tolstoyevski's review against another edition
5.0
The new edition with Indroduction by Arundhati Roy and this speech that was never delivered by B R Ambedkar is greatly relevant even after 70+ years after it was first written. It should be read with an open mind, and acknowleging B R not just as a leader of dalits, but a philosopher and a scholar.
pzp72's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
5.0
90 years later, our country is still not ready to face the issues Ambedkar identified.
siddharthagolu's review
5.0
I find India really fascinating sometimes, even though I've lived my whole life here. What the cultural multitudes and colorful festivals hide underneath is an ugly facade which threatens to break everything that has been built over the years. What I find most fascinating is how we've conditioned ourselves to ignore the blatant reality and move ahead with an oblivious calm, living in shit and aspiring for the gold.
Caste and religion are two of the most contentious topics out there, so much ingrained in our day to day life that one cannot even comprehend that any alternatives exist. Ambedkar had tried to show an alternative way out, and it only speaks of the deep-rootedness of the system when all we remember Dr. Ambedkar for is writing the Constitution (albiet not a small feat by any stretch), while all his life he had worked to shake the society off from the chains of caste.
This annotated edition is the perfect way to educate oneself about the almost forgotten history of a radical man who dared to question the status quo and to demand justice, fighting not against a foreign invader but with his fellow countrymen, and who has been sidelined from every history book that is taught in the country.
Caste is part and parcel of a Hindu life. I did not realize or experience this until I entered college. Although it remains rather concealed amongst students, it reared its ugly head whenever the matter of reservation (Affirmative action in west) was discussed. Arundhati Roy put this brilliantly in her forward:
> ‘Merit’ is the weapon of choice for an Indian elite that has dominated a system by allegedly divine authorisation, and denied knowledge—of certain kinds—to the subordinated castes for thousands of years. Now that it is being challenged, there have been passionate privileged-caste protests against the policy of reservation in government jobs and student quotas in universities. The presumption is that ‘merit’ exists in an ahistorical social vacuum and that the advantages that come from privileged-caste social networking and the establishment’s entrenched hostility towards the subordinated castes are not factors that deserve consideration. In truth, ‘merit’ has become a euphemism for nepotism.
Even now when I no longer believe in religion (Hinduism was never my religion, it was my parents' religion which I inherited, much like everyone else), I still get asked for my "last name" as a proxy for my caste. It is so seeped into our consciousness that we can't help but feel a reverence whenever we come across someone from a "higher caste", or to feel discomfort when we meet someone from a "lower caste". This prejudice even trumps religious beliefs in India - even though their
scriptures don't sanction it, the elite Muslims, Sikhs and Christians all practice caste discrimination.
The arguments put forward by Ambedkar for breaking up the entire caste system is a brilliant demonstration of the crystal-clear thinking of a man who left such a huge legacy on the Indian subcontinent and made sure that the future of India is steered in the right direction. He is criticized for asking for a radical transformation of society when India needed to unite everyone to win its freedom. What these criticisms seem to miss is that every radical man/woman is considered
radical precisely because i) they go against the cultural norms and ii) they question the deep-rooted prejudiced beliefs. There will never come an "appropriate" time for reforms, as is sadly evident with the still prevalent caste discrimination almost 90 years after Ambedkar decided to storm the gates.
It's a travesty that he still remains, for the large part, forgotten.
-------------------------------
This is also available on my website here.
Caste and religion are two of the most contentious topics out there, so much ingrained in our day to day life that one cannot even comprehend that any alternatives exist. Ambedkar had tried to show an alternative way out, and it only speaks of the deep-rootedness of the system when all we remember Dr. Ambedkar for is writing the Constitution (albiet not a small feat by any stretch), while all his life he had worked to shake the society off from the chains of caste.
This annotated edition is the perfect way to educate oneself about the almost forgotten history of a radical man who dared to question the status quo and to demand justice, fighting not against a foreign invader but with his fellow countrymen, and who has been sidelined from every history book that is taught in the country.
Caste is part and parcel of a Hindu life. I did not realize or experience this until I entered college. Although it remains rather concealed amongst students, it reared its ugly head whenever the matter of reservation (Affirmative action in west) was discussed. Arundhati Roy put this brilliantly in her forward:
> ‘Merit’ is the weapon of choice for an Indian elite that has dominated a system by allegedly divine authorisation, and denied knowledge—of certain kinds—to the subordinated castes for thousands of years. Now that it is being challenged, there have been passionate privileged-caste protests against the policy of reservation in government jobs and student quotas in universities. The presumption is that ‘merit’ exists in an ahistorical social vacuum and that the advantages that come from privileged-caste social networking and the establishment’s entrenched hostility towards the subordinated castes are not factors that deserve consideration. In truth, ‘merit’ has become a euphemism for nepotism.
Even now when I no longer believe in religion (Hinduism was never my religion, it was my parents' religion which I inherited, much like everyone else), I still get asked for my "last name" as a proxy for my caste. It is so seeped into our consciousness that we can't help but feel a reverence whenever we come across someone from a "higher caste", or to feel discomfort when we meet someone from a "lower caste". This prejudice even trumps religious beliefs in India - even though their
scriptures don't sanction it, the elite Muslims, Sikhs and Christians all practice caste discrimination.
