Mark Juergensmeyer's Research Reignited Dalit Consciousness And
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Weekly Editor-in-Chief: Prem Kumar Chumber Contact: 001-916-947-8920 Fax: 916-238-1393 E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] VOL- 13 ISSUE- 16 June 30, 2021 California (USA) www.ambedkartimes.com www.deshdoaba.com United States of America: Mark Juergensmeyer’s research reignited A Vision of Freedomand Dream of Prosperity Prem K. Chumber Editor-In-Chief: Dalit consciousness and radical assertion in Punjab Ambedkar Times & Desh Doaba Weeklies Newspapers The publication of ‘Religious Rebels in the Punjab’ inspired a new wave of learning among Dalit activists and scholars of Dalit studies on the Ad Dharm movement and its founding father, Babu Mangu Ram, writes Ronki Ram rofessor Mark Juergensmeyer is a household being an English speaker, P name among social scientists, scholars, he was able to capture the students and Dalit activists in the Doaba of kernel of the local East Punjab – a stronghold of Ad-Dharmi and narrative in the vernacular. Mazhbi Dalits. This region gave rise to a number of The book is an academic radical social and political movements when India tour de force. Such a work was under British rule. The most prominent among is the distillate of years of them were the Ghadar, Babbar Akali and the Ad selfless dedication. Dharm. Mark’s familiarity with the people of this Mark nurtured region evolved during his field work on the genesis, close ties with Punjab over Ronki Ram Shaheed Bhagat Singh Chair Professor organization, ideology and functioning of the Ad several decades. He first of Political Science Dharm movement. Half a century ago, he made visited Chandigarh in Panjab University, Chandigarh this place, between two rivers – Sutlej and Ravi – January 1966 after com - [email protected] Visiting Professor, Centre for Sikh the universe of his doctoral research work. He be - pleting his first set of and Panjabi Studies, 4th of July embodies a vision of freedom and came affiliated to the Department of Political graduate studies in University of Wolverhampton, UK dream of prosperity. Every person in the world ir - Science at Panjab University (PU) in the 1960s and Religion and International from there he used to frequent different places in Affairs from Columbia University, New York, and respective of her/his religion, class, creed and faith the Doaba to interview leaders, activists and sym - began teaching a course in Political Theory as part pathizers of the Ad Dharm movement – the most of the Economics Undergraduate (Hons) aspires to make the USA his home! S/he feels em - prominent among them programme at Panjab bolden while getting associated with this great na - being its founder, Ghadari University, Chandigarh. Baba Babu Mangu Ram During this period (1966- tion - an abode of liberty, equality fraternity - of Mugowalia. 1967) he stayed in the I came to know bachelor faculty housing opportunities and dignity. The USA instills faith about Babu Mangu Ram on the PU campus. He and courage to come forward to live and let live and the Ad Dharm move - worked on his PhD in Po ment from Mark’s classic litical Science at Univer - with love and peace with one- self and the rest of work entitled Religion as sity of California, Berkeley Social Vision: The Move - from 1967-69 and he the humanities. ment against Untouchabil - returned to Indian Punjab Since the end of World War II, it has not ity in Twentieth Century in 1970-71 to do the field Punjab, published by the work for his PhD research looked back to reconstruct peaceful order in the University of California on Ad Dharm and other Press, Berkeley in 1982. Dalit movements. He be - world and help attain freedom of thought, liberty This book was based on came affiliated to Panjab his PhD thesis. It was re - University and Guru Nanak and equality everywhere on the globe. Name any published later in India Dev University, Amritsar, continent, region or a country where the USA has under the title Religious as a research scholar. Rebels in the Punjab: The During his stay in not left its mark of encouragement and initiatives Social Vision of Untouch - Chandigarh and Amritsar, ables – in 1988 by Ajanta Mark used to make field for realizing ones dream and aspirations. One of and in 2009 by Navayana, trips to Jalandhar and the largest and oldest democratic countries in the both Delhi-based publish - spend time in Boota Mandi ers. I had stumbled upon and the Dera Ballan, world, the USA has always shown its greatest in - this book while searching which were predominantly for another title in the Dalit localities in the terest in allowing free flow of ideas and letting A.C. Joshi Library of Panjab University, which I periphery of the city. people live the way they want to be. It