Ambedkar, in his historic speech in Nagpur on October 15, 1956, a day after he had embraced Buddhism, said,

“The movement to leave the Hindu religion was taken in hand by us in 1955, when a resolution was made in Yeola. Even though I was born in the Hindu religion, I will not die in the Hindu religion. This oath I made earlier; yesterday, I proved it true. I am happy; I am ecstatic! I have left hell — this is how I feel. I do not want any blind followers. Those who come into the Buddhist religion should come with an understanding; they should consciously accept that religion.”

Hitting out at the Communists, he said: “Religion is a very necessary thing for the progress of mankind. I know that a sect has appeared because of the writings of Karl Marx. According to their creed, religion means nothing at all. Religion is not important to them. They get breakfast in the morning, of bread, cream, butter, chicken legs, etc.; they get undisturbed sleep, they get to see movies and that’s all there is. This is their philosophy. I am not of that opinion.”

After six decades of Ambedkar leaving the fold of Hindu dharma, what is the condition of Scheduled Castes at the ground level among Hindus? Have Hindus learnt any lessons?

There are crematoriums which are separately designated for them, no ‘normal’ Pandit who performs puja for any occasion – from birth to home warming to death, for a scheduled caste family (exceptions will always be there specially the Arya Samaj , Gayatri Pariwar pandits do come forward). Even the Scheduled caste Yamaraj, the god of death, is different. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had to issue an appeal that all Hindus must make sure that temples, wells (water sources) and crematoriums must remain accessible by all Hindus- without any discrimination.

When Ambedkar was leaving Hindu dharma, some people criticised HIM and not the ritualistic high caste Hindus.

Ambedkar hit them hard with these words:

“The criticism of some people is hard. In their opinion, I was leading my poor helpless untouchable people astray. They say, ‘today those who are Untouchables will remain Untouchables, and those rights gained for the Untouchables will be destroyed’ and some people among us are bewildered. To the unlearned people among us, they say, ‘Go by the traditional path’ [pagdandi (Hindi), ‘footpath’ suggests that the Mahars should use an inferior path]. On some of the old and young among us, they may be influential. If doubt has been created in the minds of people because of this, it is our duty to remove that doubt; and to turn back that doubt is to strengthen the foundation of our movement.

Earlier we people had had a movement against eating meat. The touchables thought a bolt of lightning had hit them. They should drink living buffalo’s milk; but, when that buffalo died, we should carry that dead cow on our shoulders. Wasn’t this a strange practice? We tell them, if your old woman died, then why not give her to us? If you ought to give us your dead cow, then you ought to give us your old woman also, shouldn’t you? At that time, some man wrote in Kesari that in certain villages every year fifty cattle die, so that five hundred rupees can be earned from their hide, horns, hooves, meat, bones, and tail. Leaving aside the matter of meat, these people will be deprived of all that profit, so the letter appeared in Kesari. Really speaking, what was the necessity of giving an answer to his propaganda? But our people used to feel that if our lord [Babasaheb] does not give an answer to this thing, then what does the lord do at all?

Once I went to a meeting at Sangamner. An arrangement for eating in the evening after the meeting had been made. At that time a note was sent me by a Kesari reporter, and he asked me, “Say, you tell your people not to remove dead cattle [from the village]! Look at their poverty. No sari and blouse for their wives, no food for them, no fields for them. When their circumstances are so difficult, why do you say, throw away the 500-rupee profit every year from hide, hoof, and meat? Is this not a loss for your people?

I said: We will answer you. Shall I answer here on the veranda, or in a meeting? It is good if this critical question comes before people. I asked the gentleman, “Is this all you have to say, or is there more?” The gentleman said, “Whatever I have asked you, answer that much.” I asked that man, “How many children and dependents do you have”? He said, “I have five sons and my brother has five or six children also.” I said, “Then your family is large. You and your relations should certainly remove the dead cattle from the village and get that 500-rupee profit. Besides that, every year I myself will give you 500 rupees on top of that. Whatever will become of my people, whether they will get food and clothing or not, this is my affair and I will look after it. But are you putting aside such a successful thing? Why do you not take it on? If we do the work and get the profit, won’t there be a profit if you do it? Why don’t you remove the dead cattle?

Yesterday a Brahmin boy came to me and asked, “In Parliament and the Assemblies, your people have been given reserved places. Why are you giving those up?” I said to him, “You become a Mahar and fill that place in Parliament and the Assemblies. If there is a service vacant, then that place fills in no time. How many applications from Brahmins and others come for that place! As places in service are filled in that way, why don’t you Brahmin people, as Mahars, fill those reserved seats?

If we have suffered a loss, why do you weep? This is my question to them. Truly it means honor is dear to mankind; profit is not dear. A woman of good qualities and good behavior knows that there is profit in prostitution. There is a locality of prostitutes in our Bombay. When those women get up at eight in the morning, they order breakfast from a nearby hotel and say (Dr Ambedkar at this time, giving an imitation in a different voice, said): ‘Suleman, you bring a pound of bread and a plate of minced meat.’ That Suleman brings it. Besides, he brings tea, bread, cake, and other things. But my depressed-class sisters do not even get ordinary chutney-bhakri. However, they live with dignity. They live piously.

We are fighting for honor. We are getting ready to lead mankind to perfection. For this, we are ready to do any sacrifice necessary. These newspaper people (turning toward them) have pestered me for the last forty years. How much criticism have they given me, even up to this day! I say to them, however: Think! Today, leave aside immature speech; use mature speech.

If we accept Buddhism, even then I will get political rights. I am absolutely sure of this.”

It is the political rights, it is equality and a social acceptance that Ambedkar struggled for, not the crumbs and any kind of protectionism and guardian ship. Gone are those days when you thought you may please a scheduled caste family by eating in his house. Today he obliges these high caste arrogant hypocrites by letting them eat in his house.

The day is not far when the scheduled castes will rise as empowered Indians leading the march of India’s progress. Keep your protectionism with you. They will get their top positions on their strength and love for Hindu dharma and nation. They need equal rights in decision making and not cosmetic positions and concrete halls built in their leader’s name.