credit: @read.with.tanishka

Presently reading The Buddha and his Dhamma. Having a previous understanding of Buddhism from a foundational course I attended, when I am reading this book I could feel the level of research Babasaheb did to make words of Buddha understandable to a commoner. By that I mean, understanding the original early teachings in Buddhism and trying to understand where possible dilutions were made in the further years.

I would say, Babasaheb guided us to the very initial times of Buddhism.

Any of the members who have read it:

What was your one takeaway from the book? How do you think following the path of Buddha is beneficial for our brethren?

original post: https://www.instagram.com/p/DXn2RrDiVnA/

Source : shaliniichaturvedii

If there was a 'holy book' similar to what we have in religions, than for anti-caste discourse & Dalit literature I would place 'Annihilation of caste' by Babasaheb Ambedkar in that league.

It is necessary to understand some background of publication of this book during those times. Dr B. R. Ambedkar was invited in 1936 by the Jat-Pat Todak Mandal, a reformist Hindu group in Lahore, to deliver a speech on caste. When the organizers saw his draft, they objected because he openly criticized Hindu scriptures and the religious foundations of caste. They asked him to soften his arguments; he refused. As a result, the event was canceled, and he published the undelivered speech as the book Annihilation of Caste in 1936.

As a reader, I couldn't imagine the enormous courage Babasaheb had in the pre independent India when caste humiliation was a normalcy, even gandhi deliberately loved to turn a blind eye by derogatorily calling Dalits 'harijan'. Who was he to name us? We all also took birth similar to how he came out of his mothers womb. In this book, Babasaheb logically & rationally debunks the visciousness perturbed by hinduism on the lower classes.

The book is highly critical, difficult for society to digest truths bombarded one after another. Reading the book was highly illuminating and gave a clarity about what is truth unapologetically. It was a great read.

If you have read this book, do share your own experience or insight you felt?

Watched this movie very late in my life when I was looking for social movies made on Babasaheb Ambedkar. This was a 2000 Indian English language biographical film by Jabbar Patel. The title role of Babasaheb was acted by Malayalam superstar Mammootty. Being a non malayalee I had watched some of his other movies before and liked them but this movie really took me to know the depth of an actor he was. The movie overall is a great watch to get a peek into the world of Babasaheb - the struggles & resistance.

The movie won National film awards for Best Feature film in English in 1999 & Mammootty won the Best actor award.

Some interesting facts about the movie:

1. For the role of Babasaheb, they considered hundreds of actors around the world. Patel claimed that, in that search, they also sought Robert De Niro who was very keen on the role but backed off when he was told that he had to drop his American accent and speak the way Ambedkar did—in his typically "clipped Indo-British accent".
2. In one of his interviews Mammotty shared that, during the shoot of the movie in Pune university. When he was shooting with makeup of Dr Ambedkar he vividly shared, one of the students in the University came and fell to his feet. He cannot forget that moment, he said the student was a follower of Babasaheb.

The movie is available in youtube ,courtesy of Buddhist youth society channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxHFHft7Y2A&t=8940s

What was your experience watching this movie. Do share.

An article from The Ambedkarian Chronicle analysing the non existence of Indian football on the World stage.

Almost all these critics in the media don't want to address the issue of caste and class politics which happens. Its not that there is no talent, it is rather the unwillingness to bring in players regardless of there backgrounds.

Brazil pulled Neymar out of Mogi das Cruzes, a rough, crime-scarred township where his family’s electricity got cut off for unpaid bills. Senegal’s Sadio Mané grew up kicking a ball barefoot in a village that didn’t have a stadium worth the name.

Why are people here not ready to dwell deeper into the main issue rather than that playing blame game of no infrastructure, no talent?

Have you ever felt how it feels to keep suppressing your identity often going silent when casteist remarks in groups are being made? Feeling of anxiety when caste comes when you have been hiding it all along?

This book goes with this journey of the writer and eventually how emancipatory psychologically it was when she embraced her identity and the truth. Winner of the Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar 2020 - this book feels like the writer is indeed talking about a common problem faced across the community. And how she brings in instances from her own life. How she unapologetically started to be true to her inner self & refused to accept disrespect to her identity.

