Ambedkar's 50th death anniversary celebrated amid tension

Millions of Indians celebrated the 50th death anniversary of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, even as news spread that statues of Ambedkar were desecrated in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh and in two places in Karnataka.

A statue of Dr. Ambedkar in the law faculty premises of Allahabad University was found damaged morning, December 6, leading to posse of police and provincial armed constabulary personnel being deployed in the area to prevent any outbreak of violence even as the University authorities got the statue repaired by the afternoon.

It later became apparent that the statue was being renovated and the security drill was ordered to prevent untoward incidents.

"On the occasion of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar's anniversary, students of the University had decided to place their demands before the University administration. We were afraid that some anti–social elements might tamper with the statue of Babasaheb, hence we deployed extra security. The statue wa being repainted and hence veiled," said Mahinder Singh, Additional City Magistrate.

Nonetheless, hundreds of students protested the incident by staging a road blockade for over an hour in front of a degree college. They also burnt an effigy of Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav accusing him of being responsible for the "insult to the Dalits' pride."

Meanwhile, in Karnataka, tension simmered as police lobbed teargas shells and charged with batons at Mannaekkelli village and Bidar town as Dalits torched buses and hurled stones after a string of footwear was found on the fence around a yet–to–be–unveiled statue of Ambedkar.

Police said the Dalits resorted to stone–pelting and torched at least two buses in Mannaekkelli in Humnabad taluk of Bidar district. Violence later spread to Bidar town, where scores of people resorted to stone–pelting, damaging three to four buses.

Earlier, a statue of Dr. Ambedkar was vandalized by unidentified persons on November 29 in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, sparking widespread violent protests that left four persons dead in Maharashtra as well as in Kanpur.

Meanwhile, amid tight security, in Mumbai, tens of thousands of Ambedkar followers assembled at 'Chaityabhoomi' at Shivaji Park, where he was cremated, and paid homage to him against the backdrop of violent protests against vandalization of his statue in Kanpur and brutal killing of a Dalit family by members of the 'upper–castes' in Khairlanji in Maharashtra.

A Right to Information (RTI) workshop, medical camp, folk dance stressing on safe sex, spectacles distribution and vocation guidance workshop were conducted in the premises.

"It feels nice when ever we visit here. Baba Ambedkar gave his entire life for us, so even we are ready to die in his name. This year the gathering is very weak, not too many people can be seen around because of the recent fights. Every year, it is otherwise so flooded with people that there is no room to sit," said Shalini Ahire, a follower.

Elsewhere in New Delhi, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Meira Kumar, Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Das Munshi, Leader of Opposition L.K. Advani, Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde along with other Central Ministers, Members of Parliament, dignitaries and general public paid floral tributes at the statue of Babasaheb Dr. B.R. Ambedkar at the Parliament House lawns.

In Nagpur, thousands of followers of Dr. Ambedkar, Buddhists and neo–Buddhists thronged the 'Deekshabhoomi' to pay homage to the social reformer and Dalit leader on his 50th death anniversary, popularly known as Mahaparinirvana Din.

Ambedkar had embraced Buddhism with thousands of his Dalit followers at the Deekshabhoomi to epitomise his philosophy of social equality. The place now has the central memorial built like a Buddhist 'stupa.'

Low–caste Hindus make up about 16 percent of India's 1.1 billion population, and have traditionally been at the bottom of the 3,000–year–old Hindu caste hierarchy.

In some parts of the country, including in its most populous state of Uttar Pradesh, the community has been mobilized by low–caste politicians into a potent political force but even there they continue to face widespread discrimination.

Caste discrimination is banned by the Indian Constitution but reports of Dalits being beaten or killed for using a well or worshipping at a temple reserved for upper castes in the conservative rural areas are still common.

Born as an untouchable in 1891, Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar surmounted all sorts of socio–economic obstacles during his life to emerge as the champion of the downtrodden in Indian society, especially the untouchables also known as Dalits.

In 1924, he started the organization 'Bahiskrit Hitakarini Sabha,' for the upliftment of the untouchables and adopted a two–pronged strategy: – [1] Eradication of illiteracy and economic uplift of the downtrodden and [2] Non–violent struggle against visible symbols of casteism, like denial of entry into temples and drawing water from public wells and tanks.

In 1942, Dr. Ambedkar formed the 'Scheduled Castes Federation.' He was also a staunch advocate of women's rights. Justifiably bitter and disenchanted with Hinduism, he changed his religion.

In October 1956, Dr. Ambedkar, along with about a quarter million Dalit men and women, converted to Buddhism in Nagpur. For Ambedkar, Buddha was one of the main inspiring personalities in history who raised a strong voice of protest against inequality between people and between men and women.

Dr. Ambedkar died on December 6, 1956, and Dalits continue to remember him as their liberator and a champion of their rights.