Annihilation of Caste PDF

Preview

Summary

Summary of annihilation of caste...

Description

TAMIL NADU NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY, TIRUCHIRAPPALLI Submitted for the internal assessment for the course of B.A., LL. B (Hons.) – Second Semester Academic Year: 2020-2021 Subject: English II The Annihilation of Caste

Submitted To: DR. V.R. Anil Kumar, Professor of English, TNNLU Submitted by: Aryaman Keshav (BA0200006), Aseem Aggarwal (BA0200007), Avi Kaushik (BA0200008) and Bandi Tharun Bhagat ( BA200009)

Declaration We, Aryaman Keshav, register number BA0200006, Aseem Aggarwal, register number BA0200007 , Avi Kaushik, register no BA0200008 and Bandi Tharun Bhagat, reg No. BA0200009 hereby declare that this Research Paper/Research Project work entitled “Annihilation of Caste” has been originally carried out by me under the guidance and supervision of, DR. V.R. Anil Kumar, Professor of English, Tamil Nadu National Law University, Tiruchirappalli - 620 027. This work has not been submitted either whole or in part of any Degree/Diploma at any University.

Acknowledgement We would like to express my gratitude to my teacher, Dr. VR Anil Kumar, as well as our Vice Chancellor, VS Elizabeth, who gave me the golden opportunity to do this wonderful project on the topic ‘Annihilation of Caste”, which led us to studying the topic in depth and gaining a lot of knowledge. Secondly, we would also like to thank my family and friends who helped us in finalizing this project within the limited time frame.

Table of content –

Introduction ………………………………………………………... 4 Objectives …………………………………………………………... 4 Aim ………………………………………………………………….4 Hypothesis ………….……………………………………………….4 Tentative Findings …………………………………………………...4 Literary value of the text……………………………………………. 5 Literary criticism ……………………………………………………. 7 Critique………………………………………………………………. 8 Relevance of the text………………………………………………… 13 Conclusion…………………………………………………………….14

Introduction Annihilation of caste is an undelivered speech from the first Law Minister of India, Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar. Whenever the name of Ambedkar comes up, the first thing that comes to mind is his tireless work for elevating the status of the Dalits and Untouchables Pre-and-postindependence India. In today’s political environment, the practices of racism, sexism, and religious fundamentalism have been discussed and reproached extensively all around the globe. However, the practice of casteism in India has escaped this admonishment. (Roy 13) Perhaps because unlike racism or sexism, Casteism cannot be identified by just a single look. It does not appear on the skin of an individual. Another reason could be that unlike these other social evils, the caste system is not rebuked by everyone in India. Many people in our subcontinent still uphold this system. Annihilation of caste was a speech for these people. Ambedkar admits that the hardcore Hindu extremists and fundamentalists don’t like him, and he says he isn’t eager to get them to like him either. This speech is directed towards the people who consider themselves to be Moderate Hindus, people whom Ambedkar refers to as the best of Hindus. As a man, who came from the lower caste, overcame adversities that weren’t his fault but a curse of the society he lived in, and still despite these roadblocks was able to earn multiple degrees, it is easy to see why Ambedkar’s analysis of the Indian caste system could be considered accurate. Objectives: The objective of this research paper is to acknowledge the literary value of chosen text, and to identify what makes it a timeless classic. This paper will also address why Ambedkar chose a particular style of writing, and how it differs from other styles of literary writing. Moving on, this paper identifies why this speech was written, the outcome Ambedkar wished to achieve, and the ultimate message to the audience. And finally, this paper explores the relevance of Ambedkar’s text 80 years later, and its impact on the socio-legal landscape of India. Aim: To test the relevance of Ambedkar’s ideas in present times, and to explore literary merit of his text. Hypothesis: Annihilation of Caste (1944) by B.R. Ambedkar is still relevant, and it has literary value. Tentative Findings: 1. This text is still relevant because it addresses the crevices of Caste which have been long unaddressed 2. Given the class rejection and social inequities, the author of the text has used the Marxist theory of literature. 3. The literature in general is polemic and argumentative in nature than being didactic. The text is a Rhetoric.

