम राव आंबेडकर से सीधे संपर्क में आने से पहले उन्होंने धर्म के बारे में अपने विचार विकसित कर लिए थे। बाबा साहेब से उनकी जान पहचान पिछड़ी जातियों के प्रसिद्ध नेता शिव दयाल सिंह चौरसिया ने करवाई थी जो कि काका कालेलकर आयोग के सदस्य थे और राज्य सभा के सदस्य भी थे।
श्री भगवान दास ने बाबा साहेब की रचनाओं और भाषणों का सम्पादन किया और उन पर पुस्तकें लिखीं। उनका " दस स्पोक आंबेडकर" शीर्षक से चार खण्डों में प्रकाशित ग्रन्थ देश और विदेश में अकेला दस्तावेज़ था जिनके जरिये डॉ आंबेडकर के विचार सामान्य लोगों और विद्वानों तक पहुंचे।
यह काम उन्होंने 1960 के दशक में शुरू किया था और जब अभी इस की तरफ महारष्ट्र सरकार का ध्यान भी नहीं गया था। उन्होंने सफाई कर्मचारियों और भंगी जाति पर चार पुस्तकें और धोबियों पर एक छोटी पुस्तक लिखी। उनकी बहुचर्चित पुस्तक "मैं भंगी हूँ" अनेक भारतीय भाषायों में अनूदित हो चुकी है और वह दलित जातियों के इतिहास का दस्तवेज़ है।
उनकी पुस्तकें और देश विदेश के सेमीनार आदि प्रस्तुत उनके पर्चों से पता चलता है कि उनका अध्ययन कितना विस्तृत था और वह दबे कुचले लोगों के हित के प्रति कितने समर्पित थे। अगर मार्क्स ने दुनियां के मजदूरों को एक होने का आह्वान किया था तो भगवान दास ने भारत और एशिया के दलितों को एक होने का सन्देश दिया। मुझे नहीं लगता कि उनके अलावा कोई ऐसा व्यक्ति है जिसने एशिया के सभी दलितों को एक मंच पर लाने के लिए, उनकी मुक्ति के लिए और स्वाभिमान से उनके जीने के अधिकार के लिए इतना प्रयास किय हो। उन्होंने कुल 23 पुस्तकें लिखीं।
श्री भगवान दास ने भारत में दलितों के प्रति छुआछूत और भेदभाव के मामले को अंतर्राष्ट्रीय मंचों पर उठाने का ऐतहासिक काम किया। भारत, नेपाल, पाकिस्तान , बांग्लादेश और जापान में छुआ छुत के मामले को उन्होंने 1983 में यू. एन. ओ. ( संयुक्त राष्ट्र संघ) में पेश किया और जापान के अछूतों बुराकुमिन के मामले को भी उठाया।
डॉ आंबेडकर भी इस मामले को संयुक्त राष्ट्र संघ में ले जाना चाहते थे पर कुछ कारणों से यह संभव नहीं हो पाया था। श्री दास के प्रयासों का ही यह फल है कि संयुक्त राष्ट्र संघ ने छुआछुत को मानवाधिकारों का हनन मान कर भारत सरकार की जवाबदेही तय की है और अपनी ओर से भारत के लिए दो रिपोर्टर नियुक्त किये हैं। इस के बाद वह 2001 में डरबन में नसल भेद पर संयुक्त राष्ट्र संघ के सम्मेलन में भी गए थे। वास्तव में छुआछुत के मामले को अंतर्राष्टीय मंच पर पहुँचाने का सारा श्रेय श्री भगवान दास को ही जाता है। इस के लिए एशिया के दलित और जापान के बुराकुमिन उनके सदैव ऋणी रहेंगे।
श्री भगवान दास ने बहुत साधारण जीवन जिया। वह बहुत विनम्र थे और भदंत आनंद कौशल्यायन कहा करते थे, "आप में बहुत नम्रता है।" वकील के रूप में वह बहुत मेहनत करते थे। उनके ज्यादा दोस्त नहीं थे और न ही सामाजिक समारोहों में जाने में उन्हें कोई खास ख़ुशी होती थी। लायब्रेरी में या दलित शोषित लोगों की बेहतरी के लिए काम कर रहे बुद्धिजीवियों की सांगत में उन्हें अधिक ख़ुशी मिलती थी।
इस महान व्यक्ति को हम लोगों ने 18 नवम्बर, 2010 को खो दिया जिससे अम्बेडकरवादी आन्दोलन की अपूर्णीय क्षति हुई है। उनके दिखाए गए मार्ग पर चलकर बाबा साहेब के मिशन को अगर हम पूरा कर सकें तो यही उनके प्रति सबसे बड़ी श्रद्धांजली होगी।
Sunday, 18 December 2011
Bhagwan Das: A Profile
Bhagwan
Das: A Profile
- S.R.Darapuri I.P.S.(Retd)
(23.04.1927
-18.11.2010)
Mr. Bhagwan Das was born in an Untouchable family
at Jutogh Cantonment, Simla (Himachel Pradesh), India on 23 April 1927. He
served in the Royal Indian Air Force during World War II and after
demobilisation served in different capacities in various departments of
Government of India at Saharanpur, Simla and Delhi. He did M.A. in History
(Punjab University) and LL.B from Delhi University. He did research on the
‘Indianisation of the Audit Department from 1840-1915’. He had been
contributing articles and short stories to various papers and journals
published in India.
His father Mr. Ram Ditta was fond of reading
newspapers and a great admirer of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. Inspired and
encouraged by his father, Mr. Das worked with Mr. T. R. Baidwan of Simla who
was the most prominent leader of the Untouchables in Simla Hills, and joined
the Scheduled Castes Federation at the tender age of 16. Since then he had been
actively associated with the Ambedkarin movement and had done a great deal to
promote the ideas of Babasaheb Ambedkar and to unite and uplift the downtrodden
not only of India but also of other countries of Asia. Mr. Das was associated
with many organisations of lawyers, Buddhists, Scheduled Castes and Minorities
in India. He was General Secretary, United Lawyers Association, Supreme Court,
New Delhi; General Secretary, Bouddh Upasak Sangh, New Delhi; Founder Chairman,
Ambedkar Mission Society which has branches in many parts of the world; Revived
Samata Sainik Dal (Vounteers for Equality) founded by Dr. Ambedkar in 1926-27;
Regional Secretary (North). Indian Buddhist Council; Founder, Society for the
Protection of Non-Smokers; Founder President of Society for Promoting Buddhist
Knowledge; edited Samata Sainik Sandesh (English) 1980-1990.He was also the
main person behind publication of “Bheem Patrika” an Urdu and the Hindi
magazine published from Jullundar (Punjab).
