Long live Indian Democracy Prem K. Chumber  Editor-in-Chief: Ambedkar Times & Desh Doaba

Freedom of expression is the soul of democracy. Any country which fails to protect and guarantee freedom of press and unrestricted expression of the opinions of its citizens fails to claims any credibility on account of its being a democratic governance system. It is known to all students of Indian freedom struggle that its central concern to begin with the emergence of Bengal renaissance was the demand for freedom of the press. Raja Ram Mohan Roy, the father of modern Indian political thought, was perhaps the first one to raise this demand for the freedom of India. In independent India, the freedom of the press and free expression was denied during the emergency. For that the Indian National Congress had to pay very heavily. Since then no Indian government could dare to gag the freedom of the press. But over the last few years, some partisan groups for reasons best known to them have been indulging in extreme form of violence to stifle the rational and anti-communal stance of some of the pro-democracy journalists who were courageously challenging the fundamentalist and obscurantalist forces that are hell went on destroying the multicultural texture of one of the oldest and largest democracies in the world - India. Dabholkar, Pansare, Kulburgi and now Gauri all of them who used to articulate boldly the rational and secular contents of the rich democratic and multicultural values across the religions, regions and languages of the vast socio-religious and culturally variegated Indian democracy, were brutally killed by fascists and communally rabid fundamentalist forces for never to be achieved their ugly goal of Saffron India. The real identity of India lies in its inclusive social order where the persecuted ethnic groups from different parts of the world, as reiterated by Swami Vivekananda Ji on 9/11, 1893 in the United States of America, were not only welcomed happily but also allowed to flourish as they wish to.

Babasaheb Dr. B.R. Ambedkar's brilliant articulations on social democracy giving life to equality, liberty, fraternity sum up the essence of the theory and praxis of democracy. He often referred to the need of inculcating the values and principles of social cohesiveness among the diverse sections of the Indian society. One who will try to put an end to such a rich and deeply cultivated culture of multicultural and communitarian tradition would face the combined might of all the egalitarian and democratic forces of the all-inclusive Indian society. Long live the multicultural and communitarian social tradition of the rich social democratic set up of India and its illustrious record of continuous electoral processes since independence. Down with anti-Indian democratic and communal-facists forces.
Prem K. Chumber 
Editor-in-Chief: Ambedkar Times & Desh Doaba
Posted at www.ambedkartimes.com on September 11, 2017

United States of America:  A Vision of Freedom and Dream of Prosperity Prem K. Chumber Editor-In-Chief: Ambedkartimes.com

4th of July embodies a vision of freedom and dream of prosperity. Every person in the world irrespective of her/his religion, class, creed and faith aspires to make the USA his home! S/he feels embolden while getting associated with this great nation - an abode of liberty, equality fraternity - of opportunities and dignity.  The USA instills faith and courage to come forward to live and let live with love and peace with one- self and the rest of the humanities. Since the end of World War II, it has not looked back to reconstruct peaceful order in the world and help attain freedom of thought, liberty and equality everywhere on the globe. Name any continent, region or a country where the USA has not left its mark of encouragement and initiatives for realizing ones dream and aspirations. One of the largest and oldest democratic countries in the world, the USA has always shown its greatest interest in allowing free flow of ideas and letting people live the way they want to be. It has remained first in all fields of human activities, be it science, technology, art, and sports. What led it to achieve all this is perhaps the freedom of thought and action guaranteed by its constitution and effective governance system. Ambedkartimes.com takes a lot of pride on this auspicious day of freedom and independence.
Posted at www.ambedkartimes.com on July 4, 2017

Eminent Writer & Dalit Crusader Sh. C.L. Chumber’s
Bhog ceremony will be held on 14th February 2016

Sh. C.L. Chumber noted social activist breathed his last on 6th February 2016. Hailing from Village Hussain Abad (Jalandhar), Sh. Chumber was widely well known for his contribution to the upliftment of the Dalit community.
Sh. Chumber started his career as a District Welfare Officer, but soon quit the job to serve the larger interests of the marginalized sections of the society. He was the founding father and editor-in-chief of Kaumi Udarian – a fortnightly magazine highlighting the social issues of the time.  He was also editor/publisher/owner of historic souvenir of Babu Mangu Ram Muggowalia.
Sh. C. L. Chumber contested the Punjab Legislative Assembly Jalandhar north seat in 1992 election for BSP.  A close aide of Late Sahib Sh. Kanshi Ram Ji, he was the spokesperson for ‘Kanshi Ram Bachao Sangharsh Committee’.  He also served as the President of ‘Bharatiya Dalit Sahitya Academy’ and worked as Resident Editor on ‘Bahujan Samaj Bulletin” - the mouthpiece of BSP in 1997. He was widely covered by print and electronic media for his progressive and insightful thoughts on a host of concurrent issues, including universal access to education, social stigmas, rampant corruption, and oppressive caste system. Sh. C. L. Chumber had a personal library with a collection of very valueable & rare books over 10,000 titles.
Sh. C. L. Chumber leaves behind his mother Mrs. Bishan Kaur Chumber, wife Mrs. Santosh Chumber, daughters Mrs. Ravjot and Mrs. Amandeep, and sons Mr. Kumar Jiv Chumber and Mr. Jan Sangram Chumber.
His younger beloved brothers Prem Kumar Chumber Editor-In-Chief: Ambedkar Times & Desh Doaba weekly newspapers in the USA and Mr. Tarsem Lal Chumber in Jalandhar City with their families.
The Bhog ceremony will be held on 14th February 2016 at 1 pm at Shri Guru Ravidass Gurdwara Sahib, Urban Estate Phase-2, Jalandhar City (Punjab). Chumber Family Posted on www.ambedkartimes.com February 8, 2016

NEW BEGINNING IN A NEW YEAR

We live in a time that can be called modern/post-modern. All the ‘isms’ of hope, advancement and prosperity have lost their sheen in the contemporary world. If somehow, we still find an ‘ism’ floating somewhere around us that is of Neo-Liberalism. All ‘isms’ were formed at different intervals of the long history of mankind civilization. What runs common in all the ‘isms’ is the emancipation of humanity from scarcity of resources and development of enough infrastructures for providing the basic necessities of mankind. Fabian ism, Socialism, Liberalism, Capitalism, Communism all failed to keep the promise! Now Neo-liberalism is darting the shots. It hardly bothers about what is called equality and fraternity. It only aimed at ‘sterling’ liberty, which aimed at pursuing profit without fear of consequences for the fellow travelers. It defines wealth in terms of possessions and friendship in terms of capacity to further its interests. But how this ultra-modern ‘ism’ will serve the cause of humanity is a common concern for all of us.

