I studied in a Kendriya Vidyalaya. All through my school days, I never heard the name of Dr B R Ambedkar in my school textbooks, nor did I see any of his pictures on school walls which were adorned with portraits and quotes of Gandhi, Indira, Nehru and Netaji. My first encounter with Dr B R Ambedkar started with a conversation with my family, who spoke highly of him during a discussion on rights.
His struggles provided the constitutional protections that enabled my parents to attain education and employment and eventually helped me become who I am today. However, much later in life, I came to start reading the works of Dr Ambedkar and what he has done for the upliftment of all the oppressed castes, classes, and women.
By the time I started to read a book written by Dr B R Ambedkar, I already knew about his contributions to Indian society and the world. I already knew how much he was revered by the oppressed communities everywhere and how he had become a symbol of hope and a figure even larger than God to many people. But when I started reading him, I was stuck in awe at the intellectual mastery which was sparkling in his words.
“Annihilation Of Caste” By Ambedkar
The book is a testament to the importance of reason and rationality. It engages our minds and makes us think, question and understand. It makes us break the shackles of ignorance, slavery and blind faith.
“Philosophy, wisdom, and liberty support each other; he who will not reason is a bigot; he who cannot is a fool, and he who dares not is a slave.” – William Drummond.
You cannot read this book and still be ignorant about the history and mechanism of the caste system’s oppression. He starts with the book by pointing out why establishing a social democracy is necessary for political democracy and how the savarna dominated Indian National Congress is trying to bypass social reforms by giving attention only to political reforms.
He explains the futility of these actions as they will not improve the lives of the millions of Indians who are being oppressed daily by the caste-gender relations which are divinely ordained by the Hindu religion. Next, he explains in detail the Manusmriti laws, which were operational even before the colonial era and were designed to humiliate and subjugate the masses.
He also uses the arguments of other philosophers to explain why social reform is essential for a democracy. Finally, he gives examples from the history of places around the globe where social reform preceded political reforms.
Similarly, he argues the need to establish social democracy as a base for developing an economic democracy that the Socialists/Marxists mostly ignore. He points to the differences between European and Indian society with logical arguments on why one cannot directly implement the economic reforms in India without addressing the social hierarchies.
Ambedkar is the first philosopher who understood the complete meaning of democracy and pushed for expanding its idea to social, economic, political and cultural spheres. He understood that unless we implement democracy as an ideal in all these spheres, the accurate idea of liberty, equality and fraternity can never be fulfilled in our society.
Caste Is Not Just A Division Of Labour But Division Of Labourers
He destroys every argument that tries to justify this cruel system of segregation and hierarchy with clear, rational arguments and historical analysis. You will be amazed at the wealth of knowledge and wisdom Ambedkar has while going over his attacks against the caste system.
He was a true polymath who was unparalleled in his expertise which spanned economics, political science, history, philosophy, sociology, law and constitutionalism. You feel outraged that his writings are not taught in schools and colleges.
Every kid should read his words and see how he articulates to get an insight into what they can become by cultivating their mind to reason and knowledge. If we want an enlightened citizenry who understands their rights and move the nation to a true democracy, the “Annihilation Of Caste” should be included in the syllabus.
He further argues why true democracy cannot form in India unless we annihilate the caste system as caste is antithetical to democracy. It is fundamentally against the idea of equality. He explains how it creates hierarchies in all aspects of the life of an Indian citizen, irrespective of their religion.
He proclaims that the key to destroying caste is the rejection of the Hindu shastras, which gives it divine or sacred status. He claims that the system cannot be reformed and can only be annihilated.
The exclusion of Dalit Bahujan Adivasis from attaining education is even enforced today based on these Manu laws. He says that religions and traditions must evolve for a society to progress and declares that he is leaving the Hindu fold. He ends the book again with a note on the importance of social democracy.
The exclusionary nature of caste that he explains is visible today when we look at the power structures and all decision-making bodies where savarnas occupy every position. This book opens our eyes to not just the historical oppression faced by marginalized castes for millennia.
Still, it also helps us understand the exclusion and oppression faced by them even today. And once we start seeing it, we see it everywhere as caste pervades every space today. If caste is a pandemic that needs to be wiped out, then “Annihilation Of Caste” is the vaccine you need.