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Babu Mangoo
Ram and Emancipation of the Dalits
 Babu Mangoo Ram Mugowalia,
a renewed revolutionary and founder of the Ad Dharm
movement in Punjab whose birth anniversary falls on
14th January 1886, sets a clear agenda for the
emancipation and uplift of the Dalits. The agenda
was: torestore the lost indigenous religion of
the sons of the soils in order to provide them with
a sense of self-respect and dignity. The method
to achieve this agenda was: cultural
transformation and spiritual regeneration.
Mangoo Ram was not in favour of embracing any other
existing religion including Buddhism.
He was in favour of strengthening the Ad
Dharm (the original) religion of the
indigenous, pre Aryan people of
India. His views on Hindu religion
were very clear. He was of the opinion that since
Dalits were not born Hindu where is
the need to leave that religion and
to embrace some other one.
Mangoo RamMugowalia was of the opinion that
the pre Aryan people/the sons of the soil/Achhuts
had their own independent religion that was forced
into oblivion under the cruel and oppressive
rule of the alien Aryan. He thought it
appropriate to empower Dalits by carving out a
separate Dalit identity on the basis of their
original indigenous religious strength (Ad
Dharm).
In the poster announcing the first
annual meeting of Ad Dharm Movement, Mangoo Ram
devoted the entire space to the hardships faced by
the untouchables at the hands of the caste Hindus.
He also made an appeal to the Achhuts to
come together to chalk out a program for their
liberation and upliftment while addressing the
Chamars, Chuhras, Sansis, Bhanjhras, Bhils etc.
as brothers, he said,
We are the real inhabitants of
this country and our religion is Ad Dharm. Hindu
Qaum came from outside to deprive us of our country
and enslave us. At one time we reigned over ‘Hind’.
We are the progeny of kings; Hindus came down from
Iran to Hind and destroyed our Qaum. They deprived
us of our property and rendered us nomadic. They
razed down our forts and houses, and destroyed our
history. We are seven Crores in numbers and are
registered as Hindus in this country. Liberate the
Adi race by separating these seven crores. They
(Hindus) became lord and call us ‘others’. Our seven
crore number enjoy no share at all. We reposed faith
in Hindus and thus suffered a lot. Hindus turned out
to be callous. Centuries ago Hindus suppressed us
sever all ties with them. What justice we expect
from those who are the butchers of Adi race. Time
has come, be cautious, now the Government listens to
appeals. With the support of sympathetic Government,
come together to save the race. Send members to the
Councils so that our Qaum is strengthened again.
British rule should remain forever. Make prayer
before God. Except for this Government, no one is
sympathetic towards us. Never consider us Hindus at
all, remember that our religion is Ad Dharm.
The way, the leaders of Ad Dharm
chose to restore dignity and freedom to the
untouchables was to completely detach them from
Hinduism and to consolidate them into their own
ancient religion - Ad Dharm - of which they had
become oblivious during the age-old domination by
the ‘alien Hindus’. In fact, the task of the revival
of their ancient religion was not an easy one by
virtue of the fact that during a long period of
persecution at the hands of the Savarnas,
the untouchables had forgotten their Gurus and other
religious symbols. In fact they were never allowed
to nurture an aspiration to have their own
independent religion. They were condemned as profane
and were declared unfit to have their own theology.
Thus to revive Ad Dharm was tantamount to developing
an altogether a new religion for the Achhuts.
Mangoo Ram’s appeal that the Dalits were the real
inhabitants of this land made an enormous
psychological impact on the untouchables who were
treated as, even inferior to animals in Indian
society. The appeal inspired them to come out of
their slumber and fight for their freedom and
liberty. The Ad Dharm provided a theological podium
to sustain and reinforce the new Dalit identity. For
centuries, they were bereft of any identity and
remained in the appendage of the hierarchically
graded Hindu society.