EDUCATION, SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION
AND EMPOWERMENT
Prem K. Chumber
Editor-In-Chief: Ambedkar Times

Babasaheb Dr. B. R. Ambedkar laid stress on ‘Educate, Agitate, Organize’ for the liberation of the Scheduled Castes (SCs) of India. He knew very well that education could not only stir the notion of self-respect among the downtrodden but also encourage them to locate viable solutions to the age-old evil of caste system and Untouchability in India. Educated SCs would challenge their tormentors and refuse to accept oppressive social structures around them. In fact, it was education that imbibed the glaring spirit in him of getting rid of caste system (annihilating caste) from Indian society; the most sought after goal of his life time mission.
Babasaheb Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was confident that once the downtrodden get educated they would never sit idly. They would definitely agitate against the system of social injustice around them and eventually organise themselves to put an end to the same. He himself set the example through his life-long struggle for the annihilation of caste. His philosophy was simple that an educated Dalit would agitate against the all-round system of injustice around him and indulge in a struggle to overcome it. It is his self-agitation against the blind system Untouchability that would force him and his fellow-beings to get organise to commence a struggle. The central thesis of his philosophy was to know the system first so that it can empower the downtrodden to challenge social injustice rationally then to set the pace for a long struggle to put an end to age-old social evil of caste system and Untouchability.
After almost sixty eight years of India’s independence, is there available a viable system of education to SCs in India? Government rural school system has come to standstill. They have turned dysfunctional long ago. Those who can afford costly private school education have abandoned them, thus rendering them just into ‘Dalit schools’. This is an open fact that in Government rural schools majority of the students are from the SCs community. There are, of course, some other students belonging to OBC and upper caste communities but they too belonged to poor families. There is no denying a fact, however, that that majority of the SCs families belong to the poor and most poor strata of the society.
Given the dysfunctional status of Government rural schools, the basic factor of education to change the system of Untouchability as advocated by    Babasaheb Dr. B.R. Ambedkar has been pushed to side-line. It is not only depriving SCs of genuine education but also blocking their way to social transformation. So there is an urgent need to revamp the Government rural schools so that proper and useful education could be imparted to SCs students along with others who want to join such schools. In addition an effort should be made to introduce an intensive multi language course work to enable the students to understand the available material in different languages. Along with the existing subjects provisions should also be made prepare them for job oriented courses in higher education.  

 (Posted on www.ambedkartimes.com) December 6, 2015 

AMBEDKARTIMES.COM
CONGRATULATES THE FABO TEAM

Ambedkartimes.com congratulates the entire FABO team, especially Ms. Santosh Dass, Mr. Arun Kumar and Mr. Gautam Chakravarty, for completing all the formalities to buy Dr. Ambedkar House in London.

The contracts was exchanged on August 26, 2015 by Mr Raj Kumar Badole, Minister for Social Justice and Special Assistance at Government of Maharashtra (India), via the High Commission of India in London (10 King Henry’s Road, NW3). This House, located near Primrose Hill in north London, was the one where Dr. Ambedkar stayed during 1921-22. It was in this very house that Dr. Ambedkar enriched his academic studies and strengthened his resolve to challenge the impact of the Caste System and British Rule in India. 

www.ambedkartimes.com takes great pride in sharing its happiness with all the Ambedkarites the world over for this great act of converting the stay house of our Babasaheb Dr. B.R. Ambedkar into a heritage center.

Prem Kumar Chumber
Editor-In-Chief
www.ambedkartimes.com
www.deshdoaba.com
Ambedkar Times (Weekly Newspaper in English)
Desh Doaba (Weekly Newspaper in Punjabi)
Posted on www.ambedkartimes.com , September 2, 2015

Editor's mail:
Wrongly written
Educate Agitate Organise

Dear Sir,

I was searching some content on Manusmriti and by chance, I visited your website ambedkartimes.com. There i saw message of Baba Saheb which is wrongly written Educate Agitate Organise. In my opinion, it should be written as Educate Organise Agitate. Hope you will respond to my mail very soon.

Regards
Kaushal Gautam
Dated June 7, 2015

Educate Agitate Organize
Editor’s Response

Dear Gautam Ji,

Jai Bhim!

Kindly refer to Baba Sahib Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s own words: "My final words of advice to you are educate, agitate and organize; have faith in yourself. With justice on our side, I do not see how we can lose our battle. The battle to me is a matter of joy. The battle is in the fullest sense spiritual.......” Dhananjay Keer, Dr. Ambedkar: Life and Mission, Third Edition, 1971, Page 351). Kindly see also: Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Writings and Speeches Vol. 1 (Education Department, Govt. of Maharashtra, 1979,) Specially the Chapter on Communal Deadlock and a way to solve it.
Thank you so much for visiting www.ambedkartimes.com. I am so happy that you read the website carefully and I respect your comments towards the site. Please keep in touch.
With regards,
Prem Kumar Chumber
Posted on www.ambedkartimes.com Dated June 8, 2015

Thus the real sequence of the slogan is:
Educate, Agitate and Organize

Prem Kumar Chumber (Editor-In-Chief) chumbermedia@yahoo.com
www.ambedkartimes.com , www.ambedkartimes.org, www.deshdoaba.com

Educate, Organize and Agitate is the most misquoted slogan of Baba Sahib Dr. Ambedkar. Its true version is: Educate Agitate and Organize. Baba Sahib uttered these precious words at the end of his historic speech delivered at the All-India Depressed Classes Conference (July 18-19, 1942 at Nagpur), convened to create an All-India organization with distinct aims and purposes in co-operation with all the inter-provincial forces. It was at this very conference that a declaration was made about the formation of the All-India Scheduled Castes Federation. Below are given the exact words of the concluding part of this historic speech of Baba Sahib, as cited in his ‘fascinating biography’ authored by Dhananjay Keer:

“My final words of advice to you are educate, agitate and organize; have faith in yourself. With justice on our side, I do not see how we can lose our battle. The battle to me is a matter of joy. The battle is in the fullest sense spiritual. There is nothing material or social in it. For ours is a battle, not for wealth or for power. It is a battle for freedom. It is a battle for the reclamation of human personality” (Bombay: Popular Prakashan, 3rd ed. 1971, p: 351, emphasis added).

Baba Sahib’ struggle for the uplift of the socially excluded was precisely spiritual in the sense that it intends to restore their lost dignity and make them equal with all the other sections of the rest of the society. For that the method he chooses was democratic-constitutional. Being educated in the oldest democracies in the world, Dr. Ambedkar imbibed the true spirit of democracy and constitutionalism. He wanted his fellow –beings and his countrymen to follow democratic ways for the peaceful resolution of all one problems including the most fatal one – the Untouchability.

In his democratic scheme of conflict resolution, education figures at the very beginning of the social struggle. Hence “educate” comes first in his three stepped slogan of educate, agitate and organize. By education Baba Sahib did not mean merely certificates and degrees. For him to educate means to become aware of ones real life conditions; to be conscious of ones surroundings; to raise objection to the inhuman existence in the society; and to ask for change for the better. “Tell the slaves he is a slave and he will revolt”, that is the real meaning of education.

It is such education that will stir agitation within, leading to what Baba Sahib called “agitate”. To “agitate” does not mean to organize guerrilla warfare, to do murda bad – murda bab. On the contrary, it means to become aware about ones social conditions and to seek viable steps for the eradications of the causes of the problems. Baba Sahib told us that only real and true education could only make us to “agitate”.

And it is this agitation, which is within, that would ultimately help us to “organize”. The true example of which is Baba Sahib himself, who after obtaining critical and rational sense through his education felt toofan within and consequently organized three political parties (Independent Labor Party, Scheduled Caste Federation and Republican Party of India) to secure Dalit human rights.

