Why Dr. B.R. Ambedkar burnt the Manusmriti?

 

Why Dr. B.R. Ambedkar burnt the Manusmriti?

SR Darapuri I.P.S.(Retd)

“Dr. B.R. Ambedkar publicly burnt a copy of the Manusmriti on 25 December 1927 in Mahad, Maharashtra, as a symbolic act of protest against the caste system and the religious justification of social inequality.”

 Historical Context

This took place during the “Mahad Satyagraha” (also known as the Chavdar Tal Satyagraha). Earlier in March 1927, Ambedkar had led a movement asserting the right of Dalits (then called Untouchables) to use water from the public Chavdar Tank, which upper-caste Hindus had traditionally denied them. Upper-caste opposition, violence, “purification” rituals of the tank, and a court case halted further direct action on the water issue. The December conference therefore shifted focus to a deeper challenge.

Ambedkar’s Reasons

Ambedkar regarded the ‘Manusmriti’ as the foundational text that gave religious and ideological sanction to the ‘Chaturvarna’ system, untouchability, graded inequality, and the subordination of lower castes and women.

In his own words (explained later in his newspaper ‘Bahishkrit Bharat’ on 3 February 1928), his reading of the text convinced him that it “did not even remotely support the idea of social equality.” Burning it was a deliberate way to register protest against the oppressive ideas it represented. He compared the act to Mahatma Gandhi’s burning of foreign cloth — a recognised form of symbolic protest.

Key points he and the conference resolution emphasised:

- The laws in the ‘Manusmriti’ were insulting to persons of low caste, deprived them of human rights, and crushed their personality.

- It was undeserving of respect as a sacred book.

- As long as Hindus revered such texts, genuine reform or welfare of the Untouchables was impossible.

- The root of untouchability lay in the prohibition of inter-caste marriages and the broader ‘varna’ hierarchy that the text upheld.

The burning was carried out on a specially prepared pyre with banners declaring “Destroy Untouchability” and “Bury Brahminism.” Ambedkar, along with associates (including Gangadhar Neelkanth Sahastrabuddhe), tore and burnt the pages.

 Broader Significance

For Ambedkar, the act went beyond demanding access to water or temples. It was aimed at attacking the ideological and scriptural foundations of caste hierarchy itself. He later warned that if burning the ‘Manusmriti’ did not end Brahmanism, more radical steps — including leaving Hinduism — might become necessary. This event is now commemorated by many as “Manusmriti Dahan Diwas” or Equality Day and is seen as a major turning point in the anti-caste movement.