Mr. Das had been associated with the ‘Peace
Movement’ since the end of World War II, in which he served on the Eastern
Front with the R.A.F. under South East Asia Command. He was one of the founder
members of the World Conference on Religion and Peace (WCRP) (India) and had
participated in the Conferences held in Kyoto, Japan, 1970; Princeton USA
(1979); Seoul, Korea (1986); Nairobi. Kenya (1984) and Melbourne Australia
(1989). He was appointed Director, Asian Centre for Human Rights (Asian
Conference on Religion and Peace) in 1980 and continued to serve in this
capacity till 2004 monitoring the news of violation of human rights in Asian
countries and organising camps for training of human ‘ rights workers, speaking
and writing for the cause.
Mr. Das was invited to deliver a lecture on
‘Discrimination by the Peace University, Tokyo (1980) and also addressed
several meetings organised by the Burakumins of Japan. Gave testimon before the
United Nations in regard to the plight o Untouchables in South Asia, in the
meeting of Sub-Committee on Human Rights held at Geneva, Switzerland in August,
1983. He visited England in 1975, 1983, 1988, 1990 and 1991 in connection with
lectures and seminars. He participated in the seminar held in ‘Hull University
in 1990 as a representative of the Ambedkar Centenary Celebration Committee, UK
and also a seminar on Human Rights in India held at London University, School
of Asian and Oriental Studies in February 1991.
He was invited to deliver Ambedkar Memorial
Lectures in Milind Mahavidyalya, Aurangahad (1970); Marathwada University (1983); Nagpur
University, PWS College, Nagpur; Ambedkar College, Chanderpur and Amrraoti University in 1990.
Mr. Das also visited Nepal (1980 and 1990);
Pakistan (1989); Thailand (1988); Singapore (1989) and Canada (1979) to study
the problems f deprived and disadvantaged members of society, women and
children. Delivered lectures in Wisconsin University (USA) 1979 and North-
field College (USA) on Caste in contemporary India. He was invited to give
lectures on Dr Ambedkar at the Institute of Oriental Studies, Moscow in June,
1990.
Mr. Das practiced law in the Supreme Court of
India. With a view to improve the professional competence of and helping
upcoming advocates belonging to Untouchable and indigenous groups he founded
Ambedkar Mission Lawyers Association and Legal Aid Society in 1989. He was
General Secretary of ‘Professions for People’, an organisation founded in Delhi
to elevate professional standards.
Mr. Das was invited to preside at the Dalit and
Buddhist Writers Conference held at Akola in 1989 and was closely associated
with various organisations of Dalit Writers.
Mr. Das had written more than five hundred
articles, papers for seminars, short stories for various newspapers and
journals. His papers on ‘Revival of Buddhism’; ‘Some problems of minorities in
India’; ‘Reservation in Public Services’ have been published in Social Action
brought out by Indian Social Institute, New Delhi and Delhi University Buddhist
Department. He wrote many papers on Reservation and Representative Bureaucracy,
Discrimination against the Dalits in Public Services and Minorities etc.
He was a member for the ‘Committee for evolving
new strategies for the development of Scheduled Castes and Tribes - VIII Plan’
set up by the Government of India and also a member of Ambedkar Centenary
Committee of the Government of India. Mr. Das had written many books in Urdu,
English and Hindi on Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar; Untouchables; Scavengers and
Sweepers; Human Rightsl Discrimination
etc. Prominent among them are Thus Spoke Ambedkar (Vol I to IV Ed) a pioneer
work; Ambedkar on Gandhi and Gandhism (Ed); Ambedkar Ek Parichey Ek Sandesh
(Hindi); Main Bhangi hoon(Hindi), the story of an Indian sweeper told in the
first- person (this book has been translated into Punjabi, Kannada and Marathi
and German); Valmiki aur Bhangi Jatian (Hindi); Valmiki (Hindi); Dhobi (Hindi),
Revival of Buddhism in India and Role of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar; Dr. Ambedkae Ek
Parichay Ek Sandesh; Dr. Ambedkar aur
Bhangi Jatiya and Bharat me Bauddh Dhamm ka punrjagran tatha samasyayen. He
translated into Urdu former President of the USA Lyndon Johnson’s book ‘My.
Hope for America’; Dr Ambedkar’s ‘Ranade, Gandhi and Jinnah’in to Urdu; besides
editing Bhadant Anand Kaushalyayan’s ‘Gita ki Buddhivadi Samiksha.’
Other books in hand but left incomplete were
Reservation and Representative Bureaucracy in India; Untouchables in the Indian
Army (Mahar, Mazhbi, Chuhra, Pariahs, Mangs, Dhanuks, Dusadhs, Chamars, Kolis, Bheels);
Mandal Commission and the Future of Backward Classes; Twenty-Two Oaths of
Buddhism and Conversion; Balmiki; Ravidassis
and Balmikis of Northern India; Buddhism and Marxism and Ambedkar as a Religious Leader.
Mr. Das had toured almost the whole of India to study
the problems of Hindu-Muslim riots, religious conflicts, atrocities committed
on the Untouchables and tribal people, with the group ‘Threat to Diversity’,
‘Swaraj Mukti Morcha and as Chairman, Samata Sainik Dal. He was also the
founder President of Dalit Solidarity People, an organisation aiming at uniting
Hindu Dalits, Dalit Christians, Sikh Dalits, Muslim Dalits and Burakumons of
Japan and Korea. Like Marx his slogan was “Dalits of the World Unite.”