Thus the real sequence of the slogan is: Educate Agitate and Organize.  (Mobile: USA 916-947-8920)

REMEMBERING DALIT SAVIOURS

Mahatma Jyotirao Phule, E.V. Ramasamy Naicker (Periyar), Babasaheb Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, Narayan Swami Guru, Achutananda, Babu Mangu Ram Mugowalia are among the forerunners of Dalit saviours who devoted their entire lives for the emancipation and empowerment of the downtrodden. During their life-times they had to struggle very hard to articulate as well as build a ‘counter public’ for reclaiming the long lost Dalit space. Braving untold sufferings and persistent opposition from all the possible quarters, they remained steadfast in their mission to prepare a solid base for grooming the cause of the community. Despite the innumerable hardships, they succeeded in their bold endeavours to pave the way for Dalit liberation leading to ‘equality, liberty, fraternity’. Of late their struggle as well as vision/philosophy started getting recognition even in the political circles of their opponents. Almost all of them now feel proud of owning/appropriating them as and when they deem so fit.  The recent praises showered on Babasaheb Dr. B.R. Ambedkar by almost all the mainstream political forces in India is a case in point. Year-long preparation by the ruling as well as opposition parties for the celebration of  his 125th Birth anniversary are being reported in almost all the national newspapers.

During the 1920s, a large number of Adi movements took roots in different parts of India. Ad Dharm movement of Punjab is one of them. It born in the background of series of political developments in the region. It was founded and led by Gadarite Babu Mangu Ram Mugowalia, who wanted that his people should have their own separate identity and the wherewithal to lead dignified life. He was convinced of the fact that the only way through which his people can live with dignity and self-respect was to form their own exclusive Dalit identity, political party and religion. He succeeded on all these crucial accounts. He got recognition from the British Government in 1931 for a separate religion for the lower castes of Punjab (Ad Dharm), contested provincial assembly elections and pleaded meticulously for the rights of his people at all the plat forums available during his struggle.

Now when all the major political parties in India are promising to follow and implement the thinking of Babasaheb Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, it would be in fitness of things that the Punjab government should rename one of the coming up institutes of higher education in the state after the name of Babu Mangu Ram Mugowalia who was among the pioneers of the Dalit freedom fighters, founders of Dalit movement in Punjab, visionaries and educationists in the state on the occasion of 89th anniversary of first annual convention of the Ad Dharm movement held on  June 11-12, 1926.

AMBEDKARTIMES GROUP REMEMBERS SAHIB SHRI KANSHI RAM JI ON HIS BIRTH ANNIVERSARY Prem Kumar Chumber (Editor-In-Chief) Please read special issue of Ambedkar Times on Sahib Kanshi Ram Ji's birth anniversary Please click here

Ambedkarties.com successfully enters into seventh year of it continuity. This humble initiative began on   March 12, 2009 with the support of sympathizers of the Dalit cause. “Ambedkartimes” was formally released at Shri Guru Ravidass Temple, Fresno on March 15, 2009, and the birthday of Sahib Kanshi Ram Ji - founder President of BAMCEF, DS4 and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). It was also dedicated to him and his mission for the emancipation and empowerment of Dalits. While delivering a key-note address at the opening session of the 1st World Dalit Convention ‘A new vision towards a casteless society’ at the Kuala Lumpur Mines Resort city, Malaysia (October 10-11, 1998), Sahib Kanshi Ram Ji, reiterated that DALITS SHOULD BECOME RULERS INSTEAD OF BEING RULED. It is long we have been ruled. It is long we have been taking. Now it is time we change the destiny to rule and give. The 1st World Dalit Convention was well attended by more than 700 delegates throughout the world including famous politicians noted leaders from Dalit movement, champions of down-trodden, social reformers, renowned economists, famous educationists and great scholars.

The main source of strength behind the organization of this world Dalit Convention and preparing its extensive report was Senator and Chairman President IPF late Mr. M. G. Pandithan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. We also thank him on this occasion from the bottom of our hearts for this noble cause that he initiated valorously. During this historic convention Dr. Ambedkar International Award was also instituted by him and was given to the President of India, Mr. K. R. Narayanan. Dr. Ambedkar International Award was instituted to be given every three years to prominent leaders who work for the welfare of the downtrodden people. Since the 1st World Dalit Convention, many more World Dalit Conventions were held in different parts of the world.

Let me put on record, at this occasion of celebration of the successful journey of “Ambedkartimes”, that we are grateful to all our supporters, sympathizers, contributors and esteemed readers for showing faith in us and our small and humble endeavor for serving our community through the pages of this paper.  We hope to continuously receive your support liberally in future too. We also promise to do our best to serve the cause of equality, liberty and fraternity as envisioned by Bodhi Sativa Bharat Ratan Baba Saheb Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar. It is also a great occasion to share with all our supporters, sympathizers, contributors and esteemed readers that this media forum for the promotion of the cause of the community has expanded into weekly vernacular and English papers of the already successful monthly endeavor!

Regards,
Prem K. Chumber
Editor-In-Chief: 
AMBEDKAR TIMES

REMEMBERING BABU MANGU RAM MUGOWALIA ON HIS 36TH DEATH ANNIVERSARY Prem Chumber Editor-in-Chief

Babu Mangu Ram Mugowalia was the founder of the glorious Ad Dharm movement in Punjab. The Ad Dharm movement was the only movement of its kind in the Northwestern region of the country that aimed at securing a respectable place for the scheduled castes through cultural transformation and political assertion rather than seeking patronage from above. Another important feature of this movement was that it intended to bring social transformation and spiritual regeneration in the lives of the downtrodden. Although, this movement ceased to exist in its vehement form after the first general election in independent India, its emphasis on social transformation and political assertion against structures of social inequality and oppression continues to attract the Ad-Dharmis and other scheduled castes of Punjab even today.

Babu Mangu Ram Mugowalia set a clear agenda for the emancipation of the Dalits and their upliftment. The agenda aimed at restoring their lost indigenous religion and provide them with a sense of self-respect and dignity. The method to achieve this agenda was based on cultural transformation and spiritual regeneration of the indigenous people contemptuously known as Ati-Shudras. Babu Mangu Ram Mugowalia was not in favour of embracing any other existing religion. He was in favour of strengthening the Adi (the original) religion of the indigenous people of this country. His views on Hindu religion were very clear. He was of the opinion that since Dalits were not born Hindu where is the need for them to leave that religion and to embrace some other one. Babu Mangu Ram Mugowalia thought it appropriate to empower Dalits by carving out a separate Dalit identity on the basis of their indigenous religious strength (Ad Dharm). In one of his interviews to Professor Mark Juergensmeyer, a reputed scholar of Ad Dharm movement, Babu Mangu Ram said proudly “we helped give them [Ad Dharmis] a better life and made them into a Qaum. We gave Gurus to believe in and something to hope for”. Thus the real contribution of Babu Mangu Ram Mugowalia and the Ad Dharm movement was in forging a separate and independent Dalit identity in Punjab, which helped them reclaim their long lost original Adi religion and their forgotten heroes and gurus. All Ad Dharmis are indeed proud of for what Babu Mangu Ram Mugowalia did for them and are sincerely indebted to him. We all remember him reverently on his 36th death anniversary.

