Those Eventful Days Of The Great Mass Conversions

Those Eventful Days Of The Great Mass Conversions

Dr. K. Jamanadas, 'Shalimar', Main Road, Chandrapur- 442 402

Dr. Ambedkar’s Conversion

Most of the events are well known and well documented. I mention only those facts, which I personally experienced and are not well outside.

“It was not within my capacity to be born in a particular religion. But though I was born as Hindu, I will not die as a Hindu.” This was the declaration of Dr. Ambedkar made by him as early as 1935, at Yeola in Nashik district in Maharashtra. He made this declaration after his disillusion of Hindu reforms due to experiences with the Satyagraha at Mahad to drink water from the public lake, burning of Manusmruti, Kalaram Temple Satyagraha for temple entry and treacherous behavior of Gandhi at Round Table Conference and subsequent coercive Poona Pact. There is already a vast literature available on these subjects. After this declaration, he convened a conference in Bombay, wherein he delivered a speech, which goes by the name of ‘Mukti kon pathe?’ ‘what way emancipation?’ which is available verbatim in his volumes [No. 17, Part 3, pp. 113], describing the need for religious conversion for the lowered castes. His inclination was towards Buddhism from the beginning, but from 1950 or so, it became clear that he would adopt Buddhism and finally he decided to adopt Buddhism in 1956.

Background preparations

After global celebration of 2500 years of Buddha Jayanti, it had become clear, early in 1956, that conversion to Buddhism will take place that year, either at Sarnath, Kanpur or Bombay. But about three months in advance, Babasaheb decided Nagpur as the venue, and 14^th October as date. When the news reached Nagpur, the whole atmosphere got charged with enthusiasm and every leader and worker, big and small, started earnestly for the preparation. There were public meetings at all moholla-s (wards) in Nagpur. S. M. Meshram, Babu Hardas Awale and Bar. Rajabhau Khobaragade were the main political leaders of Nagpur, who started organizing public opinion for conversion. The whole atmosphere was charged with a feeling of enthusiasm, vigor, excitement, and zeal about the coming event. Dadasaheb Gaikwad made two or three trips to Chandrapur to supervise preparations here. I also visited Chandrapur more frequently.

I was hectically preparing for my final year MBBS exam in Nagpur in Nov./Dec. We as students decided to hold the Students’ Convention on this occasion, in the Dhanwate Chambers, which was nearly next door to Hotel Shyam, where Babasaheb was scheduled to stay.

Ambedkar’s conception of Buddhism

When asked about which vehicle of Buddhism he is propagating, he remarked that he would preach the original teachings of the Buddha. What are the differences from traditional Buddhism? One is about Siddhartha’s renouncement. Ambedkar believes traditional story of ‘diseased, old man, dead man, hermit’ etc. could not be the real cause. Second he doubted ‘suffering’ to be the main of ‘four noble truths’. Third was his conception of karma and rebirth not conforming to traditional views and lastly he believed the Buddha created ‘Bhikku’ not as a priest or a superman but as a friend, philosopher and guide for the laymen, and hence he liked the standing Buddha rather than one in meditation.

The Great Mass Conversion at Nagpur

All the events about the Grand Conversion ceremony are well recorded. The crowd was more than the present “Diksha Bhoomi” could accommodate. The area beyond the road, where today there are big buildings was a vacant plot of land. The Deputy Mayor being an Ambedkarite the whole labor gangs of Corporation along with volunteers of “Samta Sainik Dal” (SSD - Volunteer Corpse for Equality) were busy in uprooting small shrubs and clearing and cleaning the wasteland into a vast ground for the function. The stage was huge, and protected from all sides. By the side, there was a road built right from the main street to the stage for Babasaheb’s car and protected by bamboo matting from both sides. Excellent arrangement was for sound projection. Stage of shape of Sanchi stupa was erected and covered with white cloth. All the stalls of eatables and free meals were arranged beyond the streets by various organizations.

It was ordained that those who wish to get converted, must come in white apparel, but in the markets white all cloth was exhausted, and then it had to be announced that, any clean clothes of any color would do. Similarly, it was declared that all those wishing to be converted should enroll themselves in Godbole’s office. The rush was so much that in spite of hundreds of volunteers for record keeping, the arrangement broke down. That was the magnitude of the numbers. A conservative estimate was half a million people, who poured down from all directions with whatever conveyances they could get. Many walked down with meals packed for three days, dried pieces of homemade jaur bread and an onion or two.

