Historic feminist struggle

A. MANGAI

Chronicle of women's participation in the Ambedkarite movement

WE ALSO MADE HISTORY — Women in Ambedkarite Movement: Edited by Urmila Pawar and Meenakshi Moon; Translated with an introduction by Wandana Sonalkar; Zubaan, an imprint of Kali for Women, 128 B, First Floor, Shahpur Jat, New Delhi-110049. Rs. 595.

It is indeed a proud achievement that a book written originally in Marathi quite recently has been made available in English so soon. It clearly reveals that the Dalit and feminist historical interest in India cuts across language barriers and the seemingly insurmountable divide between English and other Indian languages. The book explores the history of women's role, contribution and shaping of the Ambedkarite movement in Maharashtra taking its cue from We Were Also Making History edited by Lalitha and Susie Tharu. The latter of course openly acknowledged their feminist ideology. The present volume does not articulate its ideology in feminist terms but is a great contribution towards it. Both the authors have been part of women's movement, especially from the 1980s.

Ambedkarite movement

The book has been divided into two parts by the editors, both of whom are veteran leaders of Dalit and Dalit feminist movements in India. The first part deals with the study of the authors on the social and the historical backgrounds of the Ambedkarite movement and the seminal aspects in which the movement created a marked difference like education, marriage and family relations, awareness of the rights to which Dalits were entitled to, culture and literature, and conversion to Buddhism.

The second part contains the life stories of 13 women who are not alive now, and interviews of 29 women who belonged to the movement till 1956. As the authors put it, "The period between the Mahaad satyagraha of 1927 and the religious conversion of 1956, is generally known as the time of 'the Ambedkar movement, of Babasaheb's leadership'. We were going to investigate the work done by women in this period of time."

It was a task undertaken to bridge the gap in the available data on the history of the movement. The already written books contained scant material on the participation of women. The actual women who had participated in the Satyagraha in Amaravati, Pune, Mahaad and Nashik would not be alive today. Their effort to publish the interview of Savita (Mai) Ambedkar could not materialise, since her autobiography was being published. Also the search to find sex workers of Kamathipura and Saatrasta area who had organised themselves under the local leadership of David could not be traced. Still, the authors searched, cross-checked and moved on. The purpose of the effort was to try and form a picture of the neglected, underrated woman activist of the Ambedkar movement and the authors have certainly succeeded in it.

Women's participation

Wandana Sonalkar's introduction is an important entry point to the book. It places the effort squarely in the context of Dalit and feminist struggles. Y.D. Phadke's foreword and Vasant Moon's rejoinder to the foreword complicates the history of women's participation in political struggles and the caste and class factors of the same. In fact, the clear departure of Dalit feminism from the mainstream nationalist women's movement occurred right at the very beginning. At the AIWC conference held in 1937, Hindu women like Jaibai Choudhuri had insulted the Dalit women by arranging separate seating for them at meals. In retaliation to that "shameful and despicable behaviour" of the caste Hindu women, the Ramabai Ambedkar Women's Sangh was formed on January 1, 1938. The vexed relationship between Gandhian nationalism and Ambedkar's reforms came to the forefront during such critical moments.

Amazing range

Ramabai Ambedkar who was hailed for "her goodness of heart, her nobility of mind, and her purity of heart" by no less than Ambedkar himself, Radhabai Kamble whose speeches inspired the labour meets in Vidharba, Sulochanabai Dongre, whose presence at public meetings was awe-inspiring, Jaibai Chaudhari who started Chokhamela Kanyashaala in 1924, Tulsabai Bansode, who sang songs and worked at the hand press with her husband, Anjanibai Deshbhratar who organised untouchable girl students in 1936, the three sisters Geetabai, Seetabai and Ramabai who worked tirelessly at home and the movement, Meenambal Shivraj who advocated the role of education powerfully, Mukta Sarvagaud who strongly advocated the role of personal hygiene, Shantabai Dani who travelled as the sole woman along with male activists, Shantabai Sarode who was a wrestler and arbitrated disputes in her area and the many women who converted to Buddhism present us with an amazing range of women who actively engaged themselves in the movement and took themselves seriously. Even a roll call of these names fills one with a sense of energy.

The authors, however, mention in the conclusion that "No women got help from men in her housework." They also refer to the fact that some of them opted out of the movement later. The post-Mandal dispute has given a new fillip to Dalit women's movement today.

The book has marked the paths trodden by the pioneers of the movement. It is a treasure to Dalit and Dalit feminist studies. It throws open seminal issues in feminist historiography, without resorting to abstract theoretical notions. Rather it tries to build a theory based on praxis.

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Cynthia Stephen
Independent Writer and Researcher

And may you be blessed with the foolishness to think that you can make a difference in the world, so that you will do things which others tell you cannot be done