On December 25, 1927, Dr. Ambedkar burned the Manusmriti as a symbol of rejection of untouchability. The event was arranged during the Mahad Satyagraha which was a fight to assert the Dalits’ right to access public water, and to embrace humanity and dignity. Ambedkar burned the Manusmriti publicly as he believed that the book contained the rules preaching inhumane treatment towards Dalit persons.
For those who believe untouchability is a practice of the past, Dalits in India have been assaulted and even killed for acts like eating in front of upper-caste men, touching upper-caste person’s motorcycle, for touching food, sporting moustache, taking out wedding processions through an upper caste locality, for using a well reserved for the upper caste, and the list goes on.
93 years after the symbolic rejection of this text, where does India stand when it comes to atrocities against caste minorities? Watch this video to know more.
Also read: Why Manusmriti Dahan Divas Is Still Relevant Today
