MARCH 20 OBSERVED AS SOCIAL EMPOWERMENT
DAY TO COMMEMORATE MAHAD SATYAGRAH BY DR. AMBEDKAR
March 20 is being
observed as Social Empowerment Day to commorate Mahad Satyagrah
undertaken by Dr. Baba Sahib Ambedkar in Kolaba District in Maharashtra
76 years ago. The Satyagrah was launched to end untouchability
and press for implementation of the order by Mahad Municipality
allowing the `untouchables’ to collect water from Chavdar Tank.
The Municipality has passed order since 1924 to this effect but
it could not be implemented.
The Bombay Council
had on the proposal of veteran social reformer of Maharashtra
Shri S K Bhole passed a resolution on August4, 1923. The resolution
ordered all government departments and local boards to allow the
`Untouchables’ access to public places as they were not allowed
to collect water from public tanks nor allowed any facility in
school and dharamshals. The resolution of the Bombay Council was
not implemented by Municipal Boards. Dr. Ambedkar decided to launch
Satyagrah to get the rights to the deprived sections. He launched
Water Satyagrah in Mahad and Dharm Satyagrah in Nasik for this
purpose.
A huge public meeting
was organized at Mahad under the leadership of Dr. Ambedkar on
March 19, 1927 and on the following day about 5,000 men and women
led by Dr. Ambedkar marched to the Chavdar Tank and washed their
hands.
The incident created
a new hope among the depressed sections and at the same time it
impressed upon them that nothing could be secured without struggle.
This was further evident from the fact that upper caste Hindus
"purified" the waters of the tank by pouring 108 pitchers of water
into it. The Mahad Municipality under pressure withdrew the government
order allowing `untouchables’ to collect water from the tank.
Accepting both the
challenges, Dr. Ambedkar set up Mahad Satyagrah Samiti and launched
a new Satyagrah on 25th December 1927. He set out for
Mahad with 200 persons on December 24, 1927. He was enroute joined
by thousands of Dalits. On reaching Mahad he was told that a case
has been filed in a court as Chavdar Lake happened to be the private
property. He postponed the Satyagrah in order not to break the
law. But he urged the Dalits to send their children to school
and promote education equally among women. He said that education
would ensure their empowerment and better future.
Dr. Ambedkar filed
a writ in the Court seeking water rights for the Dalits in Chavdar
Tank. He personally fought the case, which lingered on for several
years. It was after a decade that the Bombay High Court gave a
verdict in favour of Dalits on March 17, 1936. It was a historic
victory for Dalits both on the moral and the legal grounds.