Mr Bhagwan Das had been a storehouse of insight
and information, his residence at Delhi had been a mandatory stopover for many
renowned scholars like Eleanor Zelliot, Mark Juergensmeyer,Owen lynch, Marc
Gallanter, RK Kshirsagar, Sukhadeo Thorat down to younger scholars like Vijay
Prashad,Nicolas Jaoul and Maren Bellwinkel-Schempp.
We were expecting much more from Mr. Bhagwan Das
but he suddenly departed from us on 18.11.2010. It has been a great loss to the
followers of Babasaheb. I think to work on his foot prints for carrying
forward the Ambedkarite movement will be a true tribute to him.
-
Wednesday, 2 November 2011
Thursday, 27 October 2011
An Untouchable's Life in Politics
An Untouchable's Life in Politics
In Pursuit of Ambedkar
A rare dalit memoir centred around Ambedkar
By BHAGWAN DAS
Published : January 2010
(Book Excerpt)
Introduction: In Pursuit of Bhagwan Das
S OMETIME IN THE MID-1990'S, I picked up a volume of Ambedkar's speeches from a pavement bookshop in Hyderabad. It was compiled and edited by Bhagwan Das and published by Bheem Patrika, Jalandhar. That was the first time I encountered the work of Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar. From then on, I wondered about Bhagwan Das and Bheem Patrika.
After a major struggle, in 1999, I managed to order all the available volumes of Ambedkar's writings as published by the Maharashtra state government's education department in the Babasaheb Ambedkar Writings and Speeches series from Blumoon Books, a dalit bookstore in New Delhi. For good measure, Blumoon added a few selections of essays by Bhagwan Das to make up for the missing government volumes.
After Navayana was founded in 2003, I dug up a little more about Bhagwan Das and his work, and spoke to him on the phone. But it was only after I moved to New Delhi in 2007 that I met him for the first time. He was 80. Through the interactions that followed with him, I realised that well before the Maharashtra government began, in 1979, to publish Ambedkar's writings and speeches, Das had edited, compiled and produced a four-volume Thus Spoke Ambedkar series between 1963 and 1980. It was perhaps the first, professional effort to publish Ambedkar's writings in one place. Crucially, I found out that Das had had direct access to Ambedkar.
Having first met him in Shimla in 1943 at the age of sixteen as a member of the Scheduled Castes Federation, Das worked as a research assistant with Ambedkar in 1955-56 at the latter's residence at Alipur Road, Delhi. Yet the editorial committee that the Maharashtra government put together to oversee its Ambedkar volumes excluded Das and Lahori Ram Balley of Bheem Patrika-men who pioneered the publication of Ambedkar's writings and speeches. As Das, with typical understatement, recalls in his memoir, "Fifteen years after Babasaheb's death, the Maharashtra government decided to edit and publish his writings and speeches and formed a committee for the same under the chairmanship of Vasant Moon. Membership to the committee was limited to Maharashtra's politicians and intellectuals."
An unassuming, self-effacing man, Das does not make much of his association with Ambedkar. Yet, we see that he takes pride in recounting occasional disagreements with the stalwart. Das recalls both in his memoir and in the film that now accompanies this book, that his formal education amounted to nothing more than matriculation when he worked for Ambedkar, who had a clutch of degrees and two doctorates from Columbia University. (It was only in the mid-1970s that Das acquired degrees in Political Science and Law.) Yet, what draws Ambedkar to Das is his command over the English language, and his hunger for books and research.
I met Das several times in 2007 and 2008 with the intention of reissuing a value-added, annotated edition of the four volumes of Thus Spoke Ambedkar (the first of which is being published at the same time as this memoir). He was, however, in no position to write fresh introductions to the volumes. His memory was failing him, and he could recall only about seven or eight defining moments in his life. At the behest of a friend, I decided it was as important to bring out Bhagwan Das' story as it was to reissue his wide-ranging selection of Ambedkar's speeches. On reading his slim memoir, Baba ke Charanon Mein, published in Hindi in 2004, I decided to shoot a series of piece-to-camera interviews-merely as an exercise in keeping a record. Das, however, had just recovered from a serious illness and was suffering bouts of dementia. Yet, for me, it was important that his story-whatever he remembered of it-be rendered to the larger public. A mere reading of his memoir would not suffice; people would have to see and hear Bhagwan Das speak his impeccable English in his clipped accent. They had to fall in love with him and be charmed by him like I was, like the friends I took to meet him were. Hence the DVD that accompanies this book.
As we shot the interviews, Das expressed his desire to travel to Shimla, Nagpur and Ambedkar's Alipur Road residence where he had worked. Though we could not travel to Nagpur, our effort soon grew into a modest documentary feature on Das and his dedicated pursuit of Ambedkar's ideals. Navayana hardly had the funds for such a venture. Given Das' precarious health and fading memory, I could not risk writing a proposal and waiting for funding, but friends pitched in with contributions. After seeing the footage, amateur though it was, the editor of the film, Shikha Sen, refused to charge us. She too was charmed by the man, though piqued by the fact that he would sometimes forget the name of his wife (Rama Devi) or the year of their marriage (1957). But despite his failing memory, he would be alert to the details of his various interactions with Ambedkar. Clearly, here was a man to whom nothing mattered more than his association with Ambedkar. All said, we pieced together a viewable, hour-long film. The biggest compliment we received was that Das liked it.
In post-Independence India, we have hardly any record of the several men and women who played key roles in dalit movements across the country, especially those who donned the roles of the intellectuals and chroniclers of the movement. For instance, Bheem Patrika, the monthly journal founded by LR Balley, celebrated fifty years of existence in 2008. Balley has produced scores of books on the dalit movement and Ambedkar. People like Das and Balley rarely find mention in post-Independence histories of India. They are neither fêted nor remembered. To see Das recount the story of his English, and how he gently underscores the fact that in 1943 when he met Ambedkar in Shimla they spoke to each other in English, reveals to us the unwavering faith many in the dalit movement had in the power of modern education, and especially in the English language. Ambedkar's slogan 'educate, agitate, organise' had clearly inspired Bhagwan Das and many like him.