4. This text deserves commendation for literary merit. Literary value of the text To ascertain whether a text has any literary value, one of the first things to do is to find if that text in question has withstood the test of times, endured the change in the mindset of the society, survived the changes in generations, advancement in technology etc. In other words, the text should be a timeless classic which has resonated with the readers of past, present, and future. Annihilation of Caste by BR Ambedkar is one such text. Arundhati Roy, the author of The Doctor and the Saint, says: “When I first read it (Annihilation of caste) I felt as though somebody had walked into a dim room and opened the windows. Reading Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar bridges the gap between what most Indians are schooled to believe in and the reality we experience everyday of our lives” (Roy 9 ) In modern times whenever, a political party has to appeal to the downtrodden sections of the society, Dr Ambedkar becomes their go-to card. This shows how Ambedkar’s ideas are still very much kept in mind if not followed by contemporary politicians. And there are many reasons for that. The first one being that in this speech, Ambedkar does not mince his words. The speech is unapologetic and whatever Ambedkar writes is what he believes in. In 1936 this act was rarely seen which is evident from the fact that the organization Jat-pat Todak Mandal that wanted to abolish caste cancels on Ambedkar after they see what he intends to speak. In the opening paragraphs only Ambedkar openly and bluntly discusses the horrors perpetrated against Dalits and untouchables by the Higher Caste and urges that the discriminatory caste system be abolished, deconstructed, and annihilated. Being born as a member of the Dalit community, discrimination was nothing new to Ambedkar, who had been dealing with it his whole life. Even after getting a Ph.D. from London, he continued to face discrimination. Because noticeably, education had no meaning to the caste system. Something that people do not want to believe even till today. He gives the example of an untouchable from Chakwara who was assaulted by Hindus for simply having ghee in his food. He calls out the Hindus saying, “an untouchable must not use ghee, even if he can afford to buy it, since it is an act of arrogance towards the Hindus.” (Ambedkar 2:17) This text is also an important piece of Dalit history. Ambedkar was the first Dalit to be invited by the Jat-Pat Todak Mandal and was the first Dalit to write about the atrocities they had to go through. This information has been lost in the pages of history and the education system is to be blamed. The students are hardly taught anything about the Dalit history in schools, most of their past has be redacted to show a better image of India. Ambedkar himself only manages to get himself on the history books as the father of the Indian constitution but his upliftment work for his community is often left out. Then again, we see chapters and sections on Gandhi. While how he helped us in acquiring independence from the Raj cannot be downplayed in any form, his character and thoughts as an individual have been tinkered with enormously to give him the image of a holy person, a mahatma, something that Ambedkar was against. He was one of Gandhi’s greatest adversaries and challenged him not only politically but morally too. He did not think Gandhi was a mahatma. This text has had many editions published in Ambedkar’s lifetime too. In the second edition which was published in 1937, Ambedkar included the review of his literature by Gandhi and his reply to him. This text is important because it shows a darker image of Gandhi, an image that has been whitewashed. At a time when Gandhi was at the height of his popularity, this text shows why Gandhi might not have been the man people considered

