The assembling together of 35,000 people in pouring rain in front of Mumbai’s CST on 19 July was no ordinary occurrence. They were there to protest against the illegal demolition of Ambedkar Bhavan in Dadar on the night of 24 June. Ambedkar Bhavan was not only the venue for many meetings and programmes of progressive organizations; it also housed a bookshop and an archive of books which included some rare handwritten manuscripts of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. The illegal demolition enraged the dalits who idolize Dr. Ambedkar and brought them out on the streets in protest. Protests were also held in Maharashtra on 25 July in support of the dalit agitation going on in Una.
The recent incidents in the country underline the need for all oppressed communities to come together and unite in the fight against oppression. All the organizations which participated in the march on 19 July realized that this is the need of the hour. The Republican Party of India led by Prakash Ambedkar, Lal Nishan Party, several student organizations, and the CPI (ML) also participated in this protest.