As a Buddhist, Das was one of the founding members of the World Conference of Religions for Peace, first held in Kyoto in 1969. They subsequently met every four years in various parts of the world.
In August 1983, supported by a coalition of dalit organisations, Bhagwan Das gave a testimony on untouchability before the United Nations Subcommission on Human Rights in Geneva, much against the wishes of the official Indian delegation to the conference. He played a pivotal role in the 1998 International Dalit Convention held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, a precursor to the 2001 World Conference Against Racism, held in Durban, South Africa.
Despite his many achievements, Bhagwan Das has led a lonely life. His lament is that few in the dalit movement have shown interest in the kind of work he has done. Given that the resource pool of educated dalits with an aptitude for research is rather meagre, especially of dalits who have a felicity with the English language, the chronicling of dalit history has seriously suffered. As someone born in a sweeper community, an 'untouchable among untouchables,' as Das says, he is not very popular among sections of the valmiki community that have been Hinduised under the influence of Gandhi, the Arya Samaj and other Hindu organisations. Das has consistently argued that the notion of 'valmiki' is a fiction (as you shall see in the book and in the film). He musters evidence to convincingly argue that the so-called valmikis were 'lalbegis'.
Bhagwan Das' flat in Munirka, Delhi, has been a mandatory stopover for almost every social historian and anthropologist who has ever worked on the dalit/anticaste movement, from Eleanor Zelliot, Mark Juergensmeyer, Owen Lynch, Marc Gallanter, RK Kshirsagar and Sukhadeo Thorat down to younger scholars like Vijay Prashad, Nicolas Jaoul and Maren Bellwinke-Schempp. He has been a storehouse of insight and information, generous with his time and knowledge for anybody willing to stop by and ask.
Navayana is proud to present the results of its pursuit of Bhagwan Das.
Excerpt: In Pursuit of Ambedkar
I WAS BORN INTO AN UNTOUCHABLE FAMILY in Jutogh Cantonment, in Shimla, the modern-day capital of the state of Himachal Pradesh, on 23 April 1927. My father, whom we called Abba, belonged to a well-off family-my grandfather was a contractor
who supplied cooks, cleaners, waiters, etc to the British Army. His work enabled him to own property in Jutogh, in Dera Bassi (near Ambala) and in Lucknow. Though I never saw him, I heard much about him. His name was Tota and he had four sons: the eldest was Dafi, followed by Shankar, then my Abba and Taaru.
My father's name was Ramditta/ Ramdutta-in government records, we find both names in English, Urdu and Hindi. Of the four brothers, my father and Shankar had Hinduised names, and both showed an inclination for Hindu ways, probably as a result of the religion's increasing influence at the time. Untouchables were otherwise usually required to have names that disclosed their 'low' caste and untouchable status. Our neighbours, for instance, had names like Meeria, Fakiria, Rachna, Jagga, Sadhu, Tilaku, Gainda-names that reflected the ethos of the period. Hindus then were less scared of their enemies than of the touch or even the shadow of an untouchable, which, they believed, would make them 'impure'. Therefore, everything from names to clothing was dictated by caste Hindus to make it easy to recognise untouchables and set them apart.
Though my grandfather tried to give all his sons an education, only Shankar and my father showed an aptitude for studies. The family lived in the cantonment in Lucknow, but there was tremendous discrimination against untouchables in Uttar Pradesh, then known as United Provinces. The only way to get by was to learn a few English phrases. Since my eldest uncle lived with an English family, he spoke the language well, but was the only one in the family who could. My father tried learning English and Urdu from books but had a better grasp of Urdu.
After my grandfather's death, my eldest uncle, Dafi, inherited his post; the other brothers sought jobs elsewhere. My father came to Jutogh. He married into a mazhabi Sikh farming family from a village near Dera Bassi. A few years later, however, his wife died. My uncle Dafi then got Abba married to a girl called Khairatan from a poor, semi-Muslim family of Lucknow. My father brought her to Jutogh after their marriage, and they never went back to Lucknow again.
In Jutogh, we lived in government accommodation in the Post Office compound. The campus held a big house for the postmaster and the postmen's quarters; there was also a mess for white soldiers underneath the Post Office, a Royal Indian Army Service Corps store to supply the soldiers' food, a wood depot, a bakery and a Military Engineering Service office for repairing government buildings. The children of the officers and employees of these offices were our friends and schoolmates.
My father was far ahead of his time in having taken out a life insurance policy, which he bought from a Canadian company. He was not only a hard-working man but had none of the bad habits,like gambling or drinking, common among men of his community. He was very fond of music-we had three gramophones and a radio at home. My mother, on the other hand, was brought up in difficult conditions. She had lost her parents in childhood and had worked as a farmer. She adjusted to her new circumstances at my father's house but never changed two things-her name and her religious refusal to eat pork (not that there was any pressure on her to do so). She cooked very well and kept our home in a state of high cleanliness. I had several differences with her but, for the sake of household peace, tolerated many things I never liked. For instance, she followed Hinduism rigidly and was keen on celebrating its festivals, but I maintained my distance from such customs from a very early age. My Early Years
WHEN MY FATHER ENROLLED my elder sister, Hukmi, and I in school, the headmaster did not want to take me in as I was not yet five years old. Since my father used to teach me Urdu, Mathematics, Hindi, etc at home, he asked the
headmaster to give me a test. I was asked to read and count, and I did well enough for him to agree to admit me. In the admission form, there was a column for one's caste. A Muslim teacher who held a low opinion of untouchables wrote khakroob1 in my form. He never touched me and always talked to me in an insulting manner. When my father complained to the headmaster (a very kind and sincere Hindu teacher), he shifted me from Hindi to Urdu classes. And that is how I learnt Urdu.
This was in 1931, and I was only four. At school, all children, Hindu and Muslim, used to play together; even the postmaster's children were our friends. No one practised untouchability as such, but we had to take the teacher's permission to drink water. He would send a caste Hindu or Muslim boy along with us, saying, "Go, get them some water to drink." There were separate utensils for Hindus and Muslims, but we could never drink directly from either. Instead, we would hold out our cupped hands into which water would be poured from a height.
