Samiti observes 98th anniversary of Manusmriti Dahan Divas by burning copies

Members of the Karnataka State Dalit Sangharsha Samiti (DSS) on Thursday observed the 98th anniversary of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s historic burning of the Manusmriti by staging a protest and symbolically setting fire to copies of the text at Jagat Circle in Kalaburagi city.

The protest was organised to commemorate Dr. Ambedkar’s act of defiance during the Mahad Satyagraha in 1927, when he publicly burnt the Manusmriti to challenge caste-based oppression and gender discrimination. As part of the demonstration, activists took out a protest march from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Chowk to Jagat Circle carrying a copy of the Manusmriti before burning it, symbolising the rejection of an exploitative and discriminatory social order.

Arjun Bhadre, State convener of the Dalit Sangharsha Samiti, said the act of burning the text represented the rejection of centuries of exploitation and injustice imposed on marginalised communities.

Mr. Bhadre recalled that Dr. Ambedkar firmly believed that as long as right-wing ideology dominated society, India could not achieve true progress. “Dr. Ambedkar burnt the Manusmriti on December 25, 1927, during the Mahad Satyagraha to send a powerful message against caste oppression. His struggle continues to inspire us even today,” he said.

The agitators added that caste-based discrimination continued in various forms and that sustained ideological and political resistance was necessary to safeguard constitutional values. “We have been fighting caste oppression for centuries. Dr. Ambedkar was the first to raise his voice openly against such practices, and today it is our responsibility to carry forward that struggle collectively,” Mr. Bhadre said.

Out of the country’s population of about 137 crores, nearly 85 crores of people live in rural areas, where the practice of untouchability continues in many forms. Despite constitutional safeguards and decades of social reform, caste-based discrimination remains deeply rooted in rural society, Mr Bhadre expressed.