Why go for conversion?

Why go for conversion?
Speech by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
http://www.angelfire.com/ak/ambedkar/BRwhyconversion.html

In 1935 at Nasik district, Maharashtra, Dr.Babasaheb Ambedkar had
declared his firm resolve to change his religion. He had declared
that he was born as a Hindu but will not die as Hindu. About a year
later, a massive Mahar conference was held on May 30 and 31, 1936, in
Mumbai, to access the impact of that declaration on Mahar masses. In
his address to the conference, Dr.Ambedkar expressed his views on
conversion in an elaborate, well- prepared and written speech in
Marathi. Here is an English translation of that speech by Mr.Vasant
Moon, OSD to the committee of Govt. of Maharashtra for publication of
Writings & speeches of Dr.B.R.Ambedkar

Conversion is not a game of children. It is not a subject of
entertainment. It deals with how to make man's life successful. Just
as a boatman has to make all necessary preparations before he starts
for voyage, so also we have to make preparations. Unless I get an
idea as to how many persons are willing to leave the Hindu fold, I
cannot start preparations for conversion.

For a common man this subject of conversion is very important but
also very difficult to understand.

Class Struggle

There are two aspects of conversion; social as well as religious;
material as well as spiritual. Whatever may be the aspect, or line of
thinking, it is necessary to understand the beginning, the nature of
Untouchability and how it is practiced. Without this understanding,
you will not be able to realize the real meaning underlying my
declaration of conversion. In order to have a clear understanding of
untouchability and its practice in real life, I want you to recall
the stories of the atrocities perpetrated against you. But very few
of you might have realized as to why all this happens! What is at the
root cause of their tyranny? To me it is very necessary, that we
understand it.

This is not a feud between rival men. The problem of untouchability
is a matter of class struggle. It is the struggle between caste
Hindus and the Untouchables. That is not a matter of doing injustice
against one man. This is a matter of injustice being done by one
class against another. This "class struggle" has a relation with the
social status. This struggle indicates, how one class should keep its
relation with another class. This struggle starts as soon as you
start claiming equal treatment with others...

Conversion not for slaves

The reason for their anger is very simple. Your behaving on par with
them insults them. The untouchability is not a short or temporary
feature; it is a permanent one .To put it straight, it can be said
that the struggle between the Hindus and the Untouchables is a
permanent phenomena. It is eternal, because the religion which has
placed you at the lowest level of the society is itself eternal,
according to the belief of the Hindu caste people. No change,
according to time and circumstances is possible. You are at the
lowest rung of the ladder today. You shall remain lowest forever.

This means the struggle between Hindus and Untouchables shall
continue forever. How will you survive through this struggle is the
main question. And unless you think over it, there is no way out.
Those who desire to live in obedience to the dictates of the Hindus,
those who wish to remain their slaves, they do not need to think over
this problem. But those who wish to live a life of self-respect, and
equality, will have to think over this. How should we survive through
this struggle? For me, it is not difficult to answer this question.
Those who have assembled here will have to agree that in any struggle
one who holds strength becomes the victor. One, who has no strength,
need not expect success. This has been proved by experience, and I do
not need to cite illustration to prove it.

Three types of Strength

The question that follows, which you must now consider, is whether
you have enough strength to survive through this struggle? Three
types of strength are known to man: (i) Manpower, (ii) Finance and
(iii) Mental Strength. Which of these, you think that you possess? So
far as manpower is concerned, it is clear, that you are in a
minority. In Mumbai Presidency, the untouchables are only one-eighth
of the total population. That too unorganized. The castes within
themselves do not allow them to organize. They are not even compact.

They are scattered through the villages. Under these circumstances,
this small population is of no use as a fighting force to the
untouchables at their critical moments. Financial strength is also
just the same. It is an undisputed fact that you at least have a
little bit of manpower, but finances you have none. You have no
trade, no business, no service, no land. The piece of bread thrown
out by the higher castes, are your means of livelihood. You have no
food, no clothes. What financial strength can you have? You have no
capacity to get redress from the law courts. Thousands of
untouchables tolerate insult, tyranny and oppression at the hands of
Hindus without a sigh of complaint, because they have no capacity to
bear the expenses of the courts. As regards mental strength, the
condition is still worst. The tolerance of insults and tyranny
without grudge and complaint has killed the sense of retort and
revolt. Confidence, vigour and ambition have been completely vanished
from you. All of you have been become helpless, unenergetic and pale.
Everywhere, there is an atmosphere of defeatism and pessimism. Even
the slight idea, that you can do something does not enter your mind.