April 22, 2015

DR. AMBEDKAR’S
124TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS

Shri Guru Raviadss Sabha Sacramento (California) & The United Awarenes committee of Ravidassia Community (California) will celebrate Dr. Ambedkar’s 124th birth anniversary on Sunday, April 19, 2015 at Shri Guru Ravidass Temple Rio Linda in Sacramento (California). Please join us with your families & friends.

For more information, please contact:
Gurughar 916-992-1710 OR
H. R. Kajla 916-479-0421 Rakesh Chander 916-698-3808
Tawinder Kazla 916-300-5398 Kewal Bolina 916-548-8902

Guru Ravidass Ji Maharaj, whose 638th birth anniversary is being celebrated throughout the world, was a great saint/Guru of medieval Bhakti movement of North India. He belonged to the lowest of the low castes in India whose touch used to be considered polluting to the Savarnas. He opened a frontal attack against the system of Untouchability. He rejected the tradition of Brahmin mediator to reach the Supreme Being. He also said that one need not to hide his caste or leave his low profession to reach God. He became a model for his fellow beings to overcome the hierarchical barriers of Brahminical Social Order and to establish Begumpura - a state without fear and sorrows. Guru Ravidass elevated the status of the labour by emphasizing on the fact that honest labour is empowering. He completely rejected the concept of living on charity or miraculous wealth obtained by Paras.

      By defeating the famous Kashi Pundits in a formally organized Shastrartha, Guru Ravidass proved that merit is not the fiefdom of so called upper castes alone. Every body is capable of worshipping Him. The fourfold division of Hindu society is a big lie and a trick to make and keep a large section of the Indian society under the cruelty and control of the few in the name of purity-pollution principle made by the so-called Brahmins. It is against this very system of religiously sanctified social differentiation that Guru Ravidass envisioned establishing a state where there would be no place for untouchability and social oppression.

      For the social transformation of the society, Guru Ravidass laid emphasis on labour, compassion, virtue, prohibition of alcohol and all bad deeds. He also reiterated on the urgent need of remembering the formless God whom he addressed by varied names. Some scholars are of the view that Guru Ravidass did not form an organization nor he launched any consistent and systematic agitation against the system of untouchability. This is true. But to raise a loud voice at his times was no less than a clarion call to dismantle the unjust system of Brahminical social order. It is also true that the path told by him has become the beacon light for the Dalit movement in the country and abroad.

66TH REPUBLIC DAY RECEPTION
AT THE INDIA COMMUNITY CENTER, MILPITAS, CALIFORNIA

Milpitas (Prem Kumar Chumber): The Consulate General of India in San Francisco hosted a reception on January 26, 2015 on the occasion of 66th Republic Day at the India Community Center, Milpitas, California (USA). The reception was attended by various dignitaries including Mayor of Milpitas Jose Esteves, several elected municipal leaders, senior government officials including police chiefs, local dignitaries, academics, businessmen, media representatives and prominent Indian Americans in the region as well as members of the Consular Corps. Around 450 guests participated in the event. In his speech, Consul General Venkatesan Ashok highlighted the multi-faceted relations between India & the US and the tremendous contribution of the Indian Americans towards improving relations between the US and India and building bridges, referring in particular to the successful State Visit of President Obama to India as Chief Guest at Republic Day. Elected representatives of the US spoke fondly about India-US ties and the need to foster the relations in all fields. Scintillating cultural performances including Bharatanatyam and Bhangra dance were performed. Ustad Habib Khan mesmerized the esteemed audience with his celestial performance.

A separate event was held in the morning at the Ghadar Memorial in San Francisco where the national flag was hoisted and the President's address to the nation was ready out by CG Venkatesan Ashok.

Posted on www.ambedkartimes.com January 27, 2015

AMBEDKAR TIMES PAYS FLORAL TRIBUTE TO OUR FOREFATHERS
WHO COURAGEOUSLY FOUGHT THE BATTLE OF BHĪMA KOREGAON

BABASAHEB DR. B.R. AMBEDKAR,
POONA PACT AND THE CURRENT SITUATION

Babasaheb Dr. B. R. Ambedkar devoted his entire life for the emancipation and empowerment of the Scheduled Castes of India who for centuries have been compelled to live in deplorable situations. He tried different ways for this noble cause while setting the goal of annihilation of caste. First, he did his best to improve upon the situations through reforms within Hinduism. But soon, he realized that reforms within Hinduism will not work for the annihilation of caste because without caste the whole structure of Hinduism would come down like a house of cards and that would not be acceptable to its protagonists at all. Annihilation of caste at the first instance requires doing away with the Hindu Sastras (sacred scriptures/law books), which Hinduism would never agree to comply with. Thus the other way and rather the only way open to seek casteless social order was to say good bye to Hinduism and construct a new society under a different religion for the Ex-Untouchables. Dr. Ambedkar finally left Hinduism and established a new social-religious order popularly known as Navayan-Buddhism (Buddha and His Dhamma) where no one is subjected to any social discrimination based on accretive and primordial notions of caste and creed. In between, Dr. Ambedkar battled many struggles for the betterment of living conditions of the Scheduled Castes. Poona Pact was one of such major struggles.

It was through this historic Pact that Dr. Ambedkar got voice for his people in the provincial legislative structures in the form of certain fixed number of seats. That was 1932. A lot has changed now in 2014. State in India is fast withdrawing from its responsibilities towards the people. It firmly believes that market can save them from all the hardships they face. In other words neo-liberalism is being projected as the messiah of the Scheduled Castes. In such a changed scenario downtrodden has to rethink rather critically about the nature of struggle that they have to wage for the acquisition and protection of their rights. Quite interestingly, there is also fast emerging a viewpoint from within the academic circles of the Scheduled Castes which says that neo-liberal market economy offers lots of opportunities to the former untouchables who no-longer face any social exclusion in the aftermath of 1991 Globalizing India. This view-point also talks about Dalit billionaires and their own chambers of commerce.  What it forgets is that in the free market economy only those are welcome who have the capital to invest. And the capital in India used to be the prerogative of the upper castes only. Lower castes were deliberately kept out of reach of the capital by all possible means under the garb of a discriminatory and hegemonic religious social order. What about the millions of lower castes who do not have requisite capital to enter into the so-called non-discriminatory market economy in India. Would they be not discriminated in this new economic order? Neo-liberalism is no more different from capitalism. We must not forget that the two main enemies of the lower castes are, as cautioned by Babasaheb Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, Capitalism and Brahmanism. Both of them are once again busy in fashioning new permutations and calculations to keep their hold intact. Thus to face the realities of current situation in contemporary India, the teachings of Babasaheb Dr. B. R. Ambedkar are of utmost value as they have been ever.
Prem K. Chumber Editor-in Chiefwww.ambedkartimes.com
Posted on www.ambedkartimes.com September 24, 2014 OK

EDUCATION, SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION AND EMPOWERMENT
Prem K. Chumber
Editor-In-Chief: Ambedkar Times

Babasaheb Dr. B. R. Ambedkar laid stress on ‘Educate, Agitate, Organise’ for the liberation of the Scheduled Castes (SCs) of India. He knew very well that education could not only stir the notion of self-respect among the downtrodden but also encourage them to locate viable solutions to the age-old evil of caste system and Untouchability in India. Educated SCs would challenge their tormentors and refuse to accept oppressive social structures around them. In fact, it was education that imbibed the glaring spirit in him of getting rid of caste system (annihilating caste) from Indian society; the most sought after goal of his life time mission.