The ceremony of conversion and Babasaheb’s historical speech are well documented. I mention only salient points. It was Maha Thera Bhikku Chandramani, the most senior Buddhist monk in the country, who gave Diksha to Dr. Ambedkar. He was of Burmese origin but was resident in India for forty odd years. After his own conversion, Babasaheb converted all the rest of half a million people by trisaran, panchasila, and ‘22 vows’. This was a historical event in more ways than one. Never in history half a million were converted to any religion at one time, and never had conversion been effected by a lay Buddhist, and never ever the Hindu gods and goddesses were denounced by ‘22 vows’ which became the inseparable part of ‘rite’ of conversion to Buddhism in India, and never before it was declared that all and every Buddhist lay person was authorized to convert other willing person. There used to be rite of ‘upasampada’ for conversion as a Bhikku, but for Lay Buddhist there was traditionally no rite. Ambedkar started this, as he believed one of reasons of disappearance of Buddhism from India was absence of such a rite.

The famous 22 vows:

They are well known and well documented. These 22 vows, especially prepared by him for conversion and which are used now in all conversions, now form the main principles of guidance for the Indian Buddhists. Ambedkar achieved three things thereby.

(i)                                           It clarified that adopting Buddhism means denouncing Hinduism

(ii)                                        It clarified that even Lay Buddhists were elements of Buddhist society and

(iii)                                     It clarified that even Lay Buddhist have to follow the tenets of Buddhism.

They struck a blow at the roots of Hindu beliefs and practices, and protect Indian Buddhism from confusion and contradictions caused by Brahmanism and wasteful expenditure.

Speech of Dharmantar

It is well documented. He explained Nagpur was selected, as this was the land of Nagas, the great patrons of Buddhism, and we are the progeny of a single Naga warrior Takshak, who was saved from Brahminic genocide of Nagas in ‘naga satra’. He refuted all Brahminic criticism against his conversion. A clear reference to Marx, he said that man cannot live on bread alone and stressed the importance of self-respect more than mundane pleasures. If the Hindu religion had allowed lowered castes to bear arms, India would never have suffered political slavery, he averred. He explained how Buddhism gives hope of progress, which is absent in Hinduism. He asked his followers to be ready to sacrifice for Buddhism; at the same time he declared that he did not want blind followers. He declared that he was feeling relieved from the “Hell of Hinduism”.

Students Convention

As the President of Students’ organization, I led a deputation to Dr. Babasaheb to ask for his blessings for Students’ Convention and congratulate him on the occasion. SSD volunteers led us to a small hall on the second floor of Hotel Shyam after a strong security check.

As we stood in the corner, Dadasaheb Gaikwad told Babasaheb that some students have come to see him. Babasaheb thundered as to what we wanted. Everybody kept mum. Nobody dared to utter a word. After a long pause, I dared to stammer out that we came to congratulate him, and we wanted his blessings. He said something soothing and Adv. S. M. Meshram said, “Do you students wish to ask Babasaheb, anything?” I gathered courage to say, “Babasaheb! We are worried about our scholarships”. No sooner, I uttered these words, Babasaheb started talking loudly, everybody around, and there would be about hundred people around, all sat down at once on the floor, as Babasaheb kept on talking.  He said how, we students have gone lazy, are reluctant to study and avoid hard work.  In spite of facilities we don’t do exams. well, and the lot.  Lastly, he consoled us, the facilities, he got for us was his effort and he will snatch it again for us, and that the scholarships are in his pocket. After about ten minutes’ speech, it was time for us to leave.
Students’ Convention was well attended, there were more people than the hall could accommodate. Main speakers were Adv. S. M. Meshram and Dadasaheb Gaikwad. Many resolutions were passed and all that, but later, the police had come to our hostels repeatedly and wanted to know more and more details, which we had none.

Civic Reception

More important was Babasaheb’s speech at the Civic Reception given by the Nagpur Municipal Corporation. After explaining the working of democracy in Parliament, he told the stunned gathering that there are many lady members of Parliament, who talk of Prime Minister Nehru as “aamche he, aamche te”, the mode of addressing used, in Maharashtra, by women only while talking about their husbands. He said that he was ashamed that there were some Maharashtrian lady members among them. He said, he tried to apprise Prime Minister Nehru about this, but Nehru couldn’t care less. All this obviously was a severe criticism about Nehru, but the organizations of upper castes women came down heavily on Ambedkar the next day in Newspapers, curiously enough not for criticizing Nehru, but for defaming womanhood of Maharashtra. Such was the mentality of Press and Media in twisting the facts to suit their purpose, those days not really much different from today, was it?

