Culture for Social and Economic Change: An Ambedkarite Buddhist Perspective

A caste system was present in ancient India before the birth of Buddha. Dr. Ambedkar in his book ‘The Buddha and his Dhamma’ mentioned 62 schools of philosophy opposing Brahmanical philosophy. The most notable were Akrivada, Niyativada, Chaturyamsamvarvad, Ucchedavada, Annyonyavad, and Vikshepavada. The presence of these philosophies highlights the intellectual freedom of that time.

Five hundred years before Christ, a boy named Siddhartha was born into the princely family of the Shakya clan. Siddhartha was born in a princely life, hidden from people's misery in his kingdom. He had many questions, and the most important one was about the suffering of human life. Siddharth became an ascetic in pursuit of an answer to this question. He underwent a six-year journey before becoming the Buddha beneath the pipal tree in Gaya. He now knew the cause of suffering and the path through which to remove the suffering. His first message to the first five disciples is the social message of Panchshila (Five Precept) that had to be spread to the people. His teachings have given the general public a new perspective that views caste as meaningless and emphasizes the importance of a path to happiness for as many people as possible (Bahujan Hityay). A new culture among the masses was flourishing. Swami Dharma Teertha (A disciple of Shree Narayana Guru) in his book concluded that Buddhism was a national religion because of common cultural synthesis and accepted by people by free will and pleasure.

Buddhism influenced kings for many centuries. A great historical empire emerged under King Ashoka. It is because of the influence of Buddhism that Ashoka kept the kingdom united through a welfare agenda. When there were fewer fights among kingdoms, the surplus revenue was spent on public welfare and the construction of Buddhist stupas. The era of internal prosperity and international reputation was possible because Buddhism spread in different parts of the world. The decline of Buddhism from its land is suffering for the oppressed. Chinese records suggest that untouchability was firmly established by the seventh century.

Since ancient times, world history has been full of conflicts and war among kingdoms. The quest for power and territory only resulted in the suffering of the people. Europe successfully protected itself from the aggression of neighbouring kingdoms and started an era of peace for their subjects. The people were now free from aggression for a long time and they could now look for growth through enterprise. Society started taking multiple initiatives for growth, from below. The system of governance was federal with fragmentation of power which led to competition and better care of people. The era of invention started in Europe with steam engines, turbines, textile machinery, printing machinery, and railways. Subsequently, the project of colonisation began. During Ashoka's rule, Buddhist culture flourished in many countries through the world's first organized missionaries. Europeans who entered India came with a culture of technology and science.

Once the British had conquered India, it established an imperial system of governance. There was more support for goods manufactured in England, while taxes were levied on Indian-made goods. People's finances became tighter as a result of the financial burden of taxes and a decrease in business income. One of the consequences was the 1857 mutiny. Following the mutiny, the imperial system of governance model was transformed into the federal structure of governance. The support for Indian business was granted. This was the policy when Indian entrepreneurs established textile industries. Large number of textile mill workers in Maharashtra belonged to the Mahar caste. The Mahar mill worker lived in the fringes of the city and worked low-wage jobs earlier. The Mahar people were migrants, so they filled the surplus labor required for industry. Steam-powered spinning technology developed in England, enabled the growth of the textile industry in India. As a result, technology brought about a new change in the labour market, with many Mahars benefiting from it. The new jobs were outside the narrow confines of caste jobs associated with Mahar people. For the first time in history, the Mahars were concentrated in large colonies. This was the ecosystem for Dr. Ambedkar's movement; Mahars working in textile factories in Mumbai and Nagpur provided a solid foundation for his movement.

The British brought technology and science to India. The Christian missionaries came to India with an aim of education which resulted in the establishment of schools and colleges. Mahatma Phule studied at the Scottish Mission High School in Pune. Phule's English medium education and new learning environment provided him with a new perspective on the world. Phule and his wife Savitribai work to spread education among shudras, untouchables and girls was historical. They were not content with merely imparting education; instead, they actively sought social reform and cultural change through the Satyasodhak Samaj (Truthseekers Society). The Phule mission became the mission of Kolhapur's Shahu Maharaj. In 1902, Kolhapur State implemented Bahujan Samaj reservation. The presence of Satyasodhak Samaj prompted Shahu Maharaj to work tirelessly for Bahujans.