him to be. Gandhi considered himself to be a Hindu and while he took steps to do away with untouchability, he was never against the caste system. He believed that the caste system or more specifically the Varna system was the glue that held India together. This is also a significant topic that annihilation of caste deals with. It is not sufficient to say that social reforms are taking place. Ambedkar says that it is important to take note of the kind of social reform the reformers are pushing for. …it is necessary to make a distinction between social reform in the sense of the reform of the Hindu family, and social reform in the sense of the reorganization and reconstruction of the Hindu Society. The former has a relation to widow remarriage, child marriage, etc., while the latter relates to the abolition of the Caste System. (Ambedkar 2:14) Gandhi’s idea was to still admire and uphold the caste system. His idea of equality was to bring the ati-shudras into the varna system. But logically it could be seen that Hindus would still dominate; the only change would be that the lower caste would not be untouchable. They would still have to do menial jobs. This ideology was challenged by Ambedkar. Ambedkar wanted to do away with the caste system as a whole. “The outcasts are the by-product of the caste system. There will be outcastes as long as there are castes. Nothing can emancipate the outcaste except the destruction of the caste system” ( Gandhi 227) Casteism is a topic which till now continues to be an issue for which writers choose to tiptoe around. To read about the ideas that Ambedkar was presenting in the 1930s makes this text stand out. It shows the reader the reality that exists in India and does not paint a false narrative. It removes the rose-tinted glasses that people wear when they look at India. The annihilation of caste could be considered as one of the most radical works of its time. It still is. However, the book is not all gloomy and pessimistic. Ambedkar is not just telling the reader about the atrocities to make them sympathize with their cause, he is also giving his audience a solution to end the atrocities. The book offers a ray of hope and tells its audience that they could help by destroying this caste system and by ceasing to believe in the sanctity of the shastras. “… you must deny their authority, as did Buddha and Nanak. You must have courage to tell the Hindus that what is wrong with them is their religion—the religion which has produced in them this notion of the sacredness of Caste. Will you show that courage?”(Ambedkar 20:12). Any other text of this sort would be censored and stopped from publishing in today’s political climate, which makes reading Annihilation of caste all the more essential as it is very difficult to find a text as brutally honest as this in present day India. Till this day, Annihilation of caste remains one of the most incisive critiques of Brahmanism and the Hindu religion. The book shows how just having political reforms in the country would not lead to development. And even if it does, the progress would be superficial which will only mask the dark realities that bubble under the surface. If true reformation is to be achieved, Indians would have to face the reality, a reality that only a handful of texts about India are willing to show. Social reforms would be needed before any other kind of reform.

Literary Criticism

There is much to be derived from internal analysis of Ambedkar's text. His self-generated ideas on the inequities of the social structure in the Indian society continue to confront us even today. The critical understanding of his text exposes us to an underlying structure of ideas that provides a rationale behind his views. To understand the exact rationale of his text, it is required to use the tools of literature. Ambedkar's text is not merely a personal expression or feeling but it starkly relates to the social realities and political conditions of the time. He very rightly brings out the class struggle prevailing in the Indian society where one social class oppresses the other class. This expression of contemporary class struggle gives a glimpse of Marxist approach of the text. The text identifies equality, liberty and freedom as social values which are inherently absent in the Brahmanical society. The author is using literature as means to challenge these orthodox social norms and there is a quest to make the oppressed lose their chains and make them unite once again by destroying the walls of Varna and caste system. It is as much as the Marxist slogan: "workers of the world unite!” This explains the similar objectives of Marxists and the author's text which was written almost 85 years after Marx’s eminent work. Both attack the root cause of exploitation of the oppressed classes. Basing Ambedkar's text on Marxist literary theory given the text's representation of class conflict to cast light on class distinctions on the lines of Marxist principle seems the most apt literary theory that fits in Ambedkar's text. But there are some inconsistencies to this. In the text, Ambedkar seems to be in disagreement with socialist approach of communists. Though Ambedkar himself believes in socialism, his concept of socialism is different from that of Marxism. Marxists give importance to economic determinism which is a product of social and economic environment. Their idea is that economic reforms are a ladder to the equality and liberty of the proletariat class. To the contrary, Ambedkar vehemently rejects this idea and for him economic reforms are not possible without social reforms. He asserts that proletariats need to win political dominance first in order to gain economic equality. In addition to this, there were some principles of Marxism with which Ambedkar never aligned such as violence and the dominance of the proletariat. This has been assumed as if Ambedkar was anti- Marxist which is not true at all. He was always in favor of socialist system and thrived to bring in democratic socialism in India. The fact was that he only hates Marxist’s socialism based on dictatorship. In fact, Marxism can be said to be second base to whatever Ambedkar was doing but he did not considered Marxism to be the only possible passwords for Dalit emancipation. In fact, there is nothing related in Marxism with the Indian situation as far as the caste system is concerned. Ambedkar once remarked that Karl Marx would have worked in a completely different way if he would have considered the Indian situation. Marxists fail to consider caste inequalities into consideration while dealing with class struggle. This is because the Marxist revolution was oriented for the people in Western countries where the Industrial revolution was at zenith at that time. So, the revolution could not be taken to India had the Varna system and caste inequities be removed from the list. Coming to the Marxist literary approach, it is still acceptable as a rationale for literary criticism of Ambedkar’s Annihilation of caste. Marxist literary approach is about contemporary class struggle affecting the social and political condition of the time. The Marxist literature is basically a mirror of social values while trying to set aside the propaganda of the ruling class and challenging the prevailing social norms. Ambedkar’s text consists of all that. This literary text