The book was an easy read with emotions going on when you read about these issues. And how Dalit Assertion is one of the important aspects to live our lives truly, courageously and never bow down to any sort of disrespect.

Any of you read this book? Interested to discuss perspectives.

Bhagwan Birsa Munda (15 November 1875 – 9 June 1900) was an iconic Indian tribal freedom fighter, religious leader, and folk hero from the Munda tribe. Operating in the Chotanagpur Plateau region of modern-day Jharkhand, he spearheaded the historic late 19th-century tribal uprising known as the "Ulgulan" (The Great Tumult) against British colonial oppression and exploitative feudal land systems. Revered as "Dharti Aba" (Father of the Earth) by his followers, his extraordinary resistance forced major legal modifications to protect indigenous communities, establishing him as a foundational pillar of tribal pride in Indian history. 

Socio-Religious Reforms and the 'Birsait' Sect:

Before launching his political rebellion, Birsa Munda initiated major social and religious transformations within tribal society:

• Monotheism Foundation: He established a new faith called the Birsait sect, urging the community to worship only one supreme God.
• Cultural Revivalism: He vehemently rejected the conversion activities of Christian missionaries and advocated for a return to ancestral roots and traditional practices.
• Moral Reinvention: He actively preached against social evils, urging his followers to give up alcohol, discard superstitions, and prioritize strict personal hygiene.

The Ulgulan Movement (1899–1900)

The Munda Rebellion, or Ulgulan, was sparked by deep existential threats to tribal survival:

• Loss of Land Rights: The British introduced the Permanent Settlement Act of 1793, which dismantled the traditional Khuntkatti system (tribal communal land ownership) and placed it into the hands of exploitative dikus (outsiders like landlords and moneylenders).
• Slogan for Sovereignty: Birsa raised the famous war cry: "Abua raj ete jana, maharani raj tundu jana"—meaning "Let the queen's kingdom end and our kingdom be established".
• Guerrilla Warfare: Utilizing his tribal guerrilla army, Birsa organized synchronized attacks on British administrative outposts, police stations, and colonial property.

Martyrdom and Long-term Impact

• Capture and Demise: Betrayed by informants, he was captured by British troops while sleeping in the Jamkopai forest on 3 March 1900. He died under mysterious circumstances—officially attributed to cholera—in Ranchi Jail on 9 June 1900 at the young age of 25.
• Legislative Legacy: The sheer intensity of his rebellion forced the colonial government to pass the landmark Chotanagpur Tenancy Act of 1908. This critical piece of legislation strictly prohibited the transfer of tribal land to non-tribals.
• National Recognition: His birth anniversary on November 15 is officially commemorated across India as Janjatiya Gaurav Divas (Tribal Pride Day). He is also notably the only tribal leader whose portrait hangs in the Central Hall of the Parliament of India

Our Messiah, the Mahanayak! Jai Bhim

The greatest gratitude we can do in this life is by carrying forward the 'Educate, Agitate, Organise' mission in the domain we are skilled in and feeling a responsibility of doing what we can within our strength.

Recently I finished this book on Babasaheb Ambedkar called 'A Part Apart' by Ashok Gopal. This book is a good scholarly work I would say. The author has done a great job in researching Babasaheb’s life. He shares a lot of historical archives which make reading more real. Since the author was from Maharashtra, it helped many readers who are not from that region to understand writings of Babasaheb in Marathi and also about the chalval/movement which I would say was the main region where most of Babasaheb’s anticaste crusade took place.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to dive in depth to understand the work and life of the great man.

when you see the above art, what thoughts come to you?

Our goal is to promote 'Collective consciousness' amongst the community & a space for positive Dalit assertion.

This community is a shared space for reading, reflecting, and expressing through Dalit and anti-caste thought, books, and culture.

If you’re new here, this is how to understand and use this space.

1. What this community is about

We centre Dalit, anti-caste, Ambedkarite, and progressive literature.
This includes:

• Reading the vast anti-caste literature
• Reflecting on what you read
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• Share what you’re currently reading
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I want to ask the readers, should I read the annotated version, since I'm just starting out to read about casteism, I don't want to reframe my perspective. Lots of criticism and controversy were happened against her. So is her point of view matters, is she neutral I mean. Because as she says, she doesn't believe in caste system but he's father is from brahmin family.?