Manusmriti Dahan — 25 December 1927

Overview

The Manusmriti Dahan (Burning of the Manusmriti) is remembered as a landmark protest in the Dalit struggle for dignity and social equality. The act signified a public rejection of religious texts used to justify the caste system and gender inequalities. The Mahad events and the burning helped crystallize Ambedkar's position that social reform required rejecting texts and customs that entrenched inequality. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

Timeline & Key events

• 20 March 1927 — Mahad Satyagraha: Ambedkar led a mass satyagraha at Chavdar Lake (Mahad) demanding the right of untouchables to use public water. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
• December 1927 — Renewed Mobilisation: After tensions and 'purification' acts by opponents, Ambedkar returned to Mahad and organized larger gatherings. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}
• 25 December 1927 — Manusmriti Dahan: At a public meeting, Ambedkar burned copies of Manusmriti as a symbolic act to repudiate its prescriptions that supported caste and gender hierarchies. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}
• 1928 onwards — Public debate and writings: Ambedkar explained and defended the symbolic act in his writings and newspaper columns (e.g., Bahishkrit Bharat), arguing that burning was a protest against the ideas embodied in the text. :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}

Why the Burning Was Significant

Ambedkar viewed Manusmriti as a canonical text that legitimized Brahmanical supremacy, untouchability and social subordination of women and lower castes. He argued that symbolic rejection — such as burning — was necessary to shame social institutions and spark political mobilisation. The act shifted the struggle from local access issues to an explicit challenge to the religious and scriptural foundations of inequality. :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}

Legacy & Contemporary Importance

Manusmriti Dahan is commemorated annually by Ambedkarite and Dalit groups as Manusmriti Dahan Diwas or "Equality Day". The event is seen as a formative moment that helped transform social reform into political struggle, and it remains a touchstone in fights for caste and gender equality in India. :contentReference[oaicite:8]{index=8}

Further reading & scholarly sources

For more detailed academic and primary-source discussions, see the cited articles, PDFs, and historical retrospectives in the source list below. The Mahad events and Ambedkar's own writings (e.g., articles in Bahishkrit Bharat) are key primary materials. :contentReference[oaicite:9]{index=9}