Tea Party at Shyam Hotel

I was then 24 years old student and perhaps the youngest in the tea-party and perhaps the only person living, who were present in the tea-party. In the night there was a “Tea Party”, only meant for senior workers of the Party from all over India, and entry was by passes. I was given three passes for students. I, along with our secretary Nagdeote, and a senior Ph.D. student from Hindi speaking area, attended. Babu Hardas Awale gave an introductory speech as usual in Hindi, and requested Babasaheb to address the gathering of, may be fifty or sixty people sitting around tables with the snacks served. I had heard Babasaheb on many occasions before, but that was the first time, I was hearing him talk in fluent Hindi. The speech though brief had many new points, and very scanty reports of this speech are available. He said, that we all cared more for politics than social and religious change.  He had achieved everything in his life for himself. There was nothing more to be achieved for himself, “except perhaps the post of Prime Minister”, among cheers, he declared. But he was worried for all of us, as we keep on fighting amongst ourselves. He said, we were not used to work with people of other castes. Though the “Scheduled Castes Federation” (SCF) would be in existence for some more time and though Buddhists, we could still be members of it, as he had already made provisions in Constitution of SCF for “sympathizers”, it was time we change our ways and start learning to work together with other castes. He was already in touch with other leaders like R. M. Lohia, N. G. Gore, Madhu Limaye, P. K. Atre, S. M. Joshi and others and he had prepared the Constitution of new party, which would be launched soon. He gave a lot of stress on mixing with the people of democratic thoughts, belonging to other castes. It is rather unfortunate, that this aspect of his speech, is totally neglected by the next generation of leaders, our predecessors. When next year in 1957, Republican Party of India was formed, there was not one single member of other castes.

Dattopant Thengadi in this private meeting

What kills me most, about this tea party, is that about ten years ago, I read in some book by Dattopant Thengadi, one of the top most leaders of RSS, that he was present in this meeting as a “boy serving snacks dishes”. The meeting was so select and admission was by passes and everybody had to be scrutinized on entry, how could a strong activist of RSS be allowed entry to such a meeting? Was there a slip in security by SSD? Was Dattopant a regular employee of Hotel Shyam and just happened to be there around Dr. Ambedkar, or was he planted there to spy on Ambedkar, is a question I cannot find any answer to. I honestly do not think he was a regular employee of the Hotel. Thengadi himself has not clarified, nor anybody else did, to the best of my knowledge. Anyway, it throws ample light on the working of RSS and its long time planning.

Chandrapur Mass Conversion

A sramner Sumedh wrote a book, wherein he raised three allegations against this mass conversion at Chandrapur that (i) it was not prearranged, (ii) Babasaheb was brought by wrong road and hence had to suffer and (iii) Conversion was carried out not by Babasaheb but by someone else. All these are wrong allegations, which I refuted many times from public platform and in writings, including functions on Diksha-Bhumi. The Conversion ceremony was arranged well in advance, there was no other road then and Babasaheb himself conducted ceremony of Diksha. It is pity the sramner could not even understand that a function of such a magnitude of 300,000 people cannot be arranged at the eleventh hour without preplanning. Reception Committee was formed in meeting of all leaders from all over the district in town hall, funds were collected and all arrangements were made, and enthusiasm was so great that there was no shortage of funds.

On 16^th October, 1956, we left by morning passenger train from Nagpur for Chandrapur, in an uncontrollable crowd. Babasaheb was to come by Car via Umerd, Nagbhid and Mul. The present road direct from Nagpur to Chandrapur via Jam was not ready then. It opened for traffic in 1962.

When I reached the stage around 3 p.m., there were hardly any leaders on the stage, and huge ground was over-flooding with people. Myself, another student Raipure and Adv. Umre managed the stage for three hours, with local leaders speaking. The news came that Babasaheb has reached Mul (about 35 km. from Chandrapur) and is having rest because of tiredness of journey, thanks to the worst roads of that time, and all the leaders on the stage left for Mul, leaving three of us students to manage and pacify the crowds, and I must say, we did manage it rather magnificently, come to think of it now.

It was sunset, the stage was well lit, and some one was speaking on the mike. There was commotion on the road, I took charge of mike and started slogan shouting, Babasaheb was approaching after a long wait. He climbed the stage and sat on the sofa there, with Mrs. Ambedkar. Some leader started welcome speech. Babasaheb was too tired and now he got irritated due to green small insects, which appear around lights in that season. He ordered the light to be switched off. I was right behind the sofa. I shouted at the electrician to switch off the light shining on face of Babasaheb. The electrician did switch off. But the wiring was such, not only one tube light but nearly half of the stage where Babasaheb was sitting, went into darkness, though the other half was well lit. In that partial darkness, Babasaheb asked the speaker to stop, took to mike and asked everybody to rise who wish to get converted and started “namo tassa bhagvato”, trisaran, panchsheela and administered “22 vows”. Somebody held a lighted bulb in front of him to read the vows. Then he said that all he wanted to talk was talked at Nagpur, advised all to read that from newspapers, and climbed down the stage and started walking back to car waiting on the road. All was over within five minutes, and the leaders who were gradually coming to stage rushed back behind him to the Circuit House, just nearby. Again the stage was vacant and I found myself shouting slogans over the dispersing crowds.

