In the summer of 2003 I decided to do Master’s in Social Work (M.S.W) from Karve Institute of Social Service, Pune after doing B.A. in Psychology. I got admission in the department of Medical and Psychiatric Social Work. After studying in a cosmopolitan College like Nowrosjee Wadia, Karve Institute was definitely a disappointment. There were no so called hot chicks that qualified a college to be happening I always displayed my elitism and hardly mingled with people from the rural background. Once while eating dabba I refused to sit on the ground with my classmates. And all this was the prototypes of an arrogant urbanite that was sadly ingrained in me and I would condemn it only now in retrospect. I knew hindi but preferred speaking to those who conversed in English. So the divide was rather very clear in my attitude.
In my department we had an interesting character whose name was Amey Apte. He was articulate and very critical in his thinking. He was one guy who I enjoyed talking to about history. Mahatma Gandhi was our point of admiration. Whenever I went to college (which was rare and far in between) we both did have a chat. My first year at the college was anything but memorable and I really was contemplating a drop, as I felt this was not meant to be. But nonetheless I did continue. By the end of our first year, Amey and his friends were going through a very serious transformation. Questions like ‘What is the point of Social Work without addressing issues like poverty and destitution’ became more than academic rumblings. Amey was being guided by a friend Ravi Bansode who is a Dalit Activist. Ravi introduced him to the world of slums and its poverty, the need for action, rather than social work. This led him to get more involved at the grassroot. When the second year of M.S.W began, Amey’s sudden transformation was a point of discussion and derision. He had some friends along with him and now they seemed to get deeper into Dalit activism. I personally felt it was a phase and did not give much credence. As we had become seniors, there was a new batch for the year 2004-2006. This new batch was way more dynamic and focused than we were. Anil Varghese was symbol of the dynamism and vibrancy of this batch along with many others. Anil had serious engagements with social movements before he joined the institute. He is a man of many hues and his grasp on issues is profound. The phenomenon of Amey was explained to me by Anil who was supportive of the new development. I have to credit Anil for broadening my narrow worldview. More or less it was in the shadow of Anil and Amey that I started enjoying the course and I began to see people in some ways as they are. This was very important a change and sadly the urban bred have way too many prejudices about everything. For them good clothes and sophistication alone qualified people to be worthy of socialization and friendship.(i am sorry for the gross generalization, it may not be entirely true)
Amey was a Brahmin by birth who was now working for the upliftment of the Dalits (I am sure he would not be pleased with that usage). He belonged to a group called Baudh Yuva Sangharsh Samiti that was Ambedkarite in Politics and subscribed to Neo-Buddhism. In the month of August 2004, he along with his friends underwent Diksha(Which means accepting the tenets of Neo- Buddhism) and Amey Apte was rechristened as Sangharsh Alka Arun Apte. The choice of his name was interesting as he wanted it as a significance and message of his life and also wanted his mother's name to be part of his identity. As every new convert has his overdrive of zeal, so did Sangharsh have his own share. He offended people, ridiculed them and their beliefs, he made fun of the elite culture of some friends which made him very unpopular. But all in all he was now a man with a purpose and one could see his drive. We debated endlessly about his change. I tried to reason out with him without actually knowing anything. Then in October 2004 there came a Study tour in Bangalore and this was the real beginning of our friendship. I atleast started to get his point which till then I just dismissed. In May 2005 our course came to an end. And I particularly felt that his zeal will fade away. But his convictions inspired me and in my internship I read immensely about Dr. B. R. Ambedkar and Dalit issue. I realized how warped my worldview was. Along with Anil, he helped me revisit my taken for granted assumptions in life and personally helped me to have my own journey of self discovery and purpose. Sangharsh chose to live in the slums and decided that education would be his focus. He tried in his own ways to give tuitions to the children of slums. He told me “Education is a big barrier for these children. They drop out very early and have no one to guide them so they later enter into gangs, drugs and alcoholism. We are trying to make education as a focal point in this Basti. We are trying.”
His experiments were really noteworthy and full of introspection. He did not prefer social work so for employment he started to ride Auto Rickshaw. This according to him would help him to relate more to the problems of livelihood of the people he was trying to cater. This went on for some months but it was not sustainable. Then he took a job as a librarian in a Communist Study Group Library, Bhagat Singh Library. Then he took up work with a Documentation centre where he would get exposure to Dalit Movement literature and also got a platform to meet many leaders of the movement. His work in the slums were increasing and he invited me to his place. As I said, I can only appreciate such steps and write about what he has done, but not sure if I will have the courage to live for my convictions like he does. He was living with his mentor Ravi Bansode, in Ambedkar vasti and living conditions was something that i could never reconcile to.
Pallavi Harshe, another very interesting character, a fellow batchmate at Karve, fell in love with Sangharsh and in August 2005 they both tied the knot. Pallavi matches him in his zeal and they both have decided not to have children, so as to dedicate their lives for the cause. Pallavi is more practical and systematic in her approach and she is academically inclined and has the talent to integrate activism and academics. I always remind Sangharsh that it is his fortune to have a wife like Pallavi who shares the same zeal and is ready to make sacrifice for their common cause.
After all his exposure with the movement, Sangharsh entered into party politics and was a candidate of Prabudh Republican Party in Election held in 2009. They fought for a rehabilitation package for the slums. There were Dharnas for many days to get the government to notice the plight of the people of the slums. To what I have seen, Sangharsh is an excellent organizer and a man with extraordinary oratory skills. A great leader of sorts. He felt that the plight of Dalits could be addressed through democratic ways and being in power is necessary. He is still working hard on his convictions. In all these years we have remained in touch. I used to meet him to just feel the energy and optimism he exuded. He had many things going against him, but he never gave up. We used to meet in the campus of Pune University and discussed endlessly in the Open Canteen with one Chai shared in two cups . He is always driven by concerns of poverty and social justice. at times one does feel he is extreme but i feel it is the madness of such people that make this world worth living.
Let me conclude. Sangharsh is a man with great virtues and similar madness. He has had many downfalls in his experiments. Many friends he lost, all in the journey for his ideals and dreams. He is still a very misunderstood person.In a way i guess it is his virtue that he is not slave of public opinion. I am aware of his failures and stupidity but more than that I admire his volition and courage. He has set a yardstick that I will always fall short of. But he helped me rethink my faith and helped me reorient my life. I can say I am a better Christian because of him. Moreover he helped me get over my elitism to a great extent. I, in some way could practice ‘dignity of humanity’ that I always preached. His journey from being Amey to Sangharsh is a challenge for us to live life more meaningfully, even if it entails failures and disdain. He has the courage to live a life which people like me love to preach, read and write about.
‘I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.’ John 12:24.
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