The worst and most inhumane form of discrimination and untouchability is seen when it comes to water. Even today, many villages have a different source of water allotted for Dalits. Many a times, upper caste men and women forbid Dalits from touching the public source of water fearing the source will be “polluted". Non-dalits fill the water and pour it into the vessels of the Dalits. The amount of water they take back home is dictated by the whims and fancies of the dominant caste.
Article 17 of the Indian Constitution states “untouchability is abolished and its practice in any form is forbidden. The enforcement of any disability arising out of untouchability shall be an offence punishable in accordance with law.” Article15 (2) states that “No citizen shall, on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them, be subject to any disability, liability, restriction or condition with regard to the use of wells, tanks, bathing ghats etc.”
However, untouchability still exists in our society and manifests itself in myriad forms. A landmark moment in this direction, to defy untouchability and reclaim public spaces for Dalits, was the Mahad Satyagraha led by Dr. Ambedkar. On March 20, 1927, Dr. Ambedkar led thousands of Dalits to the Chavdar lake in Mahad, Maharashtra. He demanded that Dalits be allowed to access water as it is their moral and legal right. He took water from the well and drank it.
The Bole resolution, named after the member who proposed it in the Bombay legislature in 1923 had already called for the opening of public places and public water reservoirs to untouchables. A subsequent resolution of the Mahad municipality declaring that the local tank would be accessible to all — including untouchables — constituted the backdrop for the first Mahad conference in March 1927. However, it only remained on paper.
Despite being a peaceful protest, the Mahad Satyagraha faced severe backlash. Upper caste Hindus spread rumours that Dalits planned to enter the Veereshwara temple, leading to brutal attacks. To "undo the pollution," they conducted a purification ritual of the tank, reinforcing casteist oppression.
The concept of purity and pollution still dominates the thinking of people even after untouchability is abolished legally. Even nine decades after the Mahad Satyagraha, caste-based water discrimination persists:
In Uttar Pradesh’s Bundelkhand, Dalits were reportedly denied water from government tankers serving upper caste villages.
In times of water scarcity, the divide worsens. Upper caste and wealthy individuals can buy bottled water and tankers, while lower castes suffer deprivation.
Poor sanitation and water quality disproportionately affect Dalits, who also face discrimination in accessing healthcare.
Connection to basic infrastructure and access to essential services are an eminently political issue and they are often used as a tool for social discrimination and exercise of power. The Mahad Satyagraha remains a powerful symbol of the fight against caste discrimination in water access. Every year, thousands march to Mahad to honor this historic event. However, as water scarcity and inequality worsen, caste bias in water access remains a human rights issue. True progress demands not just legal provisions but active enforcement and societal change.
By remembering Dr. Ambedkar’s Water Satyagraha, we must continue advocating for water as a fundamental right for all, irrespective of caste, class, or gender.
This article has been republished with permission from the Water Practitioners Network.
Assertion of Equality:
It marked a direct challenge to the caste-based restrictions that marginalized certain communities, asserting their right to access public utilities.
Catalyst for Social Reform:
The movement galvanized further efforts towards abolishing untouchability and inspired subsequent civil rights movements within India.
Symbol of Resistance:
The satyagraha became emblematic of the fight against social injustice and discrimination, highlighting the need for systemic change.
The Mahad movement was initiated by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, a prominent social reformer and the chief architect of the Indian Constitution. His leadership in this satyagraha was instrumental in challenging the entrenched caste system and advocating for the rights of the oppressed communities.