Chandraskhekhar Azad Ravan\'s BHIM Army: A Contemporary Dalit Movement in Uttar Pradesh

Abstract

In India, there have been various post-Ambedkarite movements for Dalit emancipation. The assertion of the Bahujan Samaj Party has ushered in a new era of democratisation in Uttar Pradesh. Nonetheless, caste prejudice exists in India. For millions of people, caste atrocities are a daily occurrence. Dalits continue to be underrepresented in positions of public trust. New Dalit movements, on the other hand, have emerged that are conscious, assertive, self-critical, connected, and inclusive. Dalits have become more organised and connected in recent years and see themselves as part of an assertive social justice movement. They sympathise with Dalit parties but also criticise their shortcomings. They are also concerned that caste is being reinforced rather than eradicated, also the major concern of their hero, B.R. Ambedkar. This paper examines the “Bhim Army\'s” recent Dalit movement in Uttar Pradesh and its efforts to create a new Dalit narrative in the socio-political fabric of India.

Introduction

Dalit Political Landscape

• A politically aware Dalit consciousness, rooted in Ambedkarite ideology, has emerged via Dalit-Bahujan movements.

• Hindutva forces have mobilized some marginalized Dalits, leading to internal fragmentation.

• The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), once linked closely with grassroots Dalit movements, has shifted toward power-centric politics under Mayawati, weakening its connection to social justice struggles and leading to a leadership vacuum in North India.

Rise of the Bhim Army

• Founded in 2015 in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh by Chandrashekhar Azad, Satish Kumar, and Vijay Ratan Singh, the Bhim Army is an Ambedkarite rights organization focused on education and dignity for Dalits.

• Originating as a response to caste-based discrimination in schools, it has since opened 350+ free schools in western UP and gained national attention during 2017 caste clashes in Saharanpur.

Mission and Activism

• The Bhim Army promotes "direct confrontational action" to uphold Dalit dignity and rights, emphasizing education, agitation, and organization, in line with Ambedkar’s ideology.

• It represents a new form of Ambedkarite politics, with growing support among Dalit youth.

Critique of the BSP

• The BSP has strayed from Ambedkarite principles in pursuit of "Sarvajan" (universal) politics, diluting its commitment to Bahujan empowerment.

• Critics argue that Mayawati’s approach marginalized grassroots activists and prioritized electoral gains over social justice.

Political Turn

• In 2019–2020, the Bhim Army transitioned into formal politics, opposing the BJP, particularly the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).

• In March 2020, Chandrashekhar launched the Azad Samaj Party, attracting ex-leaders from major regional parties.

• He also established Mission 78, inspired by Kanshi Ram's BAMCEF, aiming to unite Dalit/Backward-class bureaucrats and professionals for community upliftment and political funding.

Conclusion

The Dalit movement in north India is habituated to using caste-based binaries in its mobilisation language but has failed to respond to the changing political diction. In fact, leaders have not changed their political diction for 30 years since the time of the Kanshi Ram-led Bahujan movement. The movement is facing a crisis of agendas and social programmes. The constant repetition of unfulfilled claims and commitments create disillusionment among a section of their support base. In this context, the Dalit movement has to evolve new social strategies for its expansion to keep up with the changing times. Therefore, how the Bhim Army plays a role in strengthening the Dalit narrative in contemporary times remains a litmus test for the success of the Dalit social and political movement at large. Moreover, the upcoming state assembly elections in UP might reflect how Bhim Army and its political wing, the Azad Samaj Party presents a counter-narrative to the existing upper caste as well as Dalit narrative (under BSP) in the state.

References

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Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Samridhi Khare. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.