Beyond stereotypes, documentary 'Chaityabhumi' spotlights Dalit identity with Ambedkar at its core

For most Indians, Bhimrao Ambedkar is part of their political consciousness and the maker of India’s Constitution. Then there are those for whom Babasaheb—as Ambedkar is famously called—is not only a part of their political consciousness, but also intellectual, emotional, and spiritual.

Every year, on his death anniversary (December 6), they assemble for an annual pilgrimage at Chaityabhumi, the white-domed Buddha chaitya: Ambedkar’s final resting place.

Named after this iconic site in Dadar, Mumbai, and showcasing the events that take place throughout the day (observed as Mahaparinav Divas) is the premise of filmmaker Somnath Waghmare’s hour-long documentary Chaityabhumi, which had recently dropped on Mubi. This perfectly-timed release coincides with April, observed as Dalit History Month.

Quite contrary to the restricted representation of Dalits in pop culture, which largely revolves around oppression and manual scavenging, Waghmare takes you through the singing, dancing, reading, and all these acts of resisting and asserting their identity. 

The site is no less than iconic, where amid the sea of blue and the chants of “Jai Bhim” and “Namo Buddhaya”, one witnesses an amalgamation of Dalit politics and cultural awakening. This cultural awakening is depicted through speeches, symbols such as the chakra and the color blue, books, calendars featuring Buddha and Ambedkar, and most importantly, music.

Music remains a primary focus for Waghmare, showcasing a cultural expression largely unknown or ignored, in the mainstream. Such forms of expression become especially important when the release of a film like 'Phule', on Jyotiba and Savitri Phule’s battle against casteism, and the push for education for a progressive Maharashtra, is delayed over opposition by certain Brahmin groups.

In one particularly-striking song in ‘Chaityabhumi’, an interesting parallel is drawn by proclaiming that history was created by only “two kings on the Konkan land”—Shivaji and Ambedkar. Notably, Dadar, where Chaityabhumi is located, is also the birthplace of Shiv Sena, which has long appropriated the erstwhile king to mobilise Maratha pride; with the larger right-wing projecting him as the symbol of Hindu pride. The film, thus, sharply highlights the scrambling over who gets to claim the warrior king.

For many, the film could be an introductory tour to Chaityabhumi, the Ambedkarite movement, and the Dalit cultural landscape, which happens every year on December 6, and is still strangely absent from the national consciousness. 

“Ambedkar became part of the so-called mainstream, not because the government wanted it, not because some liberal academician or university people wanted it, but because of his people: his followers who struggled even to have a small statue of Ambedkar in the village,” explains scholar Rahul Sonpimple, President of the All India Independent Scheduled Caste Association, in the film. Sonpimple further highlights how “from one’s birth to death ceremonies, one finds Ambedkar and the Buddha”.

Here, Pranjali Kureel, a Commonwealth scholar, draws an important analogy as she highlights the contrast between upper-caste Hindu symbols, which she says assert domination, and the Ambedkarite symbols, which are about justice, freedom, and equality. 

What adds to such a strong premise is Waghmare’s cinematic choice as he keeps it observational and refrains from using voice-overs. He also doesn't conform to elitist cinematic aesthetics, which adds to the overall impact.

In the end, what stands out is how the Ambedkarite movement has been kept alive, not by support from the State but by the community. This is beautifully captured as the film begins with Ambedkar’s voiceover where he declares: 

“Our difficulty is how to make the heterogeneous mass that we have today take a decision in common and march in a cooperative way on that road which is bound to lead us to unity. Our difficulty is not with regard to the ultimate. Our difficulty is with regard to the beginning.” 

Kureel later asserts: “Even though academia and the media have erased or manipulated or even appropriated the ideas of Babasaheb, when you go to Chaityabhumi, you realise his legacy is still being taken forward.”

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