has convinced us more than anything that the class differences plagued the social life of a particular class and the vibrant social revolution that we need to correct the ossified structure of society. Ambedkar was polemic against the ideas of caste system. His exasperation towards Hinduism was visible in the text which arose out of the inconsistent and hypocritical behavior of Jat Pat Todak Mandal’s members who provoked Ambedkar. He was disgusted at the members because they never really wanted to do what it takes for the cause which they joined. Ambedkar’s deep insight into the cause of the caste system made his literature work rhetoric. Being a lawyer, he was capable enough to use exact words at the exact times. He placed his arguments very eloquently and he one by one gave a rebuttal to every argument of Hindus in favor of caste system. His reasoning was so persuasive that it was almost infallible. Ambedkar while addressing a social cause through the medium of literature was able to do justice to every literary component.

Critique Annihilation of Caste is a big speech. And to critique it in its entirety, one could come with 10 pages of commentary for just one page of this speech. And here, we focus on the Prologue of the speech, that is, before the speech even begins, to understand what Ambedkar wanted to express. And this does explain Ambedkar and his expression to a very large extent. Ambedkar begins the text by sharing an exchange of letters between him and the members of Jat Pat Todak Mandal. Following could be the reasons, or the results, of sharing the texts Firstly, for someone who is estranged with the social structure of society in India, Ambedkar is able to convey a gist of it by sharing those letters. Ambedkar is able to highlight that there exists some social strain within the society, which the members of the Mandal were ashamed to acknowledge directly, but Ambedkar confronted it openly.

Secondly, for those who are aware of the society of India, the letters serve as an undeniable reminder.

Third, it can be said the letters serve as great rhetoric. Though Ambedkar produces the letters patiently and innocently, and one understands the background of this text, Ambedkar is able to reflect the underlying functioning of the society which is in play. So, we can say that the letters serve as a preface of the society for which the text is based.

Fourth, to excite curiosity. The letters arouse curiosity in the minds of the reader. It makes the reader question “What is in the text that made the Mandal cancel it?” Let us note that Ambedkar mentioned these letters in the Prologue, and not the Epilogue. He could have simply written in the end that this text was an undelivered speech for so-and-so reason. But he did not, because the content of the letters itself fits in the background of the speech. The presence of these letters in the prologue allowed the reader to connect to something that happened because of the text and out-of-the-text, which is bound to spark curiosity.

Following are a few more observations about the text. Firstly, it is interesting to note that Ambedkar provides the lettersi in a Chronology, and he lets the letters speak for themselves. The contrast between the tone of letters written by Ambedkar and by the members provides a very clear message to the readers.

 The Letters by the members are more indirect, and what they want to say is conspicuous, garbed under the respectful disagreement with Ambedkar. It can be sensed that the Members are themselves uncomfortable and ashamed with what they want to say and what they do, which is to convince Ambedkar to cut down some elements in his speech, and they hope that Ambedkar will himself understand and concede before them, without having them to say any more.

 That Ambedkar understood their predisposition perfectly, is perfectly reflected in Ambedkar’s letters. And because he precisely understands what they ask, he is brutally honest and direct in his replies, as if he wants that they should feel ashamed.

 The replies by Ambedkar are more direct, and straightforward. At parts, the reader senses a Pride in Ambedkar’s words, for being able to call out the signals that Members were trying to communicate surreptitiously.

 The contrast between the two shows Ambedkar in the light of Unflinching Honesty, which in-turn casts disgust and shame on the members of Jat Pat Todak Mandal.
<...