Muslim Example

If, whatever I have described above is correct then you will have to
agree with the conclusion that follows. The conclusion is, if you
depend only upon your own strength, you will never be able to face
the tyranny of the Hindus. I have no doubt that you are oppressed
because you have no strength. It is not that you alone are in
minority. The Muslims are equally small in number. Like Mahar- Mangs,
they too have few houses in the village. But no one dares to trouble
the Muslims while you are always a victim of tyranny. Why is this so?
Though there may be two houses of Muslims in the village, nobody
dares to harm them, while the whole village practices tyranny against
you though you have ten houses. Why does this happen? This is a very
pertinent question and you will have to find out a suitable answer to
this. In my opinion, there is only one answer to this question.

The Hindus realize that the strength of the whole of the Muslim
population in India stands behind those two houses of Muslims living
in a village and, therefore, they do not dare to touch them. Those
two houses also enjoy free and fearless life because they are aware
that if any Hindu commits aggression against them, the whole Muslim
community from Punjab to Madras will rush to their protection at any
cost. On the other hand, the Hindus are sure that none will come to
your rescue, nobody will help you, no financial help will reach you.
Tahsildar and police belong to caste Hindus and in case of disputes
between Hindus and Untouchables, they are more faithful to their
caste than to their duty. The Hindus practice injustice and tyranny
against you only because you are helpless.

Outside Support

From the above discussion, two facts are very clear. Firstly, you can
not face tyranny without strength. And secondly, you do not possess
enough strength to face the tyranny. With these two conclusions, a
third one automatically follows. That is, the strength required to
face this tyranny needs to be secured from outside. How are you to
gain this strength is really an important question? And you will have
to think over this with an unbiased mind.

From this, you will realize one thing, that unless you establish
close relations with some other society, unless you join some other
religion, you cannot get the strength from outside. It clearly means,
you must leave your present religion and assimilate yourselves with
some other society. Without that, you cannot gain the strength of
that society. So long as you do not have strength, you and your
future generations will have to lead your lives in the same pitiable
condition.

Spiritual Aspect of Conversion

Uptil now, we have discussed why conversion is necessary for material
gains. Now, I propose to put forth my thoughts as to why conversion
is as much necessary for spiritual wellbeing. What is Religion? Why
is it necessary? ... 'That which govern people is religion'. That is
the true definition of Religion. There is no place for an individual
in Hindu society. The Hindu religion is constituted on a class-
concept. Hindu religion does not teach how an individual should
behave with another individual. A religion, which does not recognize
the individual, is not personally acceptable to me.

Three factors are required for the uplift of an individual. They are:
Sympathy, Equality and Liberty. Can you say by experience that any of
these factors exist for you in Hinduism?

No Equality in Hinduism

Such a living example of inequality is not to be found anywhere in
the world. Not at anytime in the history of mankind can we find such
inequality, which is more intense than untouchability... I think, you
have been thrust into this condition because you have continued to be
Hindus. Those of you who have become Muslims, are treated by the
Hindus neither as Untouchables nor as unequals. The same can be said
of those who have become Christians...

That God is all pervading is a principle of science and not of
religion, because religion has a direct relation with the behaviour
of man. Hindus can be ranked among those cruel people whose
utterances and acts are two poles apart. They have this Ram on their
tongues and a knife under their armpits. They speak like saints but
act like butchers...

Thus we are not low in the eyes of the Hindus alone, but we are the
lowest in the whole of India, because of the treatment given to us by
the Hindus.

If you have to get rid of this same shameful condition, if you have
to cleanse this filth and make use of this precious life; there is
only one way and that is to throw off the shackles of Hindu religion
and the Hindu society in which you are bound.

The taste of a thing can be changed. But the poison cannot be made
amrit. To talk of annihilating castes is like talking of changing the
poison into amrit. In short, so long as we remain in a religion,
which teaches a man to treat another man like a leper, the sense of
discrimination on account of caste, which is deeply rooted in our
minds, can not go. For annihilating caste and untouchables, change of
religion is the only antidote.