It was clear to us that even if our names were like those of the Hindus, we were neither Hindu nor Muslim.
We were untouchables. In Class VII, I stood second and was chosen for admission to the Sanatan Dharm School; the topper was taken by DAV [the Dayanand Anglo-Vedic School]2. The school had a special period for religious training from which two Muslims, one Christian and I were exempted. Even if interested, untouchable students were not allowed to attend this class as the teacher practised untouchability.
A crucial role in my education was played by the European families living in our neighbourhood. In the cantonment areas, people belonging to the scavenging communities were employed for jobs like babysitting, cooking, etc. Two things provided for the betterment of such communities in these localities: reduced caste exploitation and contact with new ideas. For instance, the Andrews from England - Alexander and Edith Andrews - were like a second family to me, and it was from them that I learnt English, among other things. I used to read the Bible in the nearby church and would also listen to the BBC radio service. This helped me acquire an anglicised accent early in my life.
After completing my matriculation in 1942, I opened a night school for unlettered adults in Shimla. Whatever I earned giving tuition, I would hand over to my father.
During this time, a teacher named Shri Pamiram, from a bhangi (now also called balmiki) caste, was appointed headmaster of the Jutogh Primary School. He used to make it a point to meet educated, low-caste people, few as they were and most of them very young. When he got to know that my father was working as a jamadar [sweeper] in the cantonment and the Station Staff Office and had a few sweepers working under him, he came to meet him. He was surprised as well as glad to find that my father was an educated, propertied man. When he found out that I had not been able to study after Class x since there was no college in Shimla, and that I was running a night school, he advised me to apply to the District Officer for appointment as a teacher in his school. I got the job at a monthly pay of Rs 20, but after a few months, I was asked to leave and undertake formal teacher's training. An experienced teacher was appointed in my place. Exposure to Dalit Activists
S HRI PAMIRAM INTRODUCED ME to Teluram Baidwan3 who was one of Shimla's most highly regarded politicians. Baidwan used to work as a cleaner and caretaker at a beauty parlour run by an Englishwoman. He used to spend most of
his time reading and working for untouchables' rights and justice. Many people from castes such as koli and chamar used to come to him with their problems to seek his guidance. However, the members of the Congress party and other Hindu groups used to call him 'Bad Man' instead of Baidwan.
After attending typing classes in Shimla, I would spend an hour or two with Baidwan, helping him write letters. The rest of the time I would spend reading in the public library. My father was also fond of writing and reading, particularly books relating to ayurved and medicine. Copies of the Urdu monthly magazines Mastana Jogi and Hamdard-e- Sehat could be found at our home. We also used to borrow from our friends various newspapers and magazines such as the Madina newspaper published from Bijnaur, Pratap, Milap and Zamindar. I used to enjoy reading political articles in the weekly newspaper Riyasat, edited by Sardar Diwan Sindh Maftoon.
These newspapers used to publish a lot of things about Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Abul Kalam Azad, Subhash Chandra Bose and Mohammed Ali Jinnah but hardly a thing about minority and untouchable communities. We knew these leaders belonged to the upper castes, but, being an untouchable, I used to wonder, 'Who is our leader?' I asked Abba this, and he replied, "Ummeedkar, the one who brings hope," which is how Abba saw Babasaheb Ambedkar.
As far as I remember, Kranti from Lahore was the only Urdu magazine that used to report on Babasaheb's speeches and publish them in Urdu translation. Kranti's editor, Sant Ram, was a progressive thinker and writer. Born into a backward caste family, his knowledge of the Hindu religion and casteism was pragmatic and deep. Kranti was run by progressive Hindu members of the Jat-Pat Todak Mandal, founded in Lahore by the Arya Samajists. It was the only organisation at that time that worked against caste discrimination. In 1943, I also wrote an article in Kranti, "Acchut aur Azaadi" (Untouchability and Freedom). The article attracted a lot of attention, and through it I developed a friendship with Sant Ram.
Sant Ram was also the president of the Jat-Pat Todak Mandal, established in 1924 in Lahore, the capital of the Punjab province. Lahore was then a great centre of political, religious and literary activity and was home to a great many papers and magazines. Most colleges in North India were situated there, and Central ministries worked from Lahore in winter.
In 1936, the Jat-Pat Todak Mandal organised a major conference in the city and invited Dr Ambedkar to give the presidential address. He was, however, asked to send a copy of his speech beforehand. In it, Babasaheb said it would be his last speech as a Hindu. It was evident that he had decided to leave Hinduism.
Being Arya Samajists, all the members and organisers of the Jat- Pat Todak Mandal were against the conversion of untouchables. Babasaheb was asked to delete parts of his speech as a few Hindu leaders were afraid of his views. He, however, refused to change his speech and declined the Mandal's invitation. Sant Ram later got the speech published separately. In English, it is titled "Annihilation of Caste" and in Hindi "Jaatibhed ka Vichchhed". The speech was translated and published in several languages.
The Jat-Pat Todak Mandal did not, ultimately, have much impact. After Partition, Hindus on the Pakistan side of the border either were killed or they migrated to India. Some adopted Islam to save their lives and property and chose to remain in Pakistan. In India, a few of the earlier activists tried to re-establish the Mandal but they could not achieve much success.
Sant Ram went back to his village, Puranibasi, now in the Indian part of Punjab, but he travelled frequently to Chandigarh and Delhi. He also wrote a few books. Babasaheb deeply valued his dedication to the anticaste struggle and his impeccable character. He used to send copies of his new books to Sant Ram and would look forward to his comments.
Another person working for dalits in Shimla was Laxman Singh Salhotra. He was a Punjabi-speaking matriculate who worked in the Shimla Municipality Committee as a head clerk. He had good relations with Congress and Arya Samaj leaders. One of his friends was a head clerk in the Central Public Works Department (CPWD), and through him I got an appointment as a cpwd accounts clerk. I started working under Shri Rangaswami Lingaasan, who was the assistant engineer in the newly opened sanitary division. Rangaswami Lingaasan had worked during the First World War as a sanitary or executive engineer in Rangoon at the time of the Japanese attack. He belonged to an untouchable caste from South India. Basically Tamil-speaking, he had an excellent command of English, perhaps a reason why I was sent to work under him. It was said that he was related to the famous dalit leader from Madras Presidency, Rao Bahadur M.C. Rajah4, and probably also knew Rao Bahadur N. Shivaraj5, another prominent dalit leader from Madras.
