It was on October 9, 51 years ago that the skies of Nagpur resounded with the solemn, sonorous, exalting Buddhist triplet: “Buddham Sharanam Gacchami, Dharmam Sharanam Gacchami, Sangam Sharanam Gacchami”.

The chant emanated from a vast concourse of humanity (over five lakhs) that had thronged the Deekshabhoomi to be led by their leader B R Ambedkar and his wife into the benign embrace of Buddhism. The gathering proclaimed to the world that they were embracing Buddhism in order to liberate themselves from the thralldom of Hinduism.

This Great Mass Conversion constitutes one of the most momentous events in the socio-religious history of Independent India. It was the denouement of long years of churning in the mind of Ambedkar regarding the plight of his people, the Untouchables.

Ambedkar had come to believe, after a series of unsavoury encounters with caste prejudices of Bramhanic Hinduism, that his hopes and optimism about the social, political and economic emancipation of his people and their eventual integration into mainstream society was wholly misplaced, as “the monster of caste crosses everyone’s path alike”.

The loyalty of Hindus to the theodicy of Karma, a theory which “provides metaphysical explanations and legitimisation of each individual’s social situation and the sufferings (Max Weber)” was complete and unassailable; rendering any change of heart and attitude of Hindus towards untouchables almost unthinkable.
This pessimistic analysis impelled Ambedkar to entertain the thought of complete severance with the ideological, theological and religious mores of Hinduism as the only way to ensure social and spiritual emancipation of his people. And this could happen only by a change of faith.

Ambedkar’s decision, announced on October 13, 1935, had a dramatic impact on the religious scene in the country. Heads of Christian, Muslim and Sikh religions tried to lure Ambedkar by offering variety of inducements. But he was seeking a religion, which could lift his people from the deep morass. His quest ended with Buddhism.
Ambedkar firmly believed in the need and in the indispensability of religion in human affairs since “the postulates and sanction of morality should be the governing principle of any society”. Thus Ambedkar’s vision of religion accords primacy to morality and not God.

Ambedkar delved deep into the tenets of all the leading religions of the world with a view to make a choice for himself and his people. He stated somewhere that from his “study of religions two great personalities had captivated him” —Buddha and The Christ. He chose the former. He formulated a triadic construct which, he said, should form the foundation of any religion.

Religion must be in accordance with science, which is a synonym for reason. Religions which surrender reason to transcendental gods and dogmas are an anathema. It must recognise the fundamental tenets of liberty, equality and fraternity; religion must not sanctify and ennoble poverty.

When Ambedkar studied religion on the touchstone of this triune, the most eminently successful was Buddhism. By adopting Buddhism to guide man and society, Ambedkar envisioned to make man and morality as the means of all things.

The Dharma preached by Ambedkar is set out in his classic work Buddha and his Dharma, a product of profound understanding of events in Buddha’s life. He called this reinterpreted Buddhism Navayana. Wherein he has postulated his own version of Buddhism amounting to a sort of new religion, which critics say is not Buddhism but Ambedkarism, which mankind needs today.

Ambedkarism makes man and morality as the measure of all things. Ingrained in this ennobling vision is the individual and collective emancipation from “non rational thought, economic exploitation and unjust social difference”.

Ambedkar was a direct witness, and, in his early days, a victim of poverty. He was aware of how primary poverty, a state in which a majority of untouchables lived, (are, unfortunately, living today) was one of the demonic facets of the pernicious caste system and it was heaped upon his people in the name of religion.

“It was a contrivance designed by Vaidiks to keep the untouchables in perpetual misery”, said Ambedkar “is to pervert religion, to perpetuate vice and crime, to consent to make earth a living hell.” Abolition of poverty is a vital aspect of Ambedkarism, holding an important lesson to the developing nations of today’s world. Ambedkar’s Navayana with its stress on the concepts of liberty, equality and fraternity and their coexistence by following Buddha’s way powerfully resonates in the contemporary globalising world where market ideology is supporting social Darwinism, which would only lead to sharpening of inequality in the economic sphere, rendering life of the poor miserable.

Practice of Navayana could be a most powerful antidote to reigning consumerism which is debasing life. This ennobling vision should be our guiding star in moulding our nation to greatness.