Untouchables are not Hindus

What is there in conversion, which can be called novel? Really
speaking what sort of social relations have you with the caste Hindus
at present? You are as separate from the Hindus as Muslims and
Christians are. So is their relation with you. Your society and that
of the Hindus are two distinct groups. By conversion, nobody can say
or feel that one society has been split up. You will remain as
separate from the Hindus as you are today. Nothing new will happen on
account of this conversion. If this is true, then why should people
be afraid of conversion? At least, I do not find any reason for such
a fear...

Revolution - Not Reform

Changing a religion is like changing a name. Change of religion
followed by the change of name will be more beneficial to you. To
call oneself a Muslim, a Christian, a Buddhist or a Sikh is not
merely a change of religion but also a change of name.. Since the
beginning of this movement of conversion, various people have raised
various objections to it. Let us now examine the truth, if any, in
such objections...

A congenital idiot alone will say that one has to adhere to one's
religion because it is that of our ancestors. No sane man will accept
such a proposition. Those who advocate such an argument, seem not to
have read the history at all. The ancient Aryan religion was called
Vedic religion. It has three distinct characteristic (features). Beef-
eating, drinking and merry-making was part of the religion of the
day. Thousands of people followed it in India and even now some
people dream of going back to it. If the ancient religion alone is to
be adhered to why did the people of India leave Hinduism and accept
Buddhism? Why did they divorce themselves from the Vedic religion?...
Thus this Hindu religion is not the religion of our ancestors, but it
was a slavery forced upon them...

To reform the Hindu society is neither our aim nor our field of
action. Our aim is to gain freedom. We have nothing to do with
anything else.

If we can gain freedom by conversion, why should we shoulder the
responsibility of reforming the Hindu religion?

And why should we sacrifice our strength and property for that? None
should misunderstand the object of our movement as being Hindu social
reform. The object of our movement is to achieve social freedom for
the untouchables. It is equally true that this freedom cannot be
secured without conversion.

Caste can't be destroyed

I do accept that the untouchables need equality as well. And to
secure equality is also one of our objectives. But nobody can say
that this equality can be achieved only by remaining as Hindu and not
otherwise. There are two ways of achieving equality. One, by
remaining in the Hindu fold and another by leaving it by conversion.

If equality is to be achieved by remaining in the Hindu fold, mere
removal of the sense of being a touchable or an untouchable will not
serve the purpose. Equality can be achieved only when inter-caste
dinners and marriages take place. This means that the Chaturvarnya
must be abolished and the Brahminic religion must be uprooted. Is it
possible? And if not, will it be wise to expect equality of treatment
by remaining in the Hindu religion? And can you be successful in your
efforts to bring equality? Of course not. The path of conversion is
far simpler than this. The Hindu society does not give equality of
treatment, but the same is easily achieved by conversion. If this is
true, then why should you not adopt this simple path of conversion?

Conversion is a simplest path

According to me, this conversion of religion will bring happiness to
both the Untouchables as well as the Hindus. So long as you remain
Hindus, you will have to struggle for social intercourse, for food
and water, and for inter-caste marriages. And so long as this quarrel
continues, relations between you and the Hindus will be of perpetual
enemies. By conversion, the roots of all the quarrels will vanish...
thus by conversion, if equality of treatment can be achieved and the
affinity between the Hindus and the Untouchables can be brought about
then why should the Untouchables not adopt the simple and happy path
of securing equality? Looking at this problem through this angle, it
will be seen that this path of conversion is the only right path of
freedom, which ultimately leads to equality. It is neither cowardice
nor escapism.

Sanctified Racism

Although the castes exist in Muslims and the Christians alike, it
will be meanness to liken it to that of the Hindus. There
is a great distinction between the caste-system of the Hindus and
that of the Muslims and Christians. Firstly, it must be noted that
though the castes exist amongst the Christians and the Muslims, it is
not the chief characteristic of their body social.

There is one more difference between the caste system of the Hindus
and that of the Muslims and Christians. The caste system in the
Hindus has the foundation of religion. The castes in other religions
have no sanction in their religion ...Hindus cannot destroy their
castes without destroying their religion. Muslims and Christians need
not destroy their religions for eradication of their castes. Rather
their religion will support such movements to a great extent.

