Ad-Dharam Movement and
Dalit Identity
It was June 11-12, 1926 when, under the stewardship of Babu
Mangu Ram Mugowalia, a two day meeting
was held at the village Mugowal in Hoshiarpur district of Punjab to discuss the
‘Dasha- Condition’ and ‘Disha – direction’ of the downtrodden, suppressed,
depressed and under-privileged of India, now in general parlance, called
“Dalits” and chalk out the programme and agenda to
 |
| Author with Sant Satwinder Hira, Chairman of All India Ad-dharam Mission |
The situation underwent a drastic change with the
independence and partition of India in 1947 and with the adoption of the
constitution in 1950. Babu Mangu Ram Mugowalia tried to revive the movement for
the identity of dalits after 1947 as well but could not make much dent in the
changed circumstances. I vividly remember that in my younger days in the 1960s,
the Shobha Yatra, then called Jaloos, on the eve of Guru Ravidass Jayanti which
– as of now also - used to start from Bootan Mandi in Jalandhar, will
invariably stop and halt near the then Sant Cinema near Kishanpura Mohalla and
a delegation of a few seniors would go and host the flag at the first office of
Ad-dharam Mandal after its inception in 1925-26 to register their affiliation
and appreciation of the Mandal and Babu Mangu Ram Mugowalia. Let us leave it to
the historians to make a good study of the matter and give their appraisal and
verdict on the role and contribution of Ad-dharam Mandal and Babu Mangu Ram Mugowalia
in establishing a separate identity of dalits as distinct from the Hindus. The
concept of separate identity of dalits has not died down and, it is evident, it
would not in the years to come as long as the oppressing regime of caste system
and sense of racial superiority is not completely eradicated from the mindset
of the society at large. The constitutional stipulations of Equality, Justice
and Fraternity have not been completely realized. Babasaheb Ambedkar rightly
said that the political democracy would be meaningless if it was not
transformed into social and economic democracy. Manyawar Kanshi Ram further
asserted dalit identity and made a mark both politically and socially. The
followers of Ambedkar, Ramaswamy Periyar, Mangu Ram and Kanshi Ram are carrying
the flag of dalit identity as Bahujans and Moolniwasis as their just and
democratic right, and rightly so.
Let us remember and recognize, on these days of June 11-12,
the sterling role of the Ad-dharam Movement and the dalit icons particularly
Babu Mangu Ram Mugowalia in establishing dalit identity to rectify the wrongs
done by the caste-ridden social order to their dalit brethren. I close this
piece with a quote from an article written by Retired PCS Gian Singh Bal in a souvenir
to remember Babu Mangu Ram Mugowalia published in 1985 by C.L. Chumber to set in
perspective the role of the great icon of dalits, “Babu M.R. Mugowalia and the
early leaders of the Ad-Dharma perceived their first task to be the creation of
a new religion. In their initial meetings, even before they developed an
organizational structure, they labored over a basic ideological theme upon
which they could build a system of religious ideas & symbols. Its central
motivation was novel: the idea that untouchables constitute a qaum, a distinct
religions community similar to those of Muslims, Hindus, and Sikhs, and that
the qaum had existed from time immoral. It was a myth of power addressed to the
people without power. It was intended to communicate the sense of strength that
Babu M.R. Mugowalia felt belonged to his Caste fellows by right. As he
explained, partly stating a fact, partly expressing a hope, "The
untouchables have their powers: communal pride (qaumiat), religion (Mazhab),
and organization (mazlis), "The hope was that these powers could be
fostered and splintered through force of ideology.” (sic)
आंधियों के इरादे तो अच्छे ना थे,
ये दिया कैसे जलता रह गया,
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