Ad Dharm movement was instrumental
not only in helping the lower castes to get
registered as a distinct religion in the 1931 census
and providing them the platform to enter into the
State Legislature, it also went a long way in
bringing a cultural transformation in their life. In
fact, Ad Dharm movement, as has been mentioned
above, aimed at facilitating a cultural
transformation in the life of lower castes that,
under the impact of the centuries old system of
degradation, had actually internalised a sense of
being low and polluted. Mangoo Ram wanted to
liberate them from such a state of mind and also to
inculcate in them the feeling of dignity and self
respect whereby they could start thinking about them
as equal to the so-called twice-born people. Report
of the Ad Dharm Mandal, 1926-1931 lists a number of
moral principles and duties, which the followers of
the Ad Dharm are required to adhere to for creating
spiritual regeneration and cultural transformation
in their lives. Among the most important moral
principles and the duties mentioned in the report
are:
The basic principles
listed in the Report are:
(1) The essential
teachings of the Ad Dharm will always be the same:
no one can change them. They can stay alive and
persist only through the help of a guru. (2) Every
man and woman belongs to the faith, but they may not
know it. To live without a guru is a sin. (3) A guru
should be someone who truly and rightly knows the
teachings of the previous masters. He should be able
to distinguish between falsehood and truth. He
should be able to bring peace and love within the
community. (4) Everyone should be instructed by the
lives of previous masters; progress comes from
following the masters’ examples. The practices of
previous masters should not be abandoned. This leads
to progress. (5) There should not be any
discrimination in regard to eating with other
castes. (6) Ad Dharmis should abstain from theft,
fraud, lies, dishonesty, looking at someone else’s
wife with bad intentions, using anything which
brings intoxication, gambling, and usurping other
persons’ property or belongings. All of these things
are against the law of nature and therefore the law
of Ad Dharm. (7) Every Ad Dharmi has the duty to
teach his children current knowledge and also to
teach them to be obedient to the present king. (8)
Every Ad Dharmi should read the Ad Prakash and act
upon it. This is a foremost duty. (9) Ad Dharm does
not believe in the caste system or any inferiority
or superiority of this sort. (10) To learn and seek
knowledge, and to learn and seek progress is
compulsory for every man and woman.
The twelve duties
mentioned in the Report are as follows:
(1) To publicize and
propagate Ad Dharm. (2) To take pride in Ad Dharm.
(3) To promote the use of name of the community and
to use the red mark, which is its sign (4) Ad
Dharmis should try to retrieve any property of
fellow Ad Dharmi that has been usurped. (5) We
should distinguish among Hindus, Ad Dharmis, and
other communities of India . (6) Those books, which
have created the problem of untouchability and led
to discrimination - books such as the Laws of Manu
and other Shastras – should be completely boycotted
and abandoned. (7) We should celebrate the festivals
of our gurus and follow our faith to the utmost. (8)
Abandon idolatry. (9) Receive education for
ourselves and others in the brotherhood. (10)
Boycott those who curse us as “untouchables” or
discriminate against us. (11) Bring all demands of
Ad Dharmis before the government. (12) Abandon
expensive marriage and practice of child marriage.
The fifty-six commandments
included in the Report are:
(1) Each Ad Dharmi should
know everything about the faith. (2) For the
betterment and salvation of one’s body – physical
and spiritual – one should recite the word soham.
(3) Each Ad Dharmi should remember Guru Dev for half
an hour each morning or evening. (4) When Ad Dharmis
meet, their greeting should be “jai Guru Dev.” (5)
We should be true followers of the founders, Rishi
Valmiki, Guru Ravi Das, Maharaj Kabir, and Bhagwan
Sat Guru Nam Dev. (6) a guru is necessary, one who
knows about previous gurus and has all the
capabilities of being a guru. (7) The wife of a guru
should be regarded as one’s mother, the guru’s
daughter as one’s sister. (8) Devotion to one’s wife
should be a part of one’s faith, for therein lies
salvation. (9) Every Ad Dharmi should abstain from
theft, fraud, lies, dishonesty, and usurping the
property of others. (11) One should not cause
someone else heartache. There is no worse sin than
this. (12) Every Ad Dharmi should enthusiastically
participate in Ad Dharmi festivals and rituals. (13)
There should be equally great happiness at the birth
of both boys and girls. (14) After the age of five,
every boy and girl should be given proper religious
teaching. (15) Extravagant expenses at weddings are
useless. Every marriage should be conducted
according to rituals of our tradition. (16) Ad
Dharmis should marry only Ad Dharmis. To marry
someone outside Ad Dharm is not legal, but if
someone does marry an outsider, he or she should be
brought into the faith. (17) All Ad Dharmis, both
men and women, should be obedient to their parents.
