[2] The Namantar Andolan was a 16-year-long Dalit campaign to rename Marathwada University in recognition of B. R. Ambedkar, the jurist, politician and social reformer who had proposed that untouchability should be made illegal.

A march involving Dalit and non-Dalit students was organised, with the intent of petitioning the council of the university for the change.

Uttara Shastree notes that the campaign at this time reflected the desire of neo-Buddhists for an improved image and position in society, as a significant part of which they called on the symbolic ideas of Ambedkar, that had preceded his rise to prominence.

[9] Commentators such as Gail Omvedt believe that the violence was a caste war based on hatred; whilst others, such as Gupta, believe that the causes were more varied.

In particular, the centres of the unrest were urban areas, where the impact of Mahar aspirations would most deeply affect the employment, social, and economic roles which Hindu castes considered to be their preserve.

Troubles were largely absent from the other two districts, Beed and Osmanabad, and the spill of problems into rural areas generally was patchy.

[a] These issues of geographic and demographic targeting, according to Gupta, indicate that the real causes of the violence were more subtle than war between caste Hindu and Dalit.

There were also instances of violent acts taking place under the pretext of the riots elsewhere but in fact to settle very local and personal scores unrelated to the broader causes.

[7] In contradiction to these views, Y. C. Damle maintains that the violence "specially affected the Scheduled Caste people in the villages although the agitation for renaming the Marathwada University after Dr. Ambedkar was spearheaded by Dalit Panthers and such leaders mainly in urban centres.

"[9] Riots affected 1,200 villages in Marathwada, impacting on 25,000 Marathi Buddhist and Hindu Dalits and causing thousands of them to seek safety in jungles.

[12] The bridges and culverts were intentionally broken or damaged to paralyse the military and police aid in villages during the time of the attacks.

[23] The Marathi Newspaper, Prajawani and Godatir Samachar, opposed the Namantar "by giving wide publicity to the riots in the cities and suppressing news in the rural areas."

[10] The front page of a famous Marathi newspaper published a notice for upper caste Hindus to support the agitation.

[24] The Parliamentary Committee advised to reinforce the police intelligence with radio communication, telephones, and motor vehicles in talukas.

[3] Bhalchandra Nemade commented "All Marathi newspapers are communal and they thrive on the so-called 'freedom of press' to serve their own aims.

[28] In Akola Village, the police intentionally refused to lodge complains during violence against upper caste Hindus.

[10] Sooner after the atrocities, authorities brought around 3000 individuals into the police custody, but victims reported that very few went into the court, and the remaining cases weren't much faster.

The parliamentary committee advised "an automatic judicial inquiry in all cases of large-scale arson and looting involved Dalits".

[24] On 4 August 1978, Jogendra Kawade led a march from Deekshabhoomi to the District magistrate's office in Nagpur to rename the university.

[34] The violence caused the Dalits to suspend their campaign for a while, but when a new incumbent as Chief Minister, Sharad Pawar, found various reasons to postpone the renaming, the reaction was the organisation of a Long March and instigating the Namantar Andolan.

[35] The Long March began on a Dhamma Chakra Pravartan Din from Deekshabhoomi, Nagpur, an area populated by many Buddhists, towards Aurangabad, blessed by Bhadant Anand Kausalyan.

"[34] According to Yukrant leader, around 3 lakhs of people were expected to join the Long March to rename the university after Ambedkar's name.

A small percentage reached to Aurangabd, but minimum 3 lakhs organized the mass protest – satyagraha, Jail Bharo Andolan, March.

Thousands of Long March activists walking from Nagpur, Udgir, and Satara were taken into custody at the boundaries of Marathwada.

Leaders and activists arrested, physically harmed, lathi charged, shot with tear gas, and air firing to disperse the crowd.

[13][39] According to Omvedt, "the upsurge, turmoil's and frustration of the long march campaign brought the movement to a new turning point.

The readiness for action shown by Dalit masses provided a demonstration of their powerful urge for revolutionary change".

[3] However, in Osmanabad district, at Kathi Savargaon, the renaming decision was welcomed with celebration by Maratha sarpanch in village.

The chosen form — Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University — represents an expansion of the existing name (a Namvistar) rather than complete change (Namanatar).

Sharad Pawar also announced that it would be a policy to encourage higher education for everyone, irrespective of caste, class, religion, and ethnicity.