In Pursuit of Ambedkar
A rare dalit memoir centred around Ambedkar
By BHAGWAN DAS
Published : January 2010
(Book Excerpt)
Introduction: In Pursuit of Bhagwan Das
S OMETIME IN THE MID-1990'S, I picked up a volume of Ambedkar's speeches from a pavement bookshop in Hyderabad. It was compiled and edited by Bhagwan Das and published by Bheem Patrika, Jalandhar. That was the first time I encountered the work of Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar. From then on, I wondered about Bhagwan Das and Bheem Patrika.
After a major struggle, in 1999, I managed to order all the available volumes of Ambedkar's writings as published by the Maharashtra state government's education department in the Babasaheb Ambedkar Writings and Speeches series from Blumoon Books, a dalit bookstore in New Delhi. For good measure, Blumoon added a few selections of essays by Bhagwan Das to make up for the missing government volumes.
After Navayana was founded in 2003, I dug up a little more about Bhagwan Das and his work, and spoke to him on the phone. But it was only after I moved to New Delhi in 2007 that I met him for the first time. He was 80. Through the interactions that followed with him, I realised that well before the Maharashtra government began, in 1979, to publish Ambedkar's writings and speeches, Das had edited, compiled and produced a four-volume Thus Spoke Ambedkar series between 1963 and 1980. It was perhaps the first, professional effort to publish Ambedkar's writings in one place. Crucially, I found out that Das had had direct access to Ambedkar.
Having first met him in Shimla in 1943 at the age of sixteen as a member of the Scheduled Castes Federation, Das worked as a research assistant with Ambedkar in 1955-56 at the latter's residence at Alipur Road, Delhi. Yet the editorial committee that the Maharashtra government put together to oversee its Ambedkar volumes excluded Das and Lahori Ram Balley of Bheem Patrika-men who pioneered the publication of Ambedkar's writings and speeches. As Das, with typical understatement, recalls in his memoir, "Fifteen years after Babasaheb's death, the Maharashtra government decided to edit and publish his writings and speeches and formed a committee for the same under the chairmanship of Vasant Moon. Membership to the committee was limited to Maharashtra's politicians and intellectuals."
An unassuming, self-effacing man, Das does not make much of his association with Ambedkar. Yet, we see that he takes pride in recounting occasional disagreements with the stalwart. Das recalls both in his memoir and in the film that now accompanies this book, that his formal education amounted to nothing more than matriculation when he worked for Ambedkar, who had a clutch of degrees and two doctorates from Columbia University. (It was only in the mid-1970s that Das acquired degrees in Political Science and Law.) Yet, what draws Ambedkar to Das is his command over the English language, and his hunger for books and research.
I met Das several times in 2007 and 2008 with the intention of reissuing a value-added, annotated edition of the four volumes of Thus Spoke Ambedkar (the first of which is being published at the same time as this memoir). He was, however, in no position to write fresh introductions to the volumes. His memory was failing him, and he could recall only about seven or eight defining moments in his life. At the behest of a friend, I decided it was as important to bring out Bhagwan Das' story as it was to reissue his wide-ranging selection of Ambedkar's speeches. On reading his slim memoir, Baba ke Charanon Mein, published in Hindi in 2004, I decided to shoot a series of piece-to-camera interviews-merely as an exercise in keeping a record. Das, however, had just recovered from a serious illness and was suffering bouts of dementia. Yet, for me, it was important that his story-whatever he remembered of it-be rendered to the larger public. A mere reading of his memoir would not suffice; people would have to see and hear Bhagwan Das speak his impeccable English in his clipped accent. They had to fall in love with him and be charmed by him like I was, like the friends I took to meet him were. Hence the DVD that accompanies this book.
As we shot the interviews, Das expressed his desire to travel to Shimla, Nagpur and Ambedkar's Alipur Road residence where he had worked. Though we could not travel to Nagpur, our effort soon grew into a modest documentary feature on Das and his dedicated pursuit of Ambedkar's ideals. Navayana hardly had the funds for such a venture. Given Das' precarious health and fading memory, I could not risk writing a proposal and waiting for funding, but friends pitched in with contributions. After seeing the footage, amateur though it was, the editor of the film, Shikha Sen, refused to charge us. She too was charmed by the man, though piqued by the fact that he would sometimes forget the name of his wife (Rama Devi) or the year of their marriage (1957). But despite his failing memory, he would be alert to the details of his various interactions with Ambedkar. Clearly, here was a man to whom nothing mattered more than his association with Ambedkar. All said, we pieced together a viewable, hour-long film. The biggest compliment we received was that Das liked it.
In post-Independence India, we have hardly any record of the several men and women who played key roles in dalit movements across the country, especially those who donned the roles of the intellectuals and chroniclers of the movement. For instance, Bheem Patrika, the monthly journal founded by LR Balley, celebrated fifty years of existence in 2008. Balley has produced scores of books on the dalit movement and Ambedkar. People like Das and Balley rarely find mention in post-Independence histories of India. They are neither fêted nor remembered. To see Das recount the story of his English, and how he gently underscores the fact that in 1943 when he met Ambedkar in Shimla they spoke to each other in English, reveals to us the unwavering faith many in the dalit movement had in the power of modern education, and especially in the English language. Ambedkar's slogan 'educate, agitate, organise' had clearly inspired Bhagwan Das and many like him.
As a Buddhist, Das was one of the founding members of the World Conference of Religions for Peace, first held in Kyoto in 1969. They subsequently met every four years in various parts of the world.
In August 1983, supported by a coalition of dalit organisations, Bhagwan Das gave a testimony on untouchability before the United Nations Subcommission on Human Rights in Geneva, much against the wishes of the official Indian delegation to the conference. He played a pivotal role in the 1998 International Dalit Convention held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, a precursor to the 2001 World Conference Against Racism, held in Durban, South Africa.
