B.R. AMBEDKAR’S “ANNIHILATION OF CASTE” 75 YEARS LATER

Annihilating caste by Bhalchandra Mungekar (Frontline)

“The Jat Pat Todak Mandal, a social reformist organisation of Lahore, had, in 1936, invited Dr B.R. Ambedkar to deliver the presidential address of its annual conference on the topic of the caste system in India. Ambedkar sent the manuscript of his speech titled ‘The Annihilation of Caste.’ However, the organising committee found some of his views, particularly his critique of the Vedas and his inclination to leave the Hindu fold, unacceptable.

“It, therefore, suggested to Ambedkar that he delete these views, to which he replied that ‘he would not change a comma.’ The speech thus remained undelivered. Ambedkar subsequently published it in May 1936. [...]

“In The Annihilation of Caste, Ambedkar, probably for the first time, raised many profound questions with respect to caste. First, he rejected the defence of caste on the basis of division of labour and argued that it was not merely a division of labour but a division of labourers. The former was voluntary and depended upon one's choice and aptitude and, therefore, rewarded efficiency. The latter was involuntary, forced, killed initiative and resulted in job aversion and inefficiency. He argued that caste could not be defended on the basis of purity of blood, though pollution is a hallmark of the caste system. [...]

“But most importantly, according to Ambedkar, caste destroyed the concept of ethics and morality. To quote him: ‘The effect of caste on the ethics of the Hindus is simply deplorable. Caste has killed public spirit. Caste has destroyed the sense of public charity. Caste has made public opinion impossible. A Hindu's public is his caste. His responsibility is to his caste. His loyalty is restricted only to his caste. Virtue has become caste-ridden, and morality has become caste-bound.’ [...]

“Ambedkar did not spare the socialists or the communists either. He vehemently attacked the communists for their doctrinaire approach to caste in treating it as the superstructure and argued that unless they dealt with caste as a basic structural problem, no worthwhile social change, let alone a socialist revolution, was possible.”

Read The Annihilation of Caste in this excellent online edition by
Prof. Frances W. Pritchett of Columbia University