Babasaheb Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was confident that once the downtrodden get educated they would never sit idly. They would definitely agitate against the system of social injustice around them and eventually organise themselves to put an end to the same. He himself set the example through his life-long struggle for the annihilation of caste. His philosophy was simple that an educated Dalit would agitate against the all-round system of injustice around him and indulge in a struggle to overcome it. It is his self-agitation against the blind system Untouchability that would force him and his fellow-beings to get organise to commence a struggle. The central thesis of his philosophy was to know the system first so that it can empower the downtrodden to challenge social injustice rationally then to set the pace for a long struggle to put an end to age-old social evil of caste system and Untouchability.

After almost sixty eight years of India’s independence, is there available a viable system of education to SCs in India? Government rural school system has come to standstill. They have turned dysfunctional long ago. Those who can afford costly private school education have abandoned them, thus rendering them just into ‘Dalit schools’. This is an open fact that in Government rural schools majority of the students are from the SCs community. There are, of course, some other students belonging to OBC and upper caste communities but they too belonged to poor families. There is no denying a fact, however, that that majority of the SCs families belong to the poor and most poor strata of the society.

Given the dysfunctional status of Government rural schools, the basic factor of education to change the system of Untouchability as advocated by    Babasaheb Dr. B.R. Ambedkar has been pushed to side-line. It is not only depriving SCs of genuine education but also blocking their way to social transformation. So there is an urgent need to revamp the Government rural schools so that proper and useful education could be imparted to SCs students along with others who want to join such schools. In addition an effort should be made to introduce an intensive multi language course work to enable the students to understand the available material in different languages. Along with the existing subjects provisions should also be made prepare them for job oriented courses in higher education.    
(Posted on www.ambedkartimes.com) December 6, 2014 

Ambedkartimes.com and the so-called Upper Castes

Dear Readers,
Ambedkartimes.com received an e-mail seeking its opinion on the question of whether this World's fastest expanding web-site entertains reports, articles and essays written by scholars belonging to Non-Dalit or so called Upper Caste categories?

Let me (the editor of this site), clarify at the outset that <www.ambedkartimes.com> firmly believes in the philosophy and teachings of Bharat Rattan Babasaheb Dr. B. R. Ambedkar and aims at in its modest way to keep the caravan going on. Babasaheb had very clearly said that Brahmanism is a state of mind and an ideology rooted in Hindu Shastras. Brahmanism is not a person. A particular person who belongs to an Upper Caste but does not believe in the muck of the Hindu Shastras and is critical of its chaturvarna theory can not be tied with Brahmanism simply by virtue of the fact that he is born Upper Caste. Such thinking totally negates the very radical philosophy of Babasaheb Dr Ambedkar who clearly condemned any kind of discrimination based on birth/caste.

After the episode of Jat-Pat Todak Mandal of Lahore in 1936, Babasaheb Dr. Ambedkar decided that henceforth he would not go to any Caste Hindu organization but will welcome any one from the Upper Castes if he or she believes in Annihilation of the Caste system and agree with his philosophy of emancipation and empowerment of the Dalits.

Thus, Ambedkartimes.com is of the firm view that if any one, whosoever she/he may be, tries to distort the path of Babasaheb’s struggle and creates a wedge between the Dalits and the Dalit-sympatric scholars (who irrespective of their caste repose faith in the Philosophy and teachings of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar) is an enemy of the Dalits and the cause of the community.

<www.ambedkartimes.com> encourage and welcome scholars of Dalits as well as non-Dalit background to contribute their valuable writings that will enlighten the cause of the Dalits and further the on-going struggle both in India and elsewhere.

Further <www.ambedkartimes.com> does not discriminate simply on the basis of birth, rather it is duty bound to make all efforts for the elimination of this disastrous practice of Brahminical ideology that has made the life of Dalits a hell for centuries all together.

It also caution that we too should not fall victim to such nefarious designs of the Brahminical ideology and warns to be at guards so that Brahmanism should not enter the rank and files of the Ambedkarite struggle from the back door!
With Regards,
Prem K. Chumber
Editor
Amabedkartimes.com
(Reposted on www.ambedkartimes.com) December 2, 2014

Today is Merry Christmas, 25th of December, 2013. It is celebrated all over the Christian world as the birth of Jesus Christ. But for the whole world of Dalits, it is an important day as "Manu Smruti Dahan Din", as it was on this day in 1927 that Manusmruti was publicly burned by Dr. Ambedkar, during the "Maha-Sangharsha" of Mahad Satyagraha, and is an important mile stone in Dalit struggle against Brahmanism. Let us all remember this day with pride.
Read more Dr. K. Jamanadas

www.ambedkartimes.com takes pride in congratulating Honorable Prof. (Dr.) Ronki Ram, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Professor of Political Science and Fellow at Panjab University on his being elected Dean, Faculty of Arts. Prof. Ronki Ram has been the first incumbent of ICCR Chair Professorship of Contemporary India Studies at Leiden University, The Netherlands (September 2011-June 2013). Recipients of various awards both at home and abroad, Prof. Ram has widely travelled in USA, UK, Canada, France, Denmark, South Korea, Estonia, Lithuania, Germany, Bahrain, Pakistan, Sweden and The Netherlands on various academic assignments. Author of two books, several book chapters and research articles published in international peer reviewed journals like Modern Asian Studies (Cambridge University Press), Journal of Asian Studies (Cambridge University Press), Asian Survey (California University Press), Contributions to Indian Sociology (Sage), Journal of Punjab Studies (University of California Santa Barbara) among others within and abroad, he has 30 years of teaching and research experience at Jawaharlal Nehru University (New Delhi), Uppsala University (Sweden) Goa University (Goa), Panjab University (Chandigarh) and Leiden University (The Netherlands). His books on Dalit identity formation processes in Punjab are read with keen interest. His areas of specialization are identity politics, political sociology, conflict and peace studies, and critical Dalit studies.

We once again congratulate him on his becoming Dean, Faculty of Arts at Panjab University. It is a matter of great honor and pride that Panjab University has recently emerged as number one university in South Asia and thirteenth in BRICS and other developing countries in the world.

Prem K. Chumber (Editor-In-Chief)
Posted on www.ambedkartimes.com , December 14, 2013

Babasaheb Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar devoted his entire life for the creation of inclusive social set up in India where there should be no place for caste and similar social hierarchies leading to entrenched discrimination in all walks of life. He termed his struggle spiritual and not economic or for political power per se. His sole objective was to restore the lost dignity and self-respect to the millions of downtrodden in the society and to prepare them to stand for equal rights on their own strength. He firmly believed that liberty, equality and fraternity should become the real strengths of India, which would lay the true foundations of India democracy. For him political democracy should be based on social democracy. Social democracy in turn is dependent on equal opportunity available to all in the society where there should be no hierarchies and hereditary claims and special rights. 