Conversion alone liberates us

I am simply surprised by the question, which some Hindus ask us as to
what can be achieved by conversion alone? Most of the present day
Sikhs, Muslims and Christians were formerly Hindus, majority of them
being from the Shudras and Untouchables. Do these critics mean to say
that those, who left the Hindu fold and embraced Sikhism or
Christianity, have made no progress at all? And if this is not true,
and if it is admitted that the conversion has brought a distinct
improvement in their condition, then to say that the untouchables
will not be benefited by conversion, carries no meaning...

After giving deep thought to the problem, everybody will have to
admit that conversion is necessary to the Untouchables as self-
government is to India. The ultimate object of both is the same.
There is not the slightest difference in their ultimate goal. This
ultimate aim is to attain freedom. And if the freedom is necessary
for the life of mankind, conversion of Untouchables which brings them
complete freedom cannot be called worthless by any stretch of
imagination...

Economic Progress or Social Changes?

I think it necessary here to discuss the question as to what should
be initiated first, whether economic progress or conversion? I do not
agree with the view that economic progress should precede...

Untouchability is a permanent handicap on your path of progress. And
unless you remove it, your path cannot be safe. Without conversion,
this hurdle cannot be removed...

So, if you sincerely desire that your qualifications should be
valued, your education should be of some use to you, you must throw
away the shackles of untouchability, which means that you must change
your religion...

However, for those who need this Mahar Watan, I can assure them that
their Mahar Watan will not be jeopardized by their conversion. In
this regard, the Act of 1850 can be referred. Under the provisions of
this Act, no rights of person or his successors with respect to his
property are affected by virtue of his conversion...

Poona Pact

A second doubt is about political rights. Some people express fear as
to what will happen to our political safeguards if we convert...

But I feel, it is not proper to depend solely on political rights.
These political safeguards are not granted on the condition that they
shall be ever lasting. They are bound to cease sometime.

According to the communal Award of the British Government, our
political safeguards were limited for 20 years. Although no such
limitation has been fixed by the Poona Pact, nobody can say that they
are everlasting. Those, who depend upon the political safeguards,
must think as to what will happen after these safeguards are
withdrawn on the day on which our rights cease to exist. We will have
to depend on our social strength. I have already told you that this
social strength is wanting in us. So also I have proved in the
beginning that this strength cannot be achieved without conversion...

Political Rights

Under these circumstances, one must think of what is permanently
beneficial.

In my opinion, conversion is the only way to eternal bliss. Nobody
should hesitate even if the political rights are required to be
sacrificed for this purpose.

Conversion brings no harm to the political safeguards. I do not
understand why the political safeguards should at all be jeopardized
by conversion. Wherever you may go, your political rights and
safeguards will accompany you. I have no doubt about it. If you
become Muslims, you will get the political rights as Muslims. If you
become Christians, you will get the political rights as Christians,
if you become Sikhs, you will have your political rights as Sikhs. In
short, our political rights will accompany us.

So nobody should be afraid of it. On the other hand, if we remain
Hindus and do not convert, will our rights be safe? You must think
carefully on this. Suppose the Hindus pass a law whereby the
untouchability is prohibited and its practice is made punishable,
then they may ask you, 'We have abolished untouchability by law and
you are no longer untouchables...

Looking through this perspective, conversion becomes a path for
strengthening the political safeguards rather than becoming a
hindrance. If you remain Hindus, you are sure to lose your political
safeguards. If you want to save them, leave this religion. The
political safeguards will be permanent only by conversion.

The Hindu religion does not appeal to my conscience. It does not
appeal to my self-respect. However, your conversion will be for
material as well as for spiritual gains. Some persons mock and laugh
at the idea of conversion for material gains. I do not feel hesitant
in calling such persons as stupid.

Conversion brings Happiness

I tell you all very specifically, religion is for man and not man for
religion. To get human treatment, convert yourselves.

CONVERT -For getting organized.
CONVERT -For becoming strong.
CONVERT -For securing equality.
CONVERT -For getting liberty.
CONVERT -For that your domestic life may be happy.

I consider him as leader who without fear or favour tells the people
what is good and what is bad for them. It is my duty to tell you,
what is good for you, even if you don't like it, I must do my duty.
And now I have done it.

It is now for you to decide and discharge your responsibility.

Reference: "Bhim Chakra 1996" published by Oil & Natural Gas Corp.
Ltd. Tripura project, Agartala.