Collector’s Edition

They accused him of polluting the hotel and told him to get
out by evening—or else! What could he do? He could not
stay with either of the two acquaintances he had in Baroda
for the same reason— his low caste. Bhimrao felt totally
miserable and rejected.
one. Opportunities had to be provided at grass roots level—
because knowledge is power.
Leading Peaceful Agitation: In 1927 Babasaheb presided
over a conference at Mahad in Kolaba District. There he
said:—It is time we rooted out of our minds the ideas of high

BOMBAY—Beginning of Social Life

and low. We can attain self-elevation only if we learn self-
help and regain our self-respect.” Because of his experience
He had no choice. After only eleven days in his new job, of the humiliation and injustice of untouchability, he knew
he had to return to Bombay. He tried to start a small business that justice would not be granted by others. Those who suf-
there, advising people about investments—but it too failed fer injustice must secure justice for themselves. The
once customers learned of his caste. In 1918, he became a Bombay Legislature had already passed a Bill allowing
lecturer at Sydenham College in Bombay. There, his stu- everyone to use public water tanks and wells. (We have seen
dents recognised him as a brilliant teacher and scholar. At how Bhim was denied water at school, in his office, and at
this time he also helped to found a Marathi newspaper other places. Public water facilities were always denied to
‘MookNayak’ (Leader of the Dumb) to champion the cause ‘untouchables’ because of the superstitious fear of ‘pollu-
of the ‘untouchables’. He also began to organise and attend tion.’)
conferences, knowing that he had to begin to proclaim and Mahad Municipality had thrown open the local water
publicise the humiliations suffered by the Dalits— ‘the tank four years earlier, but so far not one ‘untouchable’ had
oppressed’—and fight for equal rights. His dared to drink or draw water from it.
own life had taught him the necessity Babasaheb led a procession from the

At high school he had to sit in the

of the struggle for emancipation. Conference on a peaceful demon-

Leader of
stration to the Chowdar Tank.

Untouchables: corner of the room on a rough mat, He knelt and drank water

away from the desks of the other

from it. After he set this

pupils. At breaktime, he was not

In 1920, with the help of example, thousands of others

allowed to drink water using the

friends, he was able to return felt courageous enough to
to London to complete his follow him. They drank
studies in Economics at LSE.
cups his fellow school water from the tank and made

children used.
He also enrolled to study as a history. For many hundreds of
Barrister at Gray’s Inn. In 1923, years, ‘untouchables’ had been
Bhimrao returned to India with a forbidden to drink public water.
Doctorate in Economics from the LSE— When some caste Hindus saw them
he was perhaps the first Indian to have a Doctorate from this drinking water, they believed the tank had been polluted and
world-famous institution. He had also qualified as a violently attacked the Conference, but Babasaheb insisted
Barrister-at-Law. Back in India, he knew that nothing had violence would not help— he had given his word that they
changed. His qualifications meant nothing as far as the prac- would agitate peacefully. Babasaheb started a Marathi jour-
tice of Untouchability was concerned— it was still an obsta- nal Bahishkrit Bharat (‘The Excluded of India’). In it, he
cle to his career. However, he had received the best educa- urged his people to hold a satyagraha (nonviolent agitation)
tion anyone in the world could get, and was well equipped to secure the right of entry to the Kala Ram Temple at Nasik,
to be a leader of the Dalit community. He could argue with ‘untouchables’ had always been forbidden to enter Hindu
and persuade the best minds of his time on equal terms. He temples. The demonstration lasted for a month. Then they
was an expert on the law, and could give convincing evi- were told they would be able to take part in the annual tem-
dence before British commissions as an eloquent and gifted ple festival. However, at the festival they had stones thrown
speaker. Bhimrao dedicated the rest of his life to his task. He at them—and were not allowed to take part. Courageously,
became known by his increasing number of followers— they resumed their peaceful agitation. The temple had to
those ‘untouchables’ he urged to awake—as Babasaheb. remain closed for about a year, as they blocked its entrance.
Knowing the great value and importance of education, in Round Table Conferences—Gandhi:Meanwhile, the
1924 he founded an association called Bahiskrit Hitakarini Indian Freedom Movement had gained momentum under
Sabha. This set up hostels, schools, and free libraries. To the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi. In 1930, a Round Table
improve the lives of Dalits, education had to reach every- Conference was held by the British Government in London

Organiser n Collector’s Edition 91