He was a practical visionary who produced voluminous of well-documented literature to put across his viewpoint and egalitarian social order. He participated meticulously in expanding democracy of India and founded two political parties (Labor Party of India and Scheduled Castes Federation of India) and prepared a blueprint for the third (Republican Party of India). To give a practical shape to his social vision, Babasaheb tried all possible ways to bring social reforms within Hinduism in order to make it an all-inclusive religion where the Shudras and Ati-Shudras should not suffer on account of their so-called lower birth. He launched satyagrahas (non-violent struggles) for the entry of lower castes (then known as Depressed classes) in to public places of utility and religious sites; organized common kitchen eatings; and advocated inter-caste marriages. When such measures failed to bring fruit, he put forward the idea of changing religion. After giving it a deep thought (more than twenty years), he embraced Buddhism as a way to egalitarian social order in India.

His people for whom he struggled throughout his life eagerly wait for the true realization of his goal. Their enthusiasm can be seen from the way they throng the Mahaparinirvan Bhoomi of their beloved Babasaheb who had died on 6th December1956. Large crowds of people from all over the country gathered at the ”Chaitya Bhoomi” (Dr. Ambedkar’s memorial) at Dadar in order to pay reverence to the Messiah of downtrodden. They offered their love-laced feelings by touching the “Chaitya Bhoomi” reverently. This shows his great legacy that his people carrying forward to make his dream come true.

Prem K. Chumber
Editor-in-Chief (www.ambedkartimes.com)
Posted on December 6, 20132

BABU MANGU RAM MUGOWALIA (JANUARY 14, 1886 - APRIL 22, 1980) A GREAT FREEDOM FIGHTER & THE FOUNDER OF AD DHARM MOVEMENT

Through his consistent efforts, people of Punjab became aware of their rights. They started recognizing their true position in the given circumstances which helped them shape their identity in a distinct way. Ad Dharm gave them their true Gurus, cultural symbols, prayers, organizations and religion, which they are very proud of. On this day, April 22, 2011, Ambedkartimes.com, Ambedkartimes.org and Ambedkar Times fondly remember Babu Mangu Ram Ji Mugowalia, the architect of distinct Punjabi Dalit identity. Posted on April 22, 2011

REMEMBERING BABU MANGU RAM MUGOWALIA ON HIS 125TH BIRTH ANNIVERSARY Prem Chumber Editor-in-Chief

Babu Mangu Ram Mugowalia was the founder of the glorious Ad Dharm movement in Punjab. The Ad Dharm movement was the only movement of its kind in the Northwestern region of the country that aimed at securing a respectable place for the scheduled castes through cultural transformation and political assertion rather than seeking patronage from above. Another important feature of this movement was that it intended to bring social transformation and spiritual regeneration in the lives of the downtrodden. Although, this movement ceased to exist in its vehement form after the first general election in independent India, its emphasis on social transformation and political assertion against structures of social inequality and oppression continues to attract the Ad-Dharmis and other scheduled castes of Punjab even today.

Babu Mangu Ram Mugowalia set a clear agenda for the emancipation of the Dalits and their upliftment. The agenda aimed at restoring their lost indigenous religion and provide them with a sense of self-respect and dignity. The method to achieve this agenda was based on cultural transformation and spiritual regeneration of the indigenous people contemptuously known as Ati-Shudras. Babu Mangu Ram Mugowalia was not in favour of embracing any other existing religion. He was in favour of strengthening the Adi (the original) religion of the indigenous people of this country. His views on Hindu religion were very clear. He was of the opinion that since Dalits were not born Hindu where is the need for them to leave that religion and to embrace some other one. Babu Mangu Ram Mugowalia thought it appropriate to empower Dalits by carving out a separate Dalit identity on the basis of their indigenous religious strength (Ad Dharm). In one of his interviews to Professor Mark Juergensmeyer, a reputed scholar of Ad Dharm movement, Babu Mangu Ram said proudly “we helped give them [Ad Dharmis] a better life and made them into a Qaum. We gave Gurus to believe in and something to hope for”. Thus the real contribution of Babu Mangu Ram Mugowalia and the Ad Dharm movement was in forging a separate and independent Dalit identity in Punjab, which helped them reclaim their long lost original Adi religion and their forgotten heroes and gurus. All Ad Dharmis are indeed proud of for what Babu Mangu Ram Mugowalia did for them and are sincerely indebted to him. We all remember him reverently on his birth anniversary.

Posted on January 14, 2011

Ambedkartimes.com condoles the death of Shri Bhagwan Das, a legendary Ambedkarite, who deeply spread the mission and philosophy of Baba Sahib Dr. B.R. Ambedkar especially in Punjab and in whole India in general. He was the pioneered in publishing the speeches of Baba Sahib Dr. Ambedkar under the title Thus Spoke Ambedkar in four volumes at a time when there was no literature available on Baba Sahib’s views. He was a renowned scholar of Urdu and Hindi as well. He wrote extensively in Hindi too.

Shri Bhagwan Das was the founder member of the World Conference on Religion and Peace (India Chapter) with its headquarters in New York and Geneva. He was also the Director, Asian Centre for Human Rights; member of the Governing Board and Executive Committee of Asian Conference on Religion and Peace having its headquarters at Tokyo; and President of the Dalit Solidarity Programme. He remained active in his endeavours towards the mission up till his last breath.
Ambedkartimes.com pays floral tributes to the legendary Ambedkarite. His inspiration will always be with us to achieve the mission.
Prem Kumar Chumber
Editor-in-Chief (Ambedkartimes.com) Posted on November 18, 2010

REMEMBERING GHADRI BABA BABU MANGU RAM MUGOWALIA Prem Kumar Chumber Editor: Ambedkartimes.com

Babu Mangu Ram Mugowalia (1886–1980), death anniversary falls on April 22, 2010. He was the founder of the glorious Ad Dharm movement of Punjab. He traveled almost all of the undivided Punjab to facilitate the organization of the Dalit movement in the state. Being a former Ghadarite who he spent the formative years of his prime youth in fighting against the mighty British imperialism in foreign lands, he learnt the technique and strategy to contest and fight against cased based internal colonialism. He was an active member of the team of the Ghadarities who were assigned the task of smuggling weapons to India to fight against the Empire. The plan was somehow sabotaged and they were arrested. Then it is long story of ordeal. Against all odds, Babu Mangu Ram Mugowalia was able to survive and reached his village in 1925. After reaching his native village to his surprise he found the same ugly social system of low and high castes intact. He made his mind to liberate the downtrodden from the internal slavery of Varnashramdharma and started organizing a unique battle against the centuries old Hindu system of birth-based social exclusion. He founded Ad Dharm movement for the emancipation and empowerment of his people. He organized all the ex-untouchable castes falling under the then category of the Depressed Classes in Punjab and reminded them of their rich heritage when they used to be the masters of this land. He told them how they were reduced into worse than slaves in their own land by the alien Aryans who brought with them their sick social system called caste and started them oppressing with the whip of untouchability. He told his people that for us the real battle is the battle against the Chaturvarna system of Brahminical Hinduism.

He openly declared that Scheduled Castes are neither Hindu nor Sikh. They are also neither Muslim nor Christian. They are the original inhabitants of this ancient land called Bharat. Their real religion (Ad Dharm) was much older than Hinduism, Christianity, Islam and Sikhism. All these religion are born after Ad Dharm religion of the original inhabitants of India. He said that the Hindus did not only subjugate them but also made their religion oblivious; and thus made the ex-untouchables their slaves. He said that our real freedom will be to liberate ourselves not only from the British rulers but also from Brahmanism. He got special rights from the Britishers by adding Ad Dharm to the Census list as a separate religion of the Depressed Classes in Punjab in 1931. A great victory of the Dalits indeed! Babu Ji also became the pioneer of seeking political power as a key to all the problems of the community. In 1937, his Ad Dharm won 7 out of all the 8 reserved seats in Punjab.

