Mahad takes centrestage as leaders converge for Chavdar Lake Satyagraha Centenary
3 min readMumbaiMar 20, 2026 07:00 PM IST
Marking the beginning of the centenary year of the historic Chavdar Lake Satyagraha led by B. R. Ambedkar at Mahad in Raigad district, leaders across the political spectrum flocked to the town, underlining its enduring social and political relevance even a century later.
From Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to CPI(M) General Secretary M A Baby, and from Maharashtra Congress chief Harshavardhan Sapkal to Tushar Gandhi, prominent figures visited Chavdar Lake over Thursday and Friday.
Fadnavis attended the Mahad Chavdar Tale Satyagraha – Centenary Year Salutation Ceremony and also performed the groundbreaking for the ‘Chavdar Tale Water Purification and Area Beautification Project’. He announced that the state government would observe the year as the “Year of Equality and Social Harmony.”
Highlighting Raigad’s historical significance, Fadnavis said the land that gave Shivaji Maharaj’s message of Swaraj also became the site where Ambedkar asserted the principle of social equality. “Self-rule must be accompanied by social parity,” he said.
The Chavdar Lake movement traces back to March 20, 1927, when Ambedkar led a satyagraha asserting the right of Dalits to access public water sources, despite a 1923 resolution by the Bombay Legislative Council permitting it. The agitation became a defining moment in India’s fight against caste discrimination, eventually ensuring equal access to public water bodies.
Subodh More, grandson of satyagraha organiser RB More, said the political turnout reflects the lasting impact of the struggle. He noted that alongside the centenary, December 25, 2027, would mark 100 years of Ambedkar’s public burning of the Manusmriti, another landmark act of protest.
More also pointed out that leaders from diverse castes—including RB More, Bhai Chitre, Shyamrao Parulekar and Nana Tipnis—played key roles in the movement, many of whom later aligned with left and socialist politics. He criticised mainstream parties for overlooking their contributions.
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CPI(M) leaders, including Ashok Dhawale and Mariam Dhawale, visited the historic site and participated in a “Human Rights Convention against Manuwad and Capitalism,” organised along with the Jati Ant Sangharsh Samiti. Addressing the gathering, M A Baby urged activists to carry Ambedkar’s message of social transformation nationwide and mobilise for a larger event in December.
Meanwhile, Sapkal launched the Congress party’s ‘Chavdar Tale Satyagraha Equality Centenary Year’ celebrations. He said the party would observe the period from March 20, 2026, to March 20, 2027, with the theme “Towards Equality through Social Justice.”
“Equality cannot be achieved without social justice, and the democracy envisioned by Dr. Ambedkar cannot be realised without equality,” Sapkal said, calling the centenary an opportunity to renew commitment to Ambedkar’s ideals.
