DSMM Observes Manusmriti Burning Day, Demands Amit Shah’s Resignation for Insulting Dr Ambedkar
Abdul Rahman
IN protest against rising attacks on dalits and the RSS-BJP’s promotion of regressive Manuwadi ideology, the Dalit Shoshan Mukti Manch (DSMM) organised the burning of the Manusmriti on December 25 at multiple locations across the country. The programme commemorated Dr B R Ambedkar’s Manusmriti Dahan Divas, first observed in 1927.
The DSMM programme in Delhi saw participation from leaders of various organisations, including VS Nirmal of the All India Dalit Rights Movement (AIDRM), B Venkat of the All India Agricultural Workers Union (AIAWU), and Sooraj Elamon of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI). Speakers condemned Home Minister Amit Shah’s recent derogatory remarks in Parliament, where he trivialised Dr Ambedkar, and demanded his immediate resignation.
Prof. Ratan Lal of Delhi University spoke about Dr Ambedkar’s lifelong struggle against Hindutva ideology and the caste-based discrimination promoted by the Manusmriti. He warned against the BJP’s attempts to appropriate Ambedkar’s legacy for political gains, pointing out the contradiction between erecting Ambedkar statues while undermining his ideals through privatisation and the dismantling of reservations. “The fight against the Manusmriti is a fight to protect equality and build a democratic society,” he asserted.
B Venkat (AIAWU) highlighted how Amit Shah’s comments reflect the RSS-BJP’s core ideology of caste hierarchy and criticised Shah’s misuse of power to erode constitutional values. He urged dalits and the working class to unite and resist this agenda. “The RSS-BJP seeks to replace the Constitution with the discriminatory principles of the Manusmriti,” he stated.
VS Nirmal (AIDRM) emphasized the need for a broad-based movement to safeguard the Constitution and uphold secularism, equality, and the rule of law. “Manuwad and the Manusmriti belong in the dustbin of history, as envisioned by Dr Ambedkar,” he said.
SFI’s Sooraj Elamon criticised the RSS-BJP for stifling democratic spaces, recounting how even Ambedkar University authorities, under BJP influence, denied permission to hold an event commemorating Dr Ambedkar’s death anniversary on December 6. “These actions reflect their distrust of democracy and constitutional values,” he noted.
The meeting, chaired by Brahmajeet Singh (DSMM), included cultural resistance in the form of a street play by Jan Natya Manch (Ek Berozgar Ki Adhuri Prem Katha), which highlighted the growing unemployment crisis under the current government.
The programme concluded with a collective call to action to defend constitutional values, fight communal polarisation, and demand the immediate resignation of Amit Shah for his derogatory remarks about Dr Ambedkar.
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