Annihilation of Caste

If someone asks you to read this book cover to cover without any hints of its name and, in the end asks you to name it. Most readers would concur the title is truly deserving of the pages that follow.

Written in 1936, with the right vantage point of earlier Indian history and set social hierarchy of the time. This book helps reader realize forces that were in play during India's struggle of Freedom and how inept, uneducated and selective each school of thought was towards social reforms. The lingering effects of which can be seen today, which further help prove that author's point.

Outside the content of the book, This book can be a good learning opportunity for the readers on “How to make a point”. Ambedkar indeed is one of the best intellectual India has ever produced.

This is the very first work of Ambedkar's that I have read. I picked this up being too sceptical about it but I'm so glad that I did. The version that I have also has 2 other works of his namely - ‘Castes in India : Their mechanism, Genesis and Development.' and ‘Ranade, Gandhi and Jinnah' . The other two works especially the former when read along with ‘Annihilation of caste' gives an in-depth idea of what caste system is.

‘Annihilation of caste' was supposed to be a speech delivered at the annual conference of ‘Jat-Pat Todak Mandal' (Society for the break up of caste system) in 1936 at Lahore. Ironically they never let him deliver the speech and canceled the conference and Ambedkar ended up publishing the speech bearing the expenses himself. The exchange of the letters between him and the Mandal are included prior to the speech in print for the reader to be the judge of why the delivery of speech was canceled. The whole speech is based on research and evidences. He criticises Hinduism for its biased treatment based on the Hindu scriptures and makes one realise how deep rooted in religion the caste system is.

‘Castes in India : Their mechanism, Genesis and Development.' was a paper read by him at an anthropological seminar of in New York on 9 May 1916. As the title says, Ambedkar explains everything about caste which was often dismissed as being “unexplainable”. He says it has only been “un-understood” and presents his paper. I was personally shocked to understand how male domination helped shape the rituals that help the caste system prevail.

Each page can be quoted and highlighted but it's best if everyone reads and interprets it in their own way. We have conveniently skipped the reformist side of Ambedkar in our textbooks and have introduced him as nothing but the architect of our constitution. I'm so glad that I picked this up book for it helped me unlearn and relearn a lot of things. I highly recommend that everyone does so too.