JV Pawar at his Borivli home. Pic/Sameer Markande

Born in Pilavali village in Ratnagiri's Chiplun district, Pawar learned about the genuis of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar in 1956. Pawar was in school then. "On December 6, 1956, a nationwide bandh was called. When I returned home from school, my uncles and cousins asked me to read the newspaper for them. Dr Ambedkar had passed away and everybody was in mourning. I didn't know why. It was after this day that I found out all that he had achieved to end caste discrimination in the country," Pawar recalls.

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From then on began Pawar's journey to fight injustice perpetuated by the upper castes. With Dhasal, Pawar wrote several articles to bring about a change in society. Around 1971, the Elayaperumal Committee was set up by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. As part of this, Dalit leader L Elayaperumal was asked to prepare a report on Dalit atrocities faced across the country. "The horrific details mentioned in the report moved us. We had to end caste discrimination."

So, on May 29, 1972, they launched the Dalit Panthers, inspired by the Black Panther Party, a socialist movement that sought to combat racial discrimination against African-Americans, during the Civil Rights Movement in the United States, in the mid-20th century. The Dalit Panthers led a renaissance in Marathi literature and art. They advocated for and practised radical politics, fusing the ideologies of Ambedkar, Jyotirao Phule and Karl Marx.

Pawar narrates the beginning of this movement in the first episode, and the influence that Dr Ambedkar had on the duo. In the next few episodes, Pawar also mentions political activist and social reformer Raja Dhale, who joined them later and made the movement prosper with his powerful speeches. "His public speeches drew massive admiration. But eventually in 1977, we dissolved the association. While Dhasal had a Marxist approach, Dhale and I followed Buddhist ideologies."

The YouTube series also features Tejvil Pawar, his son who talks about the organisation in its prime. Each episode is five to eight minutes long. "After Dhasal and Dhale, I am left to tell the tales of the organisation. I am glad I got the opportunity to remember the glorious days."

Watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmL_ 6H42Q-E

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