Well, everybody was very unhappy, that he could not hear the words of Babasaheb, after hours or days of waiting. With heavy heart, everyone dispersed, only to gather around the Circuit House, which was surrounded by heavy security of SSD volunteers there were no police either at Nagpur or at Chandrapur just to get a glimpse or a hear a word of Babasaheb.

We requested Bar. Rajabhau, and Dadasaheb to arrange to bring Babasaheb out for a few minutes in Verandah. But Mrs. Ambedkar would not agree, neither she would let any body approach Babasaheb. Only Dadasaheb Gaikwad could enter his suite, for all those 36 hours he stayed there. Dadasaheb Gaikwad decided that Babasaheb needed a day’s rest before his journey, so morning journey was off.

The Day after Conversion

The next day started with great expectation. There was constant flow of people coming and going, but Mrs. Ambedkar allowed no entry to Babasaheb’s suite except for Dadasaheb Gaikwad. A plan was conceived to send Mrs. Ambedkar out for “shopping” and for giving her presents and ultimately she departed from the scene at about 5 p.m. After she left, Dadasaheb brought Babasaheb to verandah. It was just getting dusky. There were lights in veranda, but none outside, but a pleasant moonlight around. There was no loud speaker. As soon as the word spread that Babasaheb is sitting outside, gradually within minutes and in pin drop silence a crowd of thousands gathered and squatted in the road in front verandah and a garden outside. Then there was a session of about two hours, when Babasaheb was talking and all of us listening, with an intermittent question being asked by Dadasaheb for motivating him to talk.

He talked of his childhood. How he was moving around in a “langoti” (loin cloth) and saluting a padre always going by the locality, how they were sleeping on the ground within an island made of earth around and filling it with water so that the bed bugs could not enter. He talked how he stole some money and ran away from home, when his father once expressed concern what would happen to him as his father married again. He never returned back till last moment of his father.

Many questions about Buddhism, and its practices and new party were put to him. For all those questions, he said he would make everything clear in a meeting scheduled in mid-December in Bombay. Unfortunately that day never arose. There were only two mass conversions effected by him at Nagpur and Chandrapur.

Around 8 p.m., Mrs. Savita Ambedkar came back, started scolding everybody, and took Babasaheb inside, that was the last time I saw him, so did many like me. But the people were happy that they could hear their Messiah and departed home happily. Next morning Babasaheb left Chandrapur by Grand Trunk Express at about 5 a.m.

I went back to Nagpur, got busy in studies, and gave my last paper of final MBBS examination, and came out of the hall at 1 p.m., only to be told the tragedy of demise of our Messiah on 6^th of December 1956.

Conversion and afterwards

The immediate effects of conversion were dramatic. The whole community seemed united. Even a few days before conversion ceremony, when Babu Hardas Awale announced in a public meeting that “mangal sutra” (black beaded wedding necklace considered sacred by married Hindu women) is a symbol of slavery of women a tenet opposed to Buddhism about 500 women removed their mangal sutras then and there.

There was an impression among Buddhist converts, that eating of meat is not permitted and many who reared hens, left them to go anywhere they liked and sold off their goats for Rs. ten or so, and stopped eating meat. But it has again started, as it became known that Buddhism never prevented meat eating and even Bhikkus were allowed to eat certain types of meat.

There were images of Hindu gods of all descriptions in the houses of Buddhists, they were all thrown away in wells, lakes, and rivers, some times in processions all over the villages. People stopped going to Hindu pilgrimages like “Mahadeva”.

As Babasaheb had said, the marriages should be performed without expenses, on simple white clothes. So all the bands, barat-s (processions), and “bashing-s” (headgear for marriage) were discarded. A bridegroom in a marriage procession could not be pointed out from others. Unfortunately gusto could not be maintained, again the expensive marriages by taking loans and all that started later. The band has disappeared but loudspeaker has taken its place. All things have now come back, as it was in Hinduism, including expensive marriages, dinners and wasteful ceremonies. Even system of dowry in some form or other is making appearance a system never existed even before conversion.

Many mass conversion ceremonies took place later all over the place, but only the “Mahars” got converted in Maharashtra. There were some followers of Ambedkar from other SC communities, who got converted at different places. It was reported by people like Herlekar, that those people faced troubles in getting their daughters married among the erstwhile “Mahars”. The process of conversion went on for half century and recent conversions by other castes have raised the hopes that Buddhism in India would not become just another caste of Hinduism. It was the dream of Ambedkar that he will convert whole of India to Buddhism. Recently, after 50 years, people like Laxman Mane, who belong to caste other than Mahars, conducted some mass conversions to Buddhism. This has raised the hope that some day India will definitely become Buddhist again.

Thanks

Dr. K. Jamanadas, "Shalimar", Main Road, Chandrapur - 442 402

Monday, December 12, 2912