Despite his many achievements, Bhagwan Das has led a lonely life. His lament is that few in the dalit movement have shown interest in the kind of work he has done. Given that the resource pool of educated dalits with an aptitude for research is rather meagre, especially of dalits who have a felicity with the English language, the chronicling of dalit history has seriously suffered. As someone born in a sweeper community, an 'untouchable among untouchables,' as Das says, he is not very popular among sections of the valmiki community that have been Hinduised under the influence of Gandhi, the Arya Samaj and other Hindu organisations. Das has consistently argued that the notion of 'valmiki' is a fiction (as you shall see in the book and in the film). He musters evidence to convincingly argue that the so-called valmikis were 'lalbegis'.
Bhagwan Das' flat in Munirka, Delhi, has been a mandatory stopover for almost every social historian and anthropologist who has ever worked on the dalit/anticaste movement, from Eleanor Zelliot, Mark Juergensmeyer, Owen Lynch, Marc Gallanter, RK Kshirsagar and Sukhadeo Thorat down to younger scholars like Vijay Prashad, Nicolas Jaoul and Maren Bellwinke-Schempp. He has been a storehouse of insight and information, generous with his time and knowledge for anybody willing to stop by and ask.
Navayana is proud to present the results of its pursuit of Bhagwan Das.
Excerpt: In Pursuit of Ambedkar
I WAS BORN INTO AN UNTOUCHABLE FAMILY in Jutogh Cantonment, in Shimla, the modern-day capital of the state of Himachal Pradesh, on 23 April 1927. My father, whom we called Abba, belonged to a well-off family-my grandfather was a contractor
who supplied cooks, cleaners, waiters, etc to the British Army. His work enabled him to own property in Jutogh, in Dera Bassi (near Ambala) and in Lucknow. Though I never saw him, I heard much about him. His name was Tota and he had four sons: the eldest was Dafi, followed by Shankar, then my Abba and Taaru.
My father's name was Ramditta/ Ramdutta-in government records, we find both names in English, Urdu and Hindi. Of the four brothers, my father and Shankar had Hinduised names, and both showed an inclination for Hindu ways, probably as a result of the religion's increasing influence at the time. Untouchables were otherwise usually required to have names that disclosed their 'low' caste and untouchable status. Our neighbours, for instance, had names like Meeria, Fakiria, Rachna, Jagga, Sadhu, Tilaku, Gainda-names that reflected the ethos of the period. Hindus then were less scared of their enemies than of the touch or even the shadow of an untouchable, which, they believed, would make them 'impure'. Therefore, everything from names to clothing was dictated by caste Hindus to make it easy to recognise untouchables and set them apart.
Though my grandfather tried to give all his sons an education, only Shankar and my father showed an aptitude for studies. The family lived in the cantonment in Lucknow, but there was tremendous discrimination against untouchables in Uttar Pradesh, then known as United Provinces. The only way to get by was to learn a few English phrases. Since my eldest uncle lived with an English family, he spoke the language well, but was the only one in the family who could. My father tried learning English and Urdu from books but had a better grasp of Urdu.
After my grandfather's death, my eldest uncle, Dafi, inherited his post; the other brothers sought jobs elsewhere. My father came to Jutogh. He married into a mazhabi Sikh farming family from a village near Dera Bassi. A few years later, however, his wife died. My uncle Dafi then got Abba married to a girl called Khairatan from a poor, semi-Muslim family of Lucknow. My father brought her to Jutogh after their marriage, and they never went back to Lucknow again.
In Jutogh, we lived in government accommodation in the Post Office compound. The campus held a big house for the postmaster and the postmen's quarters; there was also a mess for white soldiers underneath the Post Office, a Royal Indian Army Service Corps store to supply the soldiers' food, a wood depot, a bakery and a Military Engineering Service office for repairing government buildings. The children of the officers and employees of these offices were our friends and schoolmates.
My father was far ahead of his time in having taken out a life insurance policy, which he bought from a Canadian company. He was not only a hard-working man but had none of the bad habits,like gambling or drinking, common among men of his community. He was very fond of music-we had three gramophones and a radio at home. My mother, on the other hand, was brought up in difficult conditions. She had lost her parents in childhood and had worked as a farmer. She adjusted to her new circumstances at my father's house but never changed two things-her name and her religious refusal to eat pork (not that there was any pressure on her to do so). She cooked very well and kept our home in a state of high cleanliness. I had several differences with her but, for the sake of household peace, tolerated many things I never liked. For instance, she followed Hinduism rigidly and was keen on celebrating its festivals, but I maintained my distance from such customs from a very early age. My Early Years
WHEN MY FATHER ENROLLED my elder sister, Hukmi, and I in school, the headmaster did not want to take me in as I was not yet five years old. Since my father used to teach me Urdu, Mathematics, Hindi, etc at home, he asked the
headmaster to give me a test. I was asked to read and count, and I did well enough for him to agree to admit me. In the admission form, there was a column for one's caste. A Muslim teacher who held a low opinion of untouchables wrote khakroob1 in my form. He never touched me and always talked to me in an insulting manner. When my father complained to the headmaster (a very kind and sincere Hindu teacher), he shifted me from Hindi to Urdu classes. And that is how I learnt Urdu.
This was in 1931, and I was only four. At school, all children, Hindu and Muslim, used to play together; even the postmaster's children were our friends. No one practised untouchability as such, but we had to take the teacher's permission to drink water. He would send a caste Hindu or Muslim boy along with us, saying, "Go, get them some water to drink." There were separate utensils for Hindus and Muslims, but we could never drink directly from either. Instead, we would hold out our cupped hands into which water would be poured from a height.
It was clear to us that even if our names were like those of the Hindus, we were neither Hindu nor Muslim.
We were untouchables. In Class VII, I stood second and was chosen for admission to the Sanatan Dharm School; the topper was taken by DAV [the Dayanand Anglo-Vedic School]2. The school had a special period for religious training from which two Muslims, one Christian and I were exempted. Even if interested, untouchable students were not allowed to attend this class as the teacher practised untouchability.
