During the long history of kings and dynasties in India, no one from the Ruling Class had ever thought of the Untouchables. The Muslims ruled India for centuries. So also Christians but none bothered about us though these rulers were in a position to do away with all the prejudices and restore human dignity.
To make the Untouchables fight against all sorts of exploitation we have to inculcalate the spirit of self-respect, discipline and courage among them, New values and new ideals are highly essential to make them revolt against the Hindu society. This can be done successfully only through a religion like Buddhism.
Dr. B. R. Ambedkar stands for human dignity and freedom and is opposed to any social order or institution which involves injustice and suppression of human personality. In a B. B. C. broadcast in London. on “Why I like Buddhism ? he said. “I prefer Buddhism because it gives three principles in combination which no other religion does. Buddhism teaches prajna (understanding as against superstition and super-naturalism), karuna (love) and samta (equality). This is what man wants for a good and happy life”. Ambedkar had faith in man’s vast potentialities. He had love for the poor, the weak and the helpless. His conversion was a revolt against the suppression and enslavement of humanity. According to him the purpose of the Buddha’s Dhamma, is “to reconstruct the world”. This involves all-round growth of the individual and the development and for harmony of social life
He studied the problems of the Untouchables and saw the decaying and the decadent structure of the Hindu society. He worked for its transformation through the accepted political, social, administrative and reformist channels. He struggled hard, suffered and revolted against the very structure of Hinduism. But when he saw that this structure is not ready for any change, he gave a call to his people to get out of the pattern of caste, ritual, superstitions and fear of the Hindu society and pursue the clean path of Buddhism.
Ambedkar was striving to achieve an ideal and was not interested in any immediate gain of little values. The Buddha was the greatest revolutionary that India has produced. Ambedkar came to the conclusion that only the path of Buddha which does not believe in caste could make the Dalits united and create the necessary discipline, the will to rise and the atmosphere congenial for their advancement and progress. It could protect them in times of adversity and guide them in times of prosperity. It could work both ways as a sword and a shield.
Religions based on gods, prophets, miracles and revelations cannot stand the test of reason and will ultimately vanish or perish. Buddhism is no slave of books. In fact, Buddhism is the only religion in which Buddha exhorted his followers not to follow him blindly and not to believe in miracles. It does not believe in caste or any such artificial division of the humans. It is a religion of reason and practice in contrast to other religions. It can satisfy the spiritual, social and psychological needs not only of the Untouchabies but of the whole world. It brought glory to India and made it a nation. It is the only religion which spread throughout the world without any violence, false promises and deception. It spread through. the power of education, persuasion, compassion and service. It civilised and educated the uneducated. It allows its followers to achive any place in the religious order without any distinction of caste, race and sex.
Religion as an institution is fast losing respect and becoming the subject of ridicule. Youth is in revolt every where against the tyranny of religion. Only Buddhism would survive under such a moral crisis. It is the only religion which is not afraid of Darwin, Marx, Evolution and inventions. It is not even opposed to science. That is why nowadays more and more intellectuals have started taking interest in Buddhism. The future belongs to Buddhism.