The arguments put forward by Ambedkar for breaking up the entire caste system is a brilliant demonstration of the crystal-clear thinking of a man who left such a huge legacy on the Indian subcontinent and made sure that the future of India is steered in the right direction. He is criticized for asking for a radical transformation of society when India needed to unite everyone to win its freedom. What these criticisms seem to miss is that every radical man/woman is considered
radical precisely because i) they go against the cultural norms and ii) they question the deep-rooted prejudiced beliefs. There will never come an "appropriate" time for reforms, as is sadly evident with the still prevalent caste discrimination almost 90 years after Ambedkar decided to storm the gates.
It's a travesty that he still remains, for the large part, forgotten.
-------------------------------
This is also available on my website here.
thothgodofknowledge's review
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
I will never be the same again. Thankyou.
amishi1712's review
5.0
I don't know why I didn't read this sooner. Ambedkar's writing, logics, and propositions are bullet-proof.
The reality of caste in India is scary, and more often than not the averagely educated person is not adversely impacted by it, thus making it a topic that not many think, and thus learn about. But we learn to revere those who upheld caste, and that is wrong.
Ambedkar's writing is of global relevance, and one of my most favourite parts was about his analysis of religions and cultures as an indicator of the morality and way of life in different societies. Yes, religion is not neutral and no, culture is not a defence for a practice that impedes someone's dignity.
I would love to connect with other people who have read this text, and I hope to introduce a lot of people to this text as well.
The reality of caste in India is scary, and more often than not the averagely educated person is not adversely impacted by it, thus making it a topic that not many think, and thus learn about. But we learn to revere those who upheld caste, and that is wrong.
Ambedkar's writing is of global relevance, and one of my most favourite parts was about his analysis of religions and cultures as an indicator of the morality and way of life in different societies. Yes, religion is not neutral and no, culture is not a defence for a practice that impedes someone's dignity.
I would love to connect with other people who have read this text, and I hope to introduce a lot of people to this text as well.
ottiedottie's review against another edition
5.0
Very very insightful read. Arundhati roy did i think a fantastic job for setting the stage and context from which this text/ piece emerged without mincing words. She so beautifully detailed with brutality her descriptions of the dangerous views held by Gandhi and the continued stink of the caste system that follows us to this day. Just everything political I'd read from her so far has been so !!! i don't even know how to describe it but her brain is very sexy
This insidious inhuman system that has been playing right before my eyes but the extent of which I had been blind to previously until a about a few years ago because of the inherent and invisible privilege of being born a tamil brahmin. I am trying to read more dalit literature and voices as I go because I've recently identified that as a humongous blind spot when i talk about my personal ethics. And I believe negligence and stasis is a dangerous act in itself.
As Roy points out herself, the one thing sickening about this manifesto is the language used against the tribal population of India. The way Ambedkar describes them as savages, who need to be integrated forcefully into "regular" society and have their culture and homes erased, clashed so thoroughly with the reason and passion with which he spoke about the dalit community. It just felt so sickening especially since i'm fresh off of having done my entire thesis on the colonisation of the Jarawa tribe in the Andamans both by the British Raj and then now the Indian government itself to this day with police brutality to boot and knowing no signs of change.
Sighs deeply. Anyway. That's a whole different conversation. I'm glad I read this annotated version because I got so much more out of it and it left lots of ideas to turn over and marinate in my brain.
This insidious inhuman system that has been playing right before my eyes but the extent of which I had been blind to previously until a about a few years ago because of the inherent and invisible privilege of being born a tamil brahmin. I am trying to read more dalit literature and voices as I go because I've recently identified that as a humongous blind spot when i talk about my personal ethics. And I believe negligence and stasis is a dangerous act in itself.
As Roy points out herself, the one thing sickening about this manifesto is the language used against the tribal population of India. The way Ambedkar describes them as savages, who need to be integrated forcefully into "regular" society and have their culture and homes erased, clashed so thoroughly with the reason and passion with which he spoke about the dalit community. It just felt so sickening especially since i'm fresh off of having done my entire thesis on the colonisation of the Jarawa tribe in the Andamans both by the British Raj and then now the Indian government itself to this day with police brutality to boot and knowing no signs of change.
Sighs deeply. Anyway. That's a whole different conversation. I'm glad I read this annotated version because I got so much more out of it and it left lots of ideas to turn over and marinate in my brain.
ms3194's review against another edition
5.0
A well researched book on the social evils that continue to prevail in modern India. My only concern with the book is Ambedkar's insistence that religion is necessary.
Instead of caste, I believe we would be better of annihilating religion itself and focus our lives on moral values.
A must read for all Indians and anyone who is interested in the caste system.
Instead of caste, I believe we would be better of annihilating religion itself and focus our lives on moral values.
A must read for all Indians and anyone who is interested in the caste system.
chaya_v's review
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
This was extremely interesting. I didn’t know much about the caste system of India going into this and it has been really eye opening. I was aware of the basics but this has really supplemented my knowledge.
I do realise this book is politically motivated so it’s not an objective rendering of the situation but it’s still worth a read. I’ll definitely look more into the caste system and maybe read some other books on the subject.
I do realise this book is politically motivated so it’s not an objective rendering of the situation but it’s still worth a read. I’ll definitely look more into the caste system and maybe read some other books on the subject.