Jalandhar (The Asian Independent): Ambedkarite International Co-ordination Society (AICS) Canada organized a webinar on ‘Importance of Census-2021 for Dalits’. The intellectuals of the society are very much concerned about the issue of census. Leaders of the same community (Adi-Dharmi and Ravidasiya or Ramdasia) from the Scheduled Castes appear to be divided into two groups. The leaders of one group say write your religion Ad-Dharam in the census and the leaders of the other group say write Ravidasiya religion. The fact is that these two religions are not mentioned in the religion column in the census form. To make his society aware of this situation, the intellectual, thinker and scholar Dr. G.C. Kaul M. A. Ph.D. attended the webinar as the keynote speaker. Inaugurating the program, Mr. Anand Balley said that Dr. G.C. Kaul started his career as a Lecturer in the College and retired in 2010 as the Head of Post Graduate (Punjabi) Department, DAV College, Jalandhar. He was the sub-editor and editor of the weekly Ravidas Patrika. He also worked with Babu Mangu Ram Mugowalia. Dr. Kaul served as the President of Ambedkar Mission Society Punjab (Regd.) for 17 years (1981 to 1983) and (1989 to 2003). He was nominated as a trustee of Ambedkar Bhavan Trust (Regd.) Jalandhar in 1998 and remained chairman of the trust for 8 years. He is currently the General Secretary of Ambedkar Bhawan Trust (Regd.) Jalandhar. Mr. Khushwinder Kumar Billa, President Dr. Ambedkar Memorial Committee of Great Britain UK and Mr. Paramjit Kainth, Founder Member, Ambedkarite International Co-ordination Society Canada asked some very serious and sensitive questions regarding the Census-2021. Dr. Kaul gave a very scholarly answers. He said that Baba Sahib was highly qualified. His qualifications were MA, M.Sc., D.Sc., Ph.D., L.L.D., D.Litt., Barrister at Law. He wrote the Constitution of India. And he is considered one of the six greatest intellectuals in the world. In his research books, “Who were the shudra? how they came to be the fourth varna in the Indo Aryan Society?” and “The Untouchables- Who were They and Why They Became Untouchables”, Baba Sahib has proved that the Buddhist people were made untouchables by the Aryans.
After 21 years of in-depth study of all religions, he did not create a new religion but preferred to choose Buddhism because it had the moral foundations of equality, justice and the broader basis of humanism. Now you can understand that Adi-Dharma i.e. the original religion is none other than Buddhism. Dr. Kaul also said that Baba Sahib inscribed his book, “The Untouchables- Who were They and Why They Became Untouchables”, to the memory of Nandnar, Ravidas and Chokhamela, the three renowned saints who were born among the untouchables and who by their piety and virtue won the esteem of all. He further said that Census-2021 was very important in which Dalits should write their religion thoughtfully as there were likely to be very important decisions on this census. AICS founder member Madam Chanchal Mall thanked everyone. This information was given by Baldev Raj Bhardwaj, Finance Secretary, Ambedkar Bhawan Trust in a press statement.
Baldev Raj Bhardwaj
Finance Secretary,
Ambedkar Bhawan Trust, Jalandhar.
