1927 ka samay Bhimrao Ambedkar ke samajik andolan ke liye ek naya mod le kar aaya. Ab tak unka sangharsh shiksha aur jagrukta tak seemit tha, lekin ab samay tha zameen par utar kar samajik vyavastha se takraane ka. Is takraav ka pehla bada kendra bana Maharashtra ke Raigad zila ka ek chhota sa sheher — Mahad.
Mahad mein ek talaab tha, jiska naam tha Chavdar Talaab. Yeh talaab sarkari dastavez mein public property tha, lekin samajik vyavastha mein yeh sirf uchch jaatiyon ke liye tha. Dalit samudaay ke log is paani ko chho bhi nahi sakte the. Yeh vyavastha Ambedkar ke liye sirf ek vyaktigat apmaan nahi, ek samudaayik anyay ka pratinidhitva karti thi.
Ambedkar ne tay kiya ki Mahad mein ek jan sabha bulayi jaaye, jisme bahishkrit samudaay ke log apne adhikar ko pehchaanein. 19–20 March 1927 ko hazaaron log Mahad mein ikattha hue. Sabha mein Ambedkar ne yaad dilaya ki samaj mein sthayi badlaav tabhi sambhav hai jab log khud apna adhikar maangna shuru karein. Unhone kaha, “Yeh paani sabka hai. Jab tak hum is par apna adhikar nahi jatate, hum apne astitva ke liye lad nahi rahe hote.”
Sabha ke baad log talaab ki or chale. Ambedkar khud sabse aage the. Unhone talaab ka paani apne haathon se uthaya aur ek ghunt piya. Yeh drishya sirf ek paani peene ki kriya nahi thi, yeh ek puri samajik vyavastha ke viruddh ek saakshaat pratikar tha. Us din bahishkrit samudaay ke kai logon ne talaab se paani piya, bina kisi anuman ke, bina kisi dar ke.
Par Mahad ki kahani yahi samapt nahi hoti. Agle din Mahad ke uchch jaatiyon ne is ghatna ko “ashuddhikaran” kehkar us talaab mein gaumutra daalkar uska shuddhikaran kiya. Iske baad Mahad mein sthiti tenshun se bhari ho gayi. Dalit bastiyon mein dar ka mahaul tha. Lekin Ambedkar ne is ghatna se peechhe hatne ke bajaay, aur spasht aur majboot roop se apni baat samne rakhi.
Jab kuch logon ne yeh afvaah phailaayi ki Ambedkar ne Hindu dharm ka apmaan kiya hai, to unhone khud court mein is baat ko challenge kiya. Ambedkar ne kaha ki yeh ladai kisi dharm ke viruddh nahi, balki us manasikta ke viruddh hai jo kuch logon ko janm ke aadhar par adhikar se vanchit karti hai. Court ne bhi is andolan ko ek samajik haq ki ladai maana.
Is satyagraha ke baad Ambedkar ne Mahad mein ek aur sabha ki. Is baar sabha mein naara nahi tha, ek samvedansheel pratigya thi — ki jab tak samaj mein barabari nahi hoti, tab tak yeh sangharsh jaari rahega. Yeh sabhayein Mahad ke andolan ko ek nayi disha deti gayi. Ambedkar ne logon se kaha, “Hum sirf paani ke liye nahi lad rahe, hum izzat ke liye lad rahe hain.”
Mahad ke satyagraha ka prabhav Maharashtra tak simit nahi raha. Bharat ke anya rajyon mein bhi is ghatna ki charcha hone lagi. Akhbaaron ne is andolan ko “achhooton ki pehli aawaz” kaha. Bahut se social reformers ne Ambedkar ke is kadam ka samarthan kiya, jabki kuch conservative dharmik netaon ne iska virodh bhi kiya. Lekin Ambedkar ab kisi virodh se darne wale nahi the.
Mahad ne Ambedkar ko ek samajik neta ke roop mein poori tarah sthapit kar diya. Ab log unhe sirf ek scholar ya vakil ke roop mein nahi, balki ek aise neta ke roop mein dekh rahe the jo unke liye ground par lad raha tha. Unka andolan ab likhne tak simit nahi tha, ab wo jeevan ke har pehlu mein dikhne laga tha.
Mahad ke baad ek aur kadam uthaya gaya — ab baat ek talaab tak simit nahi thi. Ab baat us granth tak pahuch chuki thi jisme jaati ki jadien likhi gayi thi. Agla padav tha — Manusmriti Dahan.