Following Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s historic declaration to renounce Hinduism, religious leaders from across India eagerly approached him, each hoping that Ambedkar would embrace their faith. However, Babasaheb listened patiently to each of them, critically examining their arguments. He also undertook extensive research—reading books, letters, and studying the social dynamics of the time—to decide which religion he would adopt after leaving Hinduism.
While Ambedkar’s dissatisfaction with Hinduism’s caste system and its social injustices is widely known, the reasons he rejected Islam and Christianity are equally compelling and deserve closer examination.
In the early 1920s, Ambedkar had a relatively positive view of Islam. He believed the religion had the potential to embrace all, irrespective of caste or background. But by 1929, his perspective began to shift. The turning point came with the opposition Muslim leaders showed to the Sarda Bill—introduced by Arya Samaj member Har Bilas Sarda—which sought to fix the minimum age for marriage at 14 for girls and 18 for boys.
Muslim members of the Central Legislative Assembly strongly opposed the bill, arguing it was against Islamic tenets. Despite the bill becoming law as the Child Marriage Restraint Act of 1929, Muslim leaders launched a protest movement inspired by the broader Civil Disobedience Movement.
In a letter published in Janata on December 24, 1932, Ambedkar, writing from London, expressed how this incident was his first major shock regarding Muslim leaders’ attitude toward social reform. Later, during the Third Round Table Conference, he further observed their regressive stance.
Hindu conservatives had also approached Muslim leaders for support in opposing temple entry bills, and to Ambedkar’s dismay, many Muslim representatives responded positively. This, he noted, aligned them more with reactionary Hindu elements than with reformers like Turkey’s Kemal Pasha. As a result, Ambedkar advised Dalits to be extremely cautious about converting to Islam.
Ambedkar also experienced caste prejudice among Muslims firsthand. In his essay Waiting for a Visa, he recalled an incident that revealed, “A person who is an untouchable for a Hindu is also an untouchable for a Muslim.”
Ambedkar acknowledged the contributions of Christian missionaries in the fields of education and healthcare and initially had a favorable view of Christianity. However, he ultimately refrained from recommending it to the Dalits for conversion.
His primary concern was that conversion to Christianity did not significantly change the social status of Dalits. "Though one may become a Christian, in the eyes of the average Hindu, he remains an untouchable," he wrote.
Caste-based discrimination remained entrenched among Indian Christians as well. Those from the "touchable" castes were usually the better-educated and occupied higher social positions, while Dalit Christians continued to face exclusion and marginalization—even within the Church. There was little sense of solidarity between upper-caste and Dalit Christians, and regional Christians often identified more closely with local Hindus than with Christians from other regions.
Moreover, Ambedkar noted that Indian Christians, being relatively small in number and dependent on missions for their basic needs, had limited influence in public life. This lack of political clout also made Christianity a less practical choice for social transformation.
By the early 1940s, Ambedkar was unwavering in his resolve to leave Hinduism. But none of the alternative religions appeared to meet all his criteria. His reasons for rejecting Hinduism were rooted in deeply felt experiences of oppression, but his choice of a new religion was guided by strategic and practical considerations.
He was committed to separating the Dalits from the Hindu fold, but not at the cost of losing political representation, such as legislative reservations. In a country becoming increasingly communalized, Ambedkar also worried about the societal consequences if a large section of Dalits converted to Islam. His determination to convert was firm, but he was also deliberate, choosing to take time before making a final decision.
Dalit Marathi writers such as Shankarrao Kharat and Vasant Moon later wrote in their autobiographies about how Ambedkar’s awareness campaigns had left a deep imprint on the Dalit psyche. This long-term impact culminated two decades later, when nearly 500,000 people embraced Buddhism alongside Ambedkar in Nagpur in 1956.
You can also join our WhatsApp group to get premium and selected news of The Mooknayak on WhatsApp. Click here to join the WhatsApp group.