Babu Mangu Ram Mugowalia's movement was not only confined to Punjab. He stood like a rock with Dr. Ambedkar. During Dr. Ambedkar's fight with Mr. MK Gandhi at the Roundtable Conferences in London (1930-32) Babu Mangu Ram Mugowalia Ji sent telegrams in support of the former as the leader of the untouchables in India against the latter (MK Gandhi). In 1946, Babu Mangu Ram Mugowalia was elected to the Punjab Legislative Assembly and remained in legislature till 1952.

He was very clear in his understanding that the real emancipation of the ex-untouchables lies in their efforts to revive their own indigenous religion (Ad Dharm), and in worshipping their own Gurus (Guru Namdev Ji, Guru Ravidass Ji Maharaj, Guru Valmiki Ji Maharaj, Guru Kabir Ji Maharaj). No other religion can liberate the Dalits from the quagmire in which they have been straddled for centuries except their own original religion "Ad Dharm".

Posted on April 22, 2010

DR. AMBEDKAR AND THE QUESTION OF CASTE IN INDIA OF 21IST CENTURY

Prem Kumar Chumber
Editor-In-Chief: Ambedkartimes.com

No one till date has been able to analyze the question of caste in India in such details and struggled so meticulously against its oppressive structures as Baba Sahib Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. He was of the opinion that caste is central to the Indian society and polity. Its economy is also inextricably tied with the elusive phenomenon of caste in India. Irrespective of long boasts of the pristine Indian (read Hindu) civilization and its so-called non-mundane concerns, it remains highly segmented especially on the basis of birth; a unique social malady afflicted millions of Dalits in India and abroad. What does it matter to them whether India achieves 8 or 9 per-cent growth rate? When there remains rampant social exclusion in all walks of life. Over and above the widespread phenomenon of globalization has further pinned them down. It is based on the idea that the welfare state is a hindrance in the way of the global market; it is presumed that the marginalized need not be supported by the state at all as they used to be earlier. This has further deepened marginalization and exclusion of the marginal groups and communities that were traditionally vulnerable and excluded. The rapid pace of transformation in the context of the market forces in the contemporary world has not only heightened the exploitation of the marginalized, but also severely limited the possibilities of their emancipation. Globalization may have opened up enormous opportunities but one has to map the emphasis on the ‘opportunities’. In fact, in the asymmetrical world in which we live, such opportunities open many doors for the haves by further marginalizing the interests of the have nots.
The Dalits have been excluded from social, economic and political rights including the right to education and employment, other than the traditional forced and customary undignified labour, precisely because of their birth in the untouchable castes. They also suffered from social exclusion because of their geographical segregation. They were forced to live on the outskirts of the villages towards which the wind blew and sewage flowed. Their houses were dirty, dingy, dark, and unhygienic where poverty and squalor loomed large. Until 1990, there had been some improvements in the lives of the Dalits in terms of education and employment opportunities, increase in wages, fall in poverty, access to land, water, health, education, housing and other resources owing to the State’s affirmative action. However, the trend was reverted and sidelined with the onset of the economic reforms under the process of globalization. The economic policy in India has undergone a major transformation since the beginning of the early 1990s, under the paradigm of liberalization, privatization, and globalization. One of the main concerns of this new paradigm is to facilitate the process of the roll back of the welfare State and prepare the space for the operation of the unrestrained market forces and open international trade. This pro-market and capital stance of the process of economic globalization has led to the widening of the gap between the privileged few and the large mass of the marginalized, and among them the Dalit laborers, daily wage workers and workers in the informal sector suffer the most.

For Dalits and other marginalized sections of the society in such adverse times, if still there is any hope to seek their genuine human rights and chances to livelihood that is the egalitarian, peaceful, rational and social-democratic philosophy of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar who had devoted his entire life for the cause of the uplift of the downtrodden. His interpretations about the origins of caste and untouchability are not only rational but are grounded in grass-roots reality of which he himself was an integral part. He devoted his entire life for the annihilation of caste from this sub-continent size of India by deploying democratic and peaceful methods. He was a thorough democrat in his approach and strategy. He wanted this evil to go for ever. For him the question of caste is not an individual question of the Scheduled Castes only, it is in fact an all India question which is very closely tied with the larger questions of Indian nationalism and real growth of India. If India has to come forward to play an important role in the emerging new post 9/11 world order, she has to exorcise its deadly specter of centuries-old caste.

The institution of Dr. Ambedkar Chair (Constitutional Law) in Columbia University from where he learnt his lessons of social equality, liberty and democracy under the guidance of reputed scholar Professor Dewey is a great and true tribute to messiah of downtrodden. The Ambdkartimes.com, Ambedkartimes.org & Ambedkar Times in English & in Punjabi congratulate all on this occasion of Birth anniversary of Baba Sahib Dr. B R Ambedkar .

Posted on April 14, 2010 at 0419

Please click here for News Paper in Punjabi AMBEDKAR TIMES http://ambedkartimes.org/

Prem Kumar Chumber
(Editor-In-Chief: Ambedkar Times)

The readers and contributors of the Ambedkartimes.com would be glad to know this Mulnivasi Bahujan Forum (Ambedkartimes.com) has taken a step forward in launching a solely Ambedkar Times news paper in Punjabi for the proliferation of the Philosophy and universal egalitarian message of Sahib Shri Satguru Ravi Dass Ji and the teachings of Baba Sahib Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and Ghadri Baba Babu Mangu Ram Mugowalia of the Ad Dharm fame. This Paper is publicly launched at Sahib Shri Satguru Ravi Dass Ji Maharaj’s 633rd Parkash Utsav & tenth vishal Nagar Kirtan celebrated at Shri Guru Ravi Dass Temple, Rio Linda, Sacramento (California) on march 14, 2010. Many of our community fellows in foreign lands asking for such a nirol Punjabi community paper, which has become a dream come true with all your encouragement and support without that it simply could not have happened.

I earnestly request you all to contribute to the development of this small endeavor in the form of writing articles, sending reports, news item focusing on the community activities and relating to the missions of Great Martyr Maharishi Shamooka, Tathagat Buddha, Ad Dharm, Baba Sahib Dr. B. R. Ambedkar and Great freedom fighter & founder of Ad Dharm movement Baba Babu Mangu Ram Mugowalia. We also request to all to give the opportunity to this paper to carry your advertisements relating to business, organizational and other related fields. We know that with your close and continuous support this paper would not leave behind anyone in serving the cause of the community and spreading the pious mission of our revered Rehbers.

Posted on March 30, 2010

AMBEDKARTIMES.COM REMEMBERS SAHIB KANSHI RAM JI ON HIS BIRTHDAY Prem Chumber Editor-in- Chief www.ambedkartimes.com

Sahib Kanshi Ram was born on March 15, 1934, in Khawas Pur village of Ropar District of Punjab. He was the eldest of eight siblings. He belonged to the Ramdassia (AD-DHARMI) community of the Scheduled Caste group, which is the largest group in Punjab. He was named Kanshi because after his birth the midwife placed him in a tray made of kansa metal. His father owned some land and his uncles were in the armed forces. In Sahib Kanshi Ram's own words, "I was born and brought up amongst those who sacrificed themselves but never betrayed the country...” Despite his low caste background, he earned a bachelor’s degree in science from the Government College at Ropar (Punjab).

