Dalit alphabet: 'A' for Ambedkar
Dr. Anil Sirvaiya
9424455625
sirvaiyya@gmail.com
'बाबा साहब डॉक्टर अंबेडकर- बालपोथी'
गुजरात के दलित बाहुल्य इलाकों में इन दिनों 'बाबा साहब डॉक्टर अंबेडकर- बालपोथी' नाम की पाठ्यपुस्तक की जबरदस्त मांग है। इस किताब को स्कूल तो नहीं खरीद रहे हैं लेकिन जहां-जहां दलितों की आबादी ज्यादा है, वहां इसे लोग हाथों-हाथ ले रहे हैं। 'टाइम्स ऑफ इंडिया' की रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक, इस खास प्राथमिक पाठ्यपुस्तक में हिंदू संकेतों के बजाय बौद्ध और अंबेडकर की जीवन से संबंधित शब्द लिए गए हैं। इस किताब के अंग्रेजी संस्करण को राजस्थान की हिंदी अध्यापक कुसुम मेघवाल ने लिखा है जिसमें A से अंबेडकर और B से बुद्ध पढ़ाया जाता है।
ठीक इसी तरह हिंदी और गुजराती संस्करण में क्रमशः अ से अत्याचार और क से कमल नहीं बल्कि कलम पढ़ाया जाता है। इस किताब के हिंदी और गुजराती संस्करण के लेखक धीरज प्रियदर्शी हैं, जो एक टेलर हैं। धीरज ने मुख्यधारा की वर्णमाला से हटकर इस नई किताब में ऐसे शब्द चुने हैं जो दलित बच्चों के लिए फिट हैं। अंबेडकरवादी साहित्य के लाइब्रेरी चलाने वाले प्रियदर्शी का कहना है, 'हमारे बच्चों के लिए अच्छा है कि वे क से कलम पढ़ें, न कि क से कमल, जोकि बीजेपी का चुनाव निशान है।'
BHOPA/AHMEDABAD: It's not bought by schools, but the alphabet book for children, 'Babasaheb Dr Ambedkar - Balpothi' is witnessing great demand in areas with high population of dalits. The author of the Hindi and Gujarati version of the book, Dhiraj Priyadarshi, a tailor from Vadaj, has carefully deconstructed mainstream study books and has substituted established symbols in alphabet books with those he feels suitable for dalit children.
The elementary textbook moves away from Hindu symbols introduced through primary education and substitute them with Buddhist symbols and anecdotes from the life of Babasaheb Ambedkar. In the English version of the book, written by a Rajasthan-based Hindi teacher Kusum Meghwal, 'A' is for Ambedkar and 'B' is for Buddha. Similarly, in Priyadarshi's Hindi and Gujarati versions of the book, 'Aa' is for 'Atyachar' (atrocity) and 'Ka' is for Kalam (pen), and not 'Kamal'. "It is good that our children would learn 'Ka' for 'Kalam' rather than 'Ka' for 'Kamal'- BJP's election symbol," said Priyadarshi, who also owns a library on Ambedkarite literature. He had published the book about four months ago to enlighten kids about the life of Babasaheb and other great personalities, he said. He said that sale of the books increased after Gujarat started witnessing dalit agitation after the Una flogging incident.The book counts Jesus Christ, Karl Marx and Prophet Muhammad along with Ambedkar among five greatest personalities in the history of humanity.
"Parents belonging to dalit and other downtrodden communities buy the 60-page book to inform their children about the life of Babasaheb," said Priyadarshi, adding, "The book in demand in city areas with high population of dalits like Vadaj, Vejalpur, Amraiwadi, Majurgam, and Behrampura."
In Gujarati and Hindi alphabets, the book teaches 'Kha' is for 'Khet' (farm), 'Ga' for 'Gareebi' (poverty), 'Chha' for 'Chhatrapati Shahuji', 'Ja' for Janmbhoomi Mhow' (Ambedkar's birthplace), 'Ba' for 'Bandhuta' (fraternity), 'Da' for 'Dikshabhoomi' (where Ambedkar embraced Buddhism in Nagpur), 'Dhha' for 'Dharmantaran' (conversion) and 'Va' for 'Varna Vyavastha' (caste system).
The book also carries the 22 pledges Ambedkar made at the time of renouncing Hinduism and embracing Buddhism. It also has images of principal events of his life including handing over the Indian Constitution to then President Rajendra Prasad in presence of the first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, the first deputy Prime Minister Vallabhbhai Patel and the last governor general of India, C Rajagopalachari.
Two other important events of Ambedkar's life, including Mahad Satyagrah of 1927 where he led dalits to drink water from a main water tank in Mahad of Raigad district in Maharashtra, and the Satyagraha at Kalaram Mandir of Nashik where Ambedkar marched along with dalits to demand their entry to precincts banned for 'untouchables' have also been covered in the book.
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