"Upper-caste Hindus created obstacles for us like not letting us attain education and did not give us the respect that a person deserves. In Buddhism, the individual is given more importance. Its principles are more unifying than the divisive ones of Hinduism," observes Yeshwant Sadashiv Mahate from Nashik.
"Dhamma (teachings of Buddha) is a thought that will help us in our upliftment and help us gain an identity. And obviously, it will save us from social stigma," he adds.
By Sunday afternoon, the race course was teeming with people, even as Buddhist monks made their way on to the stage.
During the prolonged wait for the ceremony to begin, chants of Jai Bhim rent the air. Speeches, recitations and folk dances built the momentum for the evening.
Image : The venue was teeming with people who had come from all over Maharashtra
Also see: Why the Dalits are angry
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