Studying Ambedkar’s Ideologies: Movement against Caste Practices in Hinduism leading to Conversion

Abstract

Understanding Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar as a movement, will not be wrong. His continuous struggle for reforming social system began with his own understanding of Hindu caste system. When he began his movement against this biased evil system, he first of all educated himself by understanding the roots of caste system and strongly claimed that Shudras were not there in the beginning of this caste system but were constructed as a new caste for performing menial tasks and serving other castes. He argued about the construct of Hinduism on false prejudices. He strongly argued to re construct Hinduism by using facts instead of false myths and mysticism. His argument was constructed not around bringing other castes down to the level of Untouchables rather to uplift Untouchables by educating them and giving rights to them, social and political. He was strongly fighting for reserving their representation in the ruling party and merging them in other castes. Present paper describes how Ambedkar constructed this social upliftment of Untouchables as a movement by arguing that Hinduism as a religion has denied human treatment to Untouchables, hence, caste system should be annihilated. Their oppression and practice of untouchability cannot be removed until all castes were allowed to engage in inter- caste activities like, eating and marriage and become caste less. The paper also argues how denial and acceptance of his ideologies by caste Hindus and years of struggle against untouchability, led him to Buddhism and he found peace in conversion. His firm ideologies did not allow him to participate in the social construct, which despite of his arguments, denied to treat Untouchables as touchable and human.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.46700/asssr/2020/v2/i1/196110