(18) After the death of both parents it is the duty
of each Ad Dharmi to cook food and distribute it
among the poor. (19) The dead should be cremated,
except for those under the age of five, who should
be buried. (20) Ad Dharmis do not follow any other
law except their own. (21) In the Ad Dharm faith
only one marriage is allowed, but a husband may
marry after the death of his wife. Also, if the
first wife does not bear children, the husband may
take another wife, provided he has the consent of
the first wife. If this happens, the first wife
remains a legal wife, with all the rights she had
before. (22) Ad Dharmis should marry their children
to the Ad Dharmis of the surrounding areas. (23) A
girl should be more than twelve years old at the
time of the marriage. The boy should be four years
older than the girl. (24) It is illegal to receive
money for a bride; on the other hand, there should
not be a dowry. Those who sell their daughters
commit a very great sin. (25) Offerings and
sacrifices for prayers should be given only to those
holy men who are Ad Dharmi and who have shown
themselves to follow Ad Dharmi principles
religiously. (26) It is necessary for each Ad Dharmi
to provide primary education to both boys and girls.
(27) The girls should be educated especially in
household work such as sewing and needlework. (28)
Young girls and boys should not be sent out to cut
grass and gather wood. (29) It is the duty of
parents not to allow young widowed daughters to
remain in their household, because a young widowed
daughter is a cause of disgrace. (30) If an Ad
Dharmi widow with children wants to hold a
commemoration of her deceased husband, but cannot
afford it, then the Ad Dharm Mandal of Jullundur and
its members will help her. (31) It is not good to
cry and beat oneself at a death or funeral. To do so
is to anger Guru Dev. (32) Among the Ad Dharmis sons
and daughters should receive an equal inheritance.
(33) To eat the meat of a dead animal or bird is
against the law of Ad Dharm. (34) To use wine or any
other intoxicants is a sin, except in the case of
sickness. (35) It is legal to eat food offered at
noon – Ad Dharm marriages, but the food should be
decent, and not leftovers. (36) Cleanliness is
important. It guaranteed good health. (37) It is
forbidden to practice idolatry and worship statues,
and one should not believe in magic, ghosts, or
anything of the sort. (38) All Ad Dharmis should
forget notions of caste and untouchability and work
toward the unity of all people in the world. (39)
Each Ad Dharmi should help a fellow Ad Dharmi in
need. (40) One Ad Dharmi must not work at a place
where another Ad Dharmi works until the first Ad
Dharmi has been paid his wages. (41) If Ad Dharmis
enter into a dispute with one another, they should
attempt to come to some agreement by themselves or
within the community. If no agreement is
accomplished, they should refer the case to the Ad
Dharm Mandal, Jullundur , and the Executive
Committee will take action. (42) Ad Dharmis should
open shops and business in every village. (43) Every
Ad Dharmi should be a missionary for the faith. (44)
Ad Dharmis should call themselves such and register
in the census as “Ad Dharmi”. (45) A Red turban on
the head is mandatory, for it is the color of our
ancestors. (46) Every Ad Dharmi should work hard for
the progress and peace of the community. (47) Ad
Dharmis hould organize themselves into cadres called
martyrdom cells. They should work hard on the Ad
Dharm’s projects. (48) Each Ad Dharmis hould
separate himself form Hindus, Sikhs, and members of
other religions. (49) Each Ad Dharmi should be a
good citizen, a patriot loyal to the present
government, and should follow the law of the land.
(50) Ad Dharmis have the obligation to consider the
Ad Dharm Mandal of Punjab , city of Jullundur , as
their rightful representative, and to recognize that
the programs of the AD Dharm are for their benefit.
(51) It is the duty of every Ad Dharmi to trust the
Ad Dharm Mandal of Jullundur , and to share its
work. (52) All local branches of the Ad Dharm should
be certified by the Ad Dharm Mandal of Jullundur ,
and those, which are not certified, should not be
considered genuine. (53) All Ad Dharmis should save
their fellow Ad Dharmis from fraud and selfishness
on the part of other communities. If such a
situation arises, the Mandal should be informed.
(54) Each Ad Dharmi should report any difficulty
concerning the community to the Mandal in Jullundur
. (55) Ad Dharmis should subscribe to the qaum’s
newspaper, Adi Danka. They should receive it
regularly, read it regularly, and help support it
regularly. (56) Anyone violating the laws of the Ad
Dharm or of the guru, or who insults these laws in
one way or another, will be liable to punishment,
even the greatest punishment – being banished from
the community.
The main emphasis of these
commandments, principles and duties, in the opinion
of Babu Mangoo Ram, was to strengthen the social,
cultural and religious life of the Dalits so that it
could help them build Dalit Solidarity and
empowerment .
Ronki Ram (Dr.)
Reader
& Chairperson
DEPARTMENT OF
POLitical SCIENCE
PANJAB UNIVERSITY, CHANDIGARH, India
Published on www.upkaar.com on 29th, August,2011
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