His upbringing was modest. During his education years there was nothing special about him to suggest that he would mature into great social revolutionary. It was only after he took up a government job in the western Indian state of Maharashtra that he began to be influenced by the writings and life of Baba Sahib Dr. B.R. Ambedkar who voiced the concerns of India's low caste community and worked hard throughout his life for their empowerment.
Soon after his graduation, Sahib Kanshi Ram Ji joined the research staff of Kirki’s Explosive Research and Development Laboratory (ERDL) in Pune 1957. While working in Pune, he quit his job after becoming involved in the famous Deena Bhan case. Deena Bhan, a Rajasthani Scheduled Caste employee and senior colleague of Sahib Kanshi Ram Ji was suspended. His fault was that he protested against the decision of ERDL management for the cancellation of holidays for Ambedkar and Buddha Jayantis and their replacement by the Tilak Jayanti and one additional holiday for Diwali. Sahib Kanshi Ram decided to fight against such a caste ridden and dictatorial behavior of the management. The fighter in Kanshi Ram got the suspension orders of Deena Bhan revoked and Ambedkar and Buddha Jayantis holidays were restored.

This was the beginning of the long battle for the emancipation of the Dalits in the country that Sahib Kanshi Ram had to lead till his last breath. He resigned from his job and totally dedicated his entire life for the cause of the community. He never married nor visited his home since then. His struggle was not for the home and family. He devised a new strategy to regain the lost glory of the original (Adi) inhabitants of Bharat. He gave utmost importance to the culture of work and democratic method of struggle. He also expanded the circle of the Dalits by incorporating other Backward Classes and Minorities into it.

He criticized the post-Ambedkar leadership of Dalits in India. For that he declared Poona Pact as the main reason. He said that “Poona Pact made Dalits helpless. By rejecting separate electorate, Dalits were deprived of their genuine representation in legislatures. Several and various kind of chamchas were born in the last fifty years. As and when India's so called high caste Hindu rulers felt the need of chamchas and when the authority of the upper castes got endangered by real and genuine Dalit leaders, chamchas were brought to the fore in all other fields”.

In his "The Chamcha Age", a well argued and polemical tirade against the pseudo Dalit leaders, Sahib Kanshi Ram Ji sharpen the contradiction for the legitimate acquisition of political power by the downtrodden in electoral democracy in India. In, the Chamcha Age, "he focused very much on the Poona Pact which was a point of a rather decisive Gandhian victory over Dr. Ambedkar after a long duel between the two at the Round Table Conference".
In the mid-1960s, Sahib Kanshi Ram Ji began to organize Dalit government employees to fight against what he saw as the deeply entrenched prejudice of higher caste peoples. It was around this time that he decided that he would not marry and dedicate his life to the cause of Dalit improvement. By the mid-1980s, he decided play a crucial role in the politics of the country.

The result was the formation of the BSP (the Common Man's Party) in 1984. As a politician, he became very popular among his people, who found a new hope and vision in his style of functioning and sincerity. Suddenly he became a national figure. He was a master strategist and a meticulous organiser. He used his strengths to carve out a niche for Dalits. This was done by deploying an often combative and aggressive strategy, with virulent attacks on other political parties which he claimed only represented the interests of higher caste Hindus. He was sharply different from other politicians of the mainstream. He used to communicate before he spoke.

He was one of the few great leaders of Independent India who actually expanded the limits of Dalit politics. His political vision was never confined to Scheduled Castes only, as is often thought about him. All of the political organisations he founded were meant for the downtrodden of all sorts – SC, ST, OBC and Minorities. It would not be an exaggeration to say that he was the one who took a lead in making Indian democracy more competitive and practically open to the Dalit-Bahujan Samaj.

Posted on March 15, 2010

54th Birthday of Hon’ble Chief Minister, Uttar Pradesh Ms. Mayawati Prem Chumber Editor-in- Chief www.ambedkartimes.com

Ambedkartimes.com wishes Hon’ble Chief Minister, Uttar Pradesh Ms. Mayawati fearless leader of the downtrodden, the oppressed, and the socially excluded millions of India and symbol of the social mobility, self-respect and honor, an active long life full of vigor, good health and happiness on her 54th birthday on 15 January 2010.

On this very day, the Hon’ble Chief Minister, Ms. Mayawati reaffirming her commitment to welfare of the downtrodden and deprived sections of society, launched a special scheme “Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mahamya Gharib Arthik Madad Yojna” to be directly monitored by her. Under this scheme, the beneficiaries would be entitled to Rs. 300 per month and the amount would be deposited in two half-yearly instalments in their bank accounts. For the speedy implementation of this new scheme, a special cell has been created in the Chief Minister’s secretariat at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Annexe Bhawan (Lukhnow). It is estimated that about 30 Lakh (three million) poor families would benefit in the first year of the scheme and the remaining would be reached out subsequently.

The “Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mahamya Gharib Arthik Madad Yojna”scheme is among the 264 new public utility projects worth Rs. 7, 312.00 crore located in the capital, Lucknow and various districts of the state covering as wide areas as new bridges, new roads, bus stations, sewerages in several towns, health care units, power sub-stations and agricultural reforms programs.

On this auspicious occasion, the English and Hindi editions of the fifth volume of Ms. Mayawati’s book, “A Travelogue of My Struggle-Ridden Life and BSP Movement”, were released by her. This anthology, running up to 1,100 pages is known as the “Blue Book” of the BSP.

Posted on January 15, 2010

DR. RONKI RAM’S RESEARCH ARTICLE ON GURU RAVI DASS, DERA SACHKHAND BALLAN AND THE QUESTION OF DALIT IDENTITY IN PUNJAB PUBLISHED IN JOURNAL OF PUNJAB STUDIES (UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA BARBARA)

Dear readers,

The recent issue of Journal of Punjab Studies (University of California, Santa Barbara), Vol. 16, No. 1, Spring 2009 has carried Dr. Ronki Ram’s, Chairperson, Dept. of Political Science, Panjab University, Chandigarh (India), research article on Ravidass, Dera Sachkhand Ballan and the Question of Dalit Identity in Punjab.

The Journal of Punjab Studies is published by the Center for Sikh and Punjab Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara

The Center provides institutional support for the study of the Sikh tradition, the region of the Punjab, and the Punjabi communities settled in other parts of the world.

The first of its type in North America, the Center's aims are: (1) to serve as a premier venue for research and scholarly exchange;
(2) to develop and promote undergraduate and graduate teaching;
(3) to disseminate knowledge through publications and outreach activities;
(4) to assist other universities embarking on programs in this area, and
(5) to be proactive in involving the Sikh/Punjabi community in these
activities.

The Journal publishes related articles. It is available free of charge as an Open Access journal on the Internet. http://www.global.ucsb.edu/punjab/journal.html

Prem Chumber
Editor-in- Chief www.ambedkartimes.com
Posted on January 06, 2010

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