A crucial role in my education was played by the European families living in our neighbourhood. In the cantonment areas, people belonging to the scavenging communities were employed for jobs like babysitting, cooking, etc. Two things provided for the betterment of such communities in these localities: reduced caste exploitation and contact with new ideas. For instance, the Andrews from England - Alexander and Edith Andrews - were like a second family to me, and it was from them that I learnt English, among other things. I used to read the Bible in the nearby church and would also listen to the BBC radio service. This helped me acquire an anglicised accent early in my life.
After completing my matriculation in 1942, I opened a night school for unlettered adults in Shimla. Whatever I earned giving tuition, I would hand over to my father.
During this time, a teacher named Shri Pamiram, from a bhangi (now also called balmiki) caste, was appointed headmaster of the Jutogh Primary School. He used to make it a point to meet educated, low-caste people, few as they were and most of them very young. When he got to know that my father was working as a jamadar [sweeper] in the cantonment and the Station Staff Office and had a few sweepers working under him, he came to meet him. He was surprised as well as glad to find that my father was an educated, propertied man. When he found out that I had not been able to study after Class x since there was no college in Shimla, and that I was running a night school, he advised me to apply to the District Officer for appointment as a teacher in his school. I got the job at a monthly pay of Rs 20, but after a few months, I was asked to leave and undertake formal teacher's training. An experienced teacher was appointed in my place. Exposure to Dalit Activists
S HRI PAMIRAM INTRODUCED ME to Teluram Baidwan3 who was one of Shimla's most highly regarded politicians. Baidwan used to work as a cleaner and caretaker at a beauty parlour run by an Englishwoman. He used to spend most of
his time reading and working for untouchables' rights and justice. Many people from castes such as koli and chamar used to come to him with their problems to seek his guidance. However, the members of the Congress party and other Hindu groups used to call him 'Bad Man' instead of Baidwan.
After attending typing classes in Shimla, I would spend an hour or two with Baidwan, helping him write letters. The rest of the time I would spend reading in the public library. My father was also fond of writing and reading, particularly books relating to ayurved and medicine. Copies of the Urdu monthly magazines Mastana Jogi and Hamdard-e- Sehat could be found at our home. We also used to borrow from our friends various newspapers and magazines such as the Madina newspaper published from Bijnaur, Pratap, Milap and Zamindar. I used to enjoy reading political articles in the weekly newspaper Riyasat, edited by Sardar Diwan Sindh Maftoon.
These newspapers used to publish a lot of things about Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Abul Kalam Azad, Subhash Chandra Bose and Mohammed Ali Jinnah but hardly a thing about minority and untouchable communities. We knew these leaders belonged to the upper castes, but, being an untouchable, I used to wonder, 'Who is our leader?' I asked Abba this, and he replied, "Ummeedkar, the one who brings hope," which is how Abba saw Babasaheb Ambedkar.
As far as I remember, Kranti from Lahore was the only Urdu magazine that used to report on Babasaheb's speeches and publish them in Urdu translation. Kranti's editor, Sant Ram, was a progressive thinker and writer. Born into a backward caste family, his knowledge of the Hindu religion and casteism was pragmatic and deep. Kranti was run by progressive Hindu members of the Jat-Pat Todak Mandal, founded in Lahore by the Arya Samajists. It was the only organisation at that time that worked against caste discrimination. In 1943, I also wrote an article in Kranti, "Acchut aur Azaadi" (Untouchability and Freedom). The article attracted a lot of attention, and through it I developed a friendship with Sant Ram.
Sant Ram was also the president of the Jat-Pat Todak Mandal, established in 1924 in Lahore, the capital of the Punjab province. Lahore was then a great centre of political, religious and literary activity and was home to a great many papers and magazines. Most colleges in North India were situated there, and Central ministries worked from Lahore in winter.
In 1936, the Jat-Pat Todak Mandal organised a major conference in the city and invited Dr Ambedkar to give the presidential address. He was, however, asked to send a copy of his speech beforehand. In it, Babasaheb said it would be his last speech as a Hindu. It was evident that he had decided to leave Hinduism.
Being Arya Samajists, all the members and organisers of the Jat- Pat Todak Mandal were against the conversion of untouchables. Babasaheb was asked to delete parts of his speech as a few Hindu leaders were afraid of his views. He, however, refused to change his speech and declined the Mandal's invitation. Sant Ram later got the speech published separately. In English, it is titled "Annihilation of Caste" and in Hindi "Jaatibhed ka Vichchhed". The speech was translated and published in several languages.
The Jat-Pat Todak Mandal did not, ultimately, have much impact. After Partition, Hindus on the Pakistan side of the border either were killed or they migrated to India. Some adopted Islam to save their lives and property and chose to remain in Pakistan. In India, a few of the earlier activists tried to re-establish the Mandal but they could not achieve much success.
Sant Ram went back to his village, Puranibasi, now in the Indian part of Punjab, but he travelled frequently to Chandigarh and Delhi. He also wrote a few books. Babasaheb deeply valued his dedication to the anticaste struggle and his impeccable character. He used to send copies of his new books to Sant Ram and would look forward to his comments.
Another person working for dalits in Shimla was Laxman Singh Salhotra. He was a Punjabi-speaking matriculate who worked in the Shimla Municipality Committee as a head clerk. He had good relations with Congress and Arya Samaj leaders. One of his friends was a head clerk in the Central Public Works Department (CPWD), and through him I got an appointment as a cpwd accounts clerk. I started working under Shri Rangaswami Lingaasan, who was the assistant engineer in the newly opened sanitary division. Rangaswami Lingaasan had worked during the First World War as a sanitary or executive engineer in Rangoon at the time of the Japanese attack. He belonged to an untouchable caste from South India. Basically Tamil-speaking, he had an excellent command of English, perhaps a reason why I was sent to work under him. It was said that he was related to the famous dalit leader from Madras Presidency, Rao Bahadur M.C. Rajah4, and probably also knew Rao Bahadur N. Shivaraj5, another prominent dalit leader from Madras.
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