All Roads Lead To Chaityabhumi
By Aishik Chanda
07 December, 2014
Countercurrents.org
Busts of Buddha, Shivaji and Ambedkar at Chembur station
Mumbai, December 6: “Chaityabhumi kade” read white and blue posters on the walls of Dadar station as I climb the steps of the overbridge after alighting from a CST-bound local train from Kurla station.
Just stepping outside the station, you see that no major political parties in the state have missed the chance to give their “Hardik subhkamnayes (Heartfelt greetings) to the pilgrims on the occasion. Someone (or some organization) had even placed garlanded busts of Bharat Ratna Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and Buddha along with Shivaji, as if to maintain the Dalit-Buddhist identity along with the larger Marathi identity revolving around Shivaji.
A few steps down the street, in which hundreds of black heads of people dressed in white, saris and shirt-trousers, walk towards a direction of Chaityabhumi, where Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar was cremated, near Shivaji Park, a group of 20-something men give original and modified slogans like “Ekach Sahab, Baba Sahab (Only one sir, that is Baba Sahab) and Jab tak suraj chaand rahega, Baba tera naam rahega (Baba your name is eternal) respectively. The 50-strong crowd from Dombivli begins a candle-light march from Dadar station to Chaityabhumi.
Babasaheb Dasarathwature, leading the group of 50 20-something men of Bhim Shakti Mitra Mandal, says, “Many upper-castes tell me that Babasaheb was a leader of only Dalits. On this occasion, we want to give a message to all that he was a leader of everyone. He should be conferred the title of ‘Mahatma’.”
On further questioning, he tells, “However, none of the upper-castes came out in solidarity with the three Dalit victims of the recent Jhavkheda killings in Ahmednagar district. That really pained me.” “Even after many Dalit killings in Maharashtra, the Dalit youth are not resorting to counter-violence because of the teachings of Gautam Buddha. But, paani sar ke upar gaya toh hum bhi bekaabu ho jayenge (We will have patience till it’s tolerable),” he adds.
A few hundred yards further, a group of 10 middle-aged men in white shirt and khakis with lathis in hand, march in a single-line formation towards the sacred place of Ambedkariites. Had you missed their blue Gandhi caps and black rubber slippers, you would have mistaken them as Mumbai traffic cops. As I join them on their march, it turns out that the “men in uniform” are members of Samata Sainik Dal (Army of soldiers for equality) from Nanded district of Marathwada region. This group, led by “captain” Dadarao Girbire, is 75-member strong and is woman-majority (Women number 50 and men 25).
The SSD, headquartered at Chaityabhumi is a voluntary organization that was seen managing the crowd into queues and providing drinking water to the pilgrims. “Largely composed of Dalits and funded by Buddhist Society of India, founded by Dr Ambedkar in 1955, selection into SSD is done by retired soldiers of the Mahar regiment of Indian Army through a written exam and physical test. There are almost 1,500-2,000 SSD sainiks in Nanded district alone and more than 500 in every district of the state. We act as ‘Police mitras’ (Friends of police) and work in tandem with them,” said Mr Girbire.
When I asked them if they fight against Dalit atrocities, Mr Girbire, after maintaining half-a-minute pause, says, “Saab, we try fighting against Dalit atrocities but there is no unity among our people. We don’t get support on a mass-level.”
Down the Swatantra Veer Savarkar Marg, negotiating the water pools created by the water tanks of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), as I reach the overarching façade of Chaityabhumi, a known voice hits the ears. On further negotiation through a swelling mass sitting in a row facing towards south of the Dadar chowpatty towards a podium at the end of the premises, I see Prakash Ambedkar, leader of Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh and two-time MP from Akola and grandchild of Dr Ambedkar, sharing the stage with his mother Meeratai and a host of other other leaders, urge unity among the Dalit politicians.
“Be careful of people who are instigating infights among us. Our people are going with the BJP and the Congress. This should not be the case. We should be united. Acche din is for the BJP workers only, not for us,” says Mr Ambedkar. He suddenly jumps to Javkheda killings but plays safe. “The investigation into Javkheda killings is on. So, can’t say anything about that.” But, a spectator is undaunted. “They are waking up people who are asleep,” says Amol Kakre, an ordinance factory worker from Pune.
At a shop outside the façade of Chaityabhumi, Sunil Khilare from Hingoli district says, “I hope the BJP will work for the Dalits. Even though I didn’t vote for them, many Dalits in my village did. The former Congress MLA of Goregaon, Hingoli, Bhaurao Patil has done nothing for the Dalits. Vexed, they voted for BJP. (Devendra) Fadnavis should keep the faith people placed on Modi and his party.”
At Shivaji Park, just a few hundred yards from Chaityabhumi, RPI (Athvale) is stealing the show. The ground, where Shiv Sena held its first rally way back in the 60s, is teeming with pilgrims from as near as Ghatkopar and as far as Amravati.
However, not all present at the ground sing praises of RPI (A). “Ramdas Athvale talks all big but has never come to the villages of Amravati. They think Dalits in villages don’t exist. All they do is hop from Mumbai between Pune, Nashik and of course Delhi,” said Ashok Khandare from Amravati district. “To gain the support of Dalit-Bahujan people, Athvale should stick to them. Instead he goes to Shiv Sena and BJP and with anyone. Why should we support him if he fails to represent us,” Mr Khandare adds.
However, a young man from the same district comes out in support of the ruling party. “BJP rule both at centre and state is much better than the Congress rule,” says Sagar Gade. On asked about no decline in Dalit atrocities citing Jhavkheda, Mr Gade says, “Nothing is 100 per cent perfect, sir.”
The pilgrims have not been allotted tents or rooms but only big plastic sheets to sleep on, under the open sky. However, many Dalit social organizations operating out of the city have arranged food for them. At some mandal like Baundh Vikas Mahila Mandal of Ghatkopar, food means pulao, whereas others had to satisfy their hunger with one vada pav distributed from an open truck at the eastern end of the park.
For Nandu Sardar from Amravati district, who have come to Chaityabhumi after 10 long years, things have not changed much. “Only this bhaashan baazi (lecturing) by these politicians was a little less then,” Mr Sardar says as he pulls his blanket to cover himself, preparing to sleep off early so that he catches the train back home tomorrow early.
“For sanitation, mobile vans have been deployed. And also ambulances are present for emergencies,” he says before pulling his blanket over his face.
Apart from RPI (A), two major political parties, Bahujan Samaj Party and Nationalist Congress Party have put shop on the ground. “We have got the most number of votes among the Dalit patties.-- 14 lakh – as compared to RPI (A)’s 2 lakh votes,” Sumedh Kushalvardhan, a Maharashtra BSP worker said. However he complains that media only promotes RPI (A) and not BSP. “We use this occasion (Mahaparinirvana Day) to spread out BSP’s ideology, aims and motives to the masses who don’t know us.”
The police estimates that around 2.5 lakh people had come to Chaityabhumi and Shivaji Park on the day. “Some 2.5 lakh people, many of them from Vidarbha, have come today (December 6). For the bandobust, 1,400 policemen of 3 SRP battalions have been deployed here,” said Ganesh Sonawane, Mill Special, PRO, Mumbai Police.
The 2.5 lakh people will leave a huge mass of plastic glasses, plates and garbage at the park, which Dalit sweepers of BMC will have to clean.
The writer is pursuing M.A. Dalit and Tribal Studies and Action in Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Mumbai. He was a former working journalist in The New Indian Express and Deccan Chronicle in Hyderabad, Telangana. He sill continues to write as an independent journalist.
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