The Peaceful Revolution > Since the Conversion Dr Ambedkar converted to Buddhism in Nagpur, in the centre of India. Today in every village in Maharashtra, the state in which Nagpur is situated, there are at least a few Buddhist families, with hundreds of thousands in the larger towns and cities. Significant new Buddhist communities are developing in most other Indian states. Unfortunately Dr Ambedkar died just six weeks after the conversion. His great movement was left leaderless, broken up by politicians and neglected by most foreign Buddhists. Without proper leadership and appropriate help his followers - amongst the most socially backward and exploited in India - were able to make little progress in their new religion. While most have very strong faith, few have had a chance to listen to a lecture or read a book on Buddhism. Many are illiterate, whilst those who can read are frequently too poor to buy Buddhist literature. There have been very few trained Dhamma teachers to visit all the thousands of towns and villages inhabited by new Buddhists. If this is not addressed there is a real danger of the Dhamma dying out again in India. At the same time, Buddhists and Scheduled Castes urgently need help in uplifting their appalling social conditions.
"Man must grow materially as well as spiritually. Society has been aiming to lay a new foundation, which was summarized by the French Revolution in three words, Fraternity, Liberty and Equality. The French Revolution was welcomed because of this slogan. It failed to produce equality. We welcome the Russian Revolution because it aims to produce equality. But it cannot be too much emphasized that in producing equality in society one cannot afford to sacrifice fraternity or liberty. Equality will be of no value without fraternity or liberty. It seems that the three ( liberty, equality and fraternity) can coexist only if one follows the way of the Buddha”. (Dr. Ambedkar Writing & Speeches: Vol. III, p.462)
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