has re - joined in 1995 after completing my doctorate in In - During one such study visit, Mark met with ternational Relations from the Jawaharlal Nehru Babu Mangu Ram himself – the founder of Ad mained first in all fields of human activities, be it University and subsequently serving there as a Re - Dharm movement – on his farm near Garhshankar. search Associate for three years (1992-95) and Mark also used to frequent the Centre for Sikh science, technology, art, and sports. What led it to teaching briefly in Goa University. The author was Studies at Baring College, Batala (near Amritsar), achieve all this is perhaps the freedom of thought unknown to me then, and little did I know that this where W.H. McLeod, the well-known scholar on volume would put me on a completely different Sikhism, was teaching at the time, and continued and action guaranteed by its constitution and ef - trajectory of research. The book had a profound his language studies at the language school in influence on me personally as well. Landaur, above Mussoorie. In 1973, he returned to fective governance system. “Ambedkar Times” As I began reading this engaging narrative complete his research on Dalits, travelling widely in and “Desh Doaba” take a lot of pride on this aus - on the rise of the downtrodden against the then Indian Punjab. However, the focus of his study were prevalent oppressive social structures in East the Dalit villages in the districts of Jalandhar, picious day of freedom and independence. Punjab (Indian Punjab) – the region I myself come Hoshiarpur, and Anandpur. In 1978, he was in Pun - from – I became so completely engrossed in it that jab to begin work on his proposed book on the Once again “Ambedkar Times” and I was unable to rest until I had finished the entire Radha Soami sect. He had already written a chap - “Desh Doaba” congratulate its esteemed readers, book. The minute details about the Ad Dharm’s ter on the sect in his Religious Rebels in the Punjab. organization, leadership, the socio-cultural milieu Over the following decade (1979, 1985, 1986 and contributors and supporters on the auspicious day and the way all this had been so coherently 1988), Mark visited Punjab every year or every contextualized – all bear witness to the intimate other year until the work on the book was 4th of July knowledge of the author on the subject. Despite (Contd. on next page) www.ambedkartimes.com V0l-13 2 Issue-16 www.deshdoaba.com June 30, 2021 Mark Juergensmeyer’s research reignited Dalit consciousness and radical assertion in Punjab (Continue from page 1) were ignorant. This only piqued my began studying works on Dalit soci - landhar, Hoshiarpur, Nawanshahr and complete. His latest research/book curiosity. I spent months on end ver - ety and history. Gurdaspur where some of the ac - project is on how the Khalistan move - ifying Mark’s findings and thus began C.L. Chumber, who collected tivists of Ad Dharm movement and ment ended. my shift from international studies to a lot of literature on the Ad Dharm, their families live now. The more I Prof Mark’s deep connections Dalit studies. All this would not have provided me with the Punjabi and came to know about this historic with Punjab, developed during his fre - been possible, but for my chance Hindi editions of the Ad Dharm Man - Dalit movement, the more I realized quent research tours, continue even reading of Mark’s Religious Rebels in dal Report (originally published in that what Mark had accomplished today after a long period of half a the Punjab. This has widened and Urdu, and translated into English by was much more than just the docu - century. On his most recent visit, he deepened my perspective, both per - Mark and included in Religious Rebels mentation of a socio-cultural and po - delivered a talk entitled ‘Reminiscing sonally and professionally, for which in the Punjab). Prem K. Chumber, litical journey. Mark’s pioneering work Ad Dharm’ in the Department of Po - I am greatly indebted to Mark. younger brother of C.L. Chumber, has once again ignited Dalit con - litical Science, Panjab University, on I met some of the people publishes two weeklies, Ambedkar sciousness and radical assertion. The 31 January 2020. This exceptionally whom Mark had interacted with dur - Times (English) and Desh Doaba publication of Religious Rebels in the long association with the region and ing his field study on the Ad Dharm (Punjabi), both dedicated to the ide - Punjab inspired a new wave of learn - its people is what has made Mark’s in the early 1970s. Many of them ologies of Babu Mangu Ram and Dr ing among Dalit activists and scholars research on the Dalit movement in were now in their late eighties and Ambedkar, from Sacramento, Califor - of Dalit studies on the Ad Dharm Punjab a must-read for anyone en - early nineties.