Rude Awakenings - Forest Sangha Publications

^0 P U R I T Y 06held to the social structure and ethos of the Aryans as expressed in theVedas. The religious expressions and the forms of the divine havechanged, but the dharma persists. And in Vedic thought, the dharma isthe duty of one’s class. “It is better to do one’s own duty badly thananother’s well” state the Laws of Manu (second to third century C.E.), asentiment given religious sanctity by the Bhagavad Gita, the cornerstoneof Hinduism. So for the Untouchables at the time of Ambedkar andGandhi, liberation from the Hindus was at least as important as liberationfrom the British. Toward that goal, Ambedkar directed most of hisadult life. Although born an Untouchable, he had through force of characterand intelligence acquired degrees in economics, philosophy, andpolitics in London and New York, and was subsequently called to theBar. Despite his clashes with Gandhi over the caste system, his intellectualbrilliance and political skills caused him to be appointed to chair thedrafting committee for the Constitution of the newly created IndianRepublic. It was due to him that this Constitution abolished Untouchabilityand declared: “The State shall not discriminate against any citizenon grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth, or any ofthem.”Thus speaks the Law, but with a poor, illiterate, and dominated 35percent of the population still forming what are now called “scheduledcastes” as against an upper echelon of 5 percent, these high-mindedstatements and even legislation have not brought about equality, far lessfraternity. Dr. Ambedkar himself must have realized that political poweris fragile and finally ineffectual, so he also sought religious authority. Hisown personal convictions and the need to provide his people with a religionand culture that supported them, brought about his conversion tothe way of the Buddha, whom Nehru himself had called “India’s greatestson.” And a multitude joined, and continue to join, him. The conversionlifted the Slaves out of the context of Hindu culture, gave thema new identity, and blessed them with dignity. The Buddhist populationof India therefore grew from fifty thousand at the turn of the century8 3