When Babasaheb Dr. B.R. Ambedkar earned his MA from the prestigious London School of Economics in the United Kingdom in 1921, he likely became the first Dalit to do so. Although the arrival of the Indian diaspora in the United Kingdom can be traced back over 100 years, mainstream migration started in the 1950s. The diaspora also included some Dalits, primarily from the state of Punjab. In the initial days, the Ambedkarites in the United Kingdom consisted of a small circle of Dalits belonging to the Ravidasia and Valmiki communities. Several organizations were formed across the UK to address the issues of the community and propagate Ambedkarism.
However, due to the confined size of the population, the speakers and audiences at all these functions were more or less the same. The organizations organized protests in London against the atrocities against Dalits in India, but there was limited coverage in the media. Finally, around 1985, an organization was established to strengthen these organizations with the key objective of propagating the teachings of Dr. Ambedkar and Lord Buddha.
Arun Kumar, Founder-Member of the Federation of Ambedkarite and Buddhist Organizations, who has been living in the UK since 1977, spoke to The Mooknayak: “In 1982, the Ambedkar Buddhist Council was established, which was later changed to the Federation of Ambedkarite and Buddhist Organizations in 1986. Soon after the organization's formation, it was decided to popularize Dr. B.R. Ambedkar beyond the Dalit community. The organization used the Birth Centenary celebration to advance the name of Dr. Ambedkar. In pursuit of this objective, the Ambedkar Centenary Celebration Committee was formed, and the Ambedkar Centenary celebrations were held from 1989 to 1992.”
"Various seminars were held at Oxford University and Cambridge University, attended by academicians, students, and politicians. Functions were also organized at Gray's Inn and the London School of Economics, where Babasaheb studied. In 1992, we invited the former Prime Minister V.P. Singh; he was accompanied by Ram Vilas Paswan," says Kumar.
FABO played an instrumental role in installing statues and portraits of Ambedkar in places where he spent his time. Not only in the United Kingdom but also in the United States and Canada. FABO installed statues and busts at the London School of Economics and Columbia University in the US. The Indian High Commission in the UK also has a statue installed by the organization.
FABO is committed to the ideology of Ambedkarism and vows to propagate his ideals. In 1997, the Government of India sanctioned 32 crores for the film on Babasaheb, but the successive government reduced the budget to 8 crores. Shooting in the UK was crucial as Ambedkar spent a significant part of his life in the country, but the sanctioned budget was insufficient for shooting a film abroad. FABO came to the rescue of the team that had to shoot some parts of the film in London. They provided transportation and accommodation for the film crew, which stayed in London. The film was directed by Jabbar Patel, and Mammootty, who portrayed the title role of Ambedkar, won the National Award along with Ajay Devgn.
It was FABO whose insistence led the Government of Maharashtra to purchase the house at 10, King Henry's Road in London, where Dr. Ambedkar lived from 1921 to 1932. "In 2014, when the house was put up for sale, Santosh Dass, the president of FABO, proposed to the Government of Maharashtra to grant us $4 million, the sale value of the house, so that we could purchase it. The government went ahead and purchased the house instead," says Arun. The house was later converted into the Ambedkar Museum.
Gray's Inn: The Place Where Baba Saheb Received His Bar-at-Law
Santosh Dass, the President of FABO, took the initiative to ensure that Gray's Inn, where Ambedkar received his bar-at-law, bore his name along with his portrait. They named one of their rooms as Dr. Ambedkar’s room, where meetings take place. FABO also commissioned a portrait of Ambedkar in that room. Great-grandson of Ambedkar, Sujat Ambedkar, was present during the unveiling of the portrait.
At a time when progress is being made in the fight against casteism abroad, particularly in the US regarding the SB-403 issue, it was FABO that took the lead in the United Kingdom to raise the caste issue. FABO campaigned to add caste as a protected category in British law, but it was opposed by the Hindu Council, UK, claiming that there is no caste discrimination in the United Kingdom. However, the then President of FABO, Mr. Chanan Chahal, wrote a report titled "The Evils of Caste" and debunked the statement of the Hindu Council UK that there was no caste discrimination and it was a British creation. Representatives also traveled to Canada, South Africa, and France to sensitize people about the reality of caste.
Growing Voices of the Marginalized Outside India
At a time when the Ambedkarite movement is gaining momentum outside India, the contribution of organizations like FABO cannot be ignored, especially in propagating Ambedkarite ideology in the United Kingdom, a place where Ambedkar spent a crucial part of his life. With dissent being suppressed in India, organizations abroad can help amplify the voices of the marginalized beyond India.
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