Untouchables were advocating for a dignified life. There were many leaders from military and millwork backgrounds who led the mission to fight for the rights of untouchables from the British government. A man with a PhD in Economics, a thesis on the economic history of British India, a law degree, and a DSc in Economics began leading the movement for untouchables in Bombay. His name was Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar. Dr. Ambedkar's greatest strength was his academic rigour and thought-provoking arguments for the advancement of untouchables. Dr. Ambedkar's greatest strength was also his ability to identify the starting point of a movement and when to shift gears in order to achieve the goal of uplifting untouchables. The movement of Chavadar Lake lasted years, followed by six years of agitation at the Kalaram temple. Finally, after years of hard work and seeing little change in society towards the untouchables, a religious conversion call was issued. The struggle sent a clear message that political rights, economic upliftment, and cultural change are now on the untouchables' agenda.

Dr. Ambedkar wrote the Indian constitution. Following that, the most important book, Buddha and His Dhamma, was written. The stage was now set for the conversion to Buddhism. Dr. Ambedkar and his five lakh followers converted to Buddhism on October 14, 1956, in Nagpur. Dr. Ambedkar's followers faithfully followed in his footsteps throughout Maharashtra and in various parts of India. Mahars who accepted Buddha's path en masse now identify as Buddhists. Dr. Ambedkar's writings suggest that a common man with knowledge of Buddhism can serve as a missionary to spread Buddha's message. This was a revolutionary appeal for the rights of ordinary people to be Buddhist preachers. For the first time in history, a former untouchable was now leading their own religious path. Converted Buddhists, now being a part of an independent society, have more opportunities to carry out a variety of initiatives locally. Many Buddha viharas have been built with hard-earned money in Maharashtra's most populated areas. These Buddha viharas featured libraries where students could study. The people who were denied entry into the temple now have their own Buddha vihar as an intellectual center.

The question which now remains is whether culture has the potential to bring about social and economic change. Dr. Ambedkar made two important points in his PhD thesis, "Evolution of Provincial Finance in British India". Firstly, that moral force was a major source of political freedom. Secondly, in India, the political problem is a social one. Political rights and their implementation lead to economic development. Moral force will only come from cultural values. Thus, culture, politics, and economics are inter-linked. In his book The Wealth and Poverty of Nations, David S Landes concludes that "if we learn anything from the history of economic development, it is the culture that makes all the difference."

Following Dr. Ambedkar's death, the mission of the Buddhist people of Maharashtra and how far it has progressed are discussed in this section of the essay. There are three levels to the Ambedkarite movement in Maharashtra. They are societal, political, and cultural. Political work was dominated by the Republican Party of India, with stories of factionalism and unity. The Bahujan Samaj Party and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi also received public support. Politics may lack victorious glory; however, people’s spirit in running an independent political organisation despite the failures of their leaders is a sign of community determination. The community has run several successful social movements. There are numerous schools and colleges run by Buddhists for the community. The message of educating their children has been well received by the community since the 1950s. Some of the educated youth have managed to secure government and private sector jobs. There are many doctors, engineers, and other professionals in the community. In the case of a cultural movement, Buddha Viharas were built in large numbers using public donations. These Buddha vihars have been turned into student libraries. The Buddha's message has kept the community away from superstition. A society free of superstition has a greater chance for educational and social progress. The culture of commitment to Dr. Ambedkar and Buddha's teachings has aided people's social and economic progress. Thus, culture does bring social and economic change and the Buddhists of Maharashtra are still actively working to strengthen their cultural roots.

Culture for Social and Economic Change: An Ambedkarite Buddhist Perspective

Dr. Pankaj Tambe

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