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mfeezell's review against another edition
5.0
Not only is this the definitive work on caste, it is also scathing and expertly written. Based on the appendices where he owns Gandhi with facts and logic, Ambedkar would’ve killed it on Twitter.
tansreads's review against another edition
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
4.75
honestly a must read for anyone to understand Indian religious, political and social history and systems better. lots to think over with the critiques in caste, the context with conflicts between Ambedkar and Gandhi - the footnotes do an essential job in placing each statement within historical context
voodoo_dexter's review against another edition
5.0
"What is this Hindu religion? Is it a set of principles, or is it a code of rules? ... The moment it degenerates into rules, it ceases to be a religion, as it kills the responsibility which is the essence of a truly religious act." - Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
I'm surprised at how articulate and to-the-bone a speech can be written to convey one's thesis, which still holds the test of time. The whole speech itself and appendixes of communication between the Mahatma and Dr. Ambedkar can be a quick read and at the same time be a lot to digest. I was especially impressed by the distinction Dr. Ambedkar draws between rules and principles, and further how he applies those distinctions to the connotation of religion and its place in society. Reading this speech is a journey I'd suggest to everyone.
mortalthanos's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
A clear idea presented by Dr. B. R. Ambedkar about casteism in India and its negative impacts.
krishnu's review against another edition
4.0
Caste exists.
Most of us are told about caste using adjectives describing the injustices that stem from its existence.Consequently we grow up empathising/repulsing the topic. The media or political parties arent helpful in clearing the confusion.This book is a good place to start.Meanwhile,being vocal about your anti-caste stand is an easy way of signalling virtue. But what is Caste? what is Varna? How are they different?
Sadly these questions seem irrelevant to the 21st century, Young,Indian-egalitarians. They seem to work on the presupposition that Caste System is EVIL.This is in violation of the Principle of Charity. One needs to create the hardest and most accurate representation of their opponents argument before mounting a watertight defence against it.This process is called "Steelmanning"(as an antidote to strawmanning)Ambedkar's charitable refutals are void of appeals to emotion. Hence Ambedkar is essential reading for anybody who wants to seriously engage in the problem of Caste.
Another realisation I earned from reading this book is that most contemporary political arguments misrepresent what the man had to say.Ambedkar didn't see equality as an end in itself, rather Equality was a means for ensuring maximum Liberty to each Individual.
Equality was not a goal, rather a governing principle.
Often Ambedkarites putting forth the argument that merit is a social construct.Meanwhile Ambedkar held the view that Merit and competency should be the criterion in Social Hierarchies.Hoping to read more of Ambedkar's works in the future.
Most of us are told about caste using adjectives describing the injustices that stem from its existence.Consequently we grow up empathising/repulsing the topic. The media or political parties arent helpful in clearing the confusion.This book is a good place to start.Meanwhile,being vocal about your anti-caste stand is an easy way of signalling virtue. But what is Caste? what is Varna? How are they different?
Sadly these questions seem irrelevant to the 21st century, Young,Indian-egalitarians. They seem to work on the presupposition that Caste System is EVIL.This is in violation of the Principle of Charity. One needs to create the hardest and most accurate representation of their opponents argument before mounting a watertight defence against it.This process is called "Steelmanning"(as an antidote to strawmanning)Ambedkar's charitable refutals are void of appeals to emotion. Hence Ambedkar is essential reading for anybody who wants to seriously engage in the problem of Caste.
Another realisation I earned from reading this book is that most contemporary political arguments misrepresent what the man had to say.Ambedkar didn't see equality as an end in itself, rather Equality was a means for ensuring maximum Liberty to each Individual.
Equality was not a goal, rather a governing principle.
Often Ambedkarites putting forth the argument that merit is a social construct.Meanwhile Ambedkar held the view that Merit and competency should be the criterion in Social Hierarchies.Hoping to read more of Ambedkar's works in the future.
jessicaps's review against another edition
4.0
I read this after reading The Doctor and the Saint by Arundhati Roy, and I’m glad I read that first, as it provides a lot of context for both Ambedkar and Ghandi. Annihilation of Caste is dense and I definitely had to pause and look things up but it is worthwhile and I felt a lot of parallels to today. I also thought the back-and-forth between Ghandi and Ambedkar after the publication of the speech is fascinating and enlightening.
uditnair24's review against another edition
5.0
One of the fiercest commentaries on the deplorable practice of caste system of India. Ambedkar thinks that there can be no fundamental reform in the Hinduism until and unless caste system is annihilated. This leads him to another proposition which is the sanction behind the caste system is religious in nature. As a result you either get out of the fold of the Hinduism as he himself did or destroy the sanctity of the texts which prescribe the caste system or supports it indeed.
He passionately tears into each and every justification given for caste system. He does this with scholarly backing and also bit of common sense which seems to be missing all the times.
The best part about the work is that it has lessons for everybody. For eg even the people who wish for the so called hindu unity have been given insights through this. Ambedkar firmly believes that without the end of caste system there cannot be a unity of the so called majority in india. Although he is so brutal with his analysis that most of the right wingers would be too uncomfortable reading or even understanding him.
Just to give a little insight into his take on chaturvarna system let me quote him verbatim here_
"There cannot be a more degrading system of social organization than the Chaturvarnya. It is the system which deadens, paralyses and cripples the people from helpful activity. This is no exaggeration. History bears ample evidence. There is only one period in Indian history which is a period of freedom, greatness and glory. That is the period of the Mourya Empire. At all other times the country suffered from defeat and darkness. But the Mourya period was a period when Chaturvarnya was completely annihilated, when the Shudras, who constituted the mass of the people, came into their own and became the rulers of the country. The period of defeat and darkness is the period when Chaturvarnya flourished to the damnation of the greater part of the people of the country."
Further he goes on to give solutions too. First as I mentioned above is to get out of the fold of Hinduism. Second would be question the authority of scriptures. Probably the third one is the most feasible one which is inter caste or interfaith marriages. Once you mix the blood there is no purity as such and this cannot be refuted at all.
The parting paragraph of this commentary is directly addressing the Hindus and here it is -
"The Hindus must consider whether the time has not come for them to recognize that there is nothing fixed, nothing eternal, nothing sanatan; that everything is changing, that change is the law of life for individuals as well as for society. In a changing society, there must be a constant revolution of old values and the Hindus must realize that if there must be standards to measure the acts of men there must also be a readiness to revise those standards."
He passionately tears into each and every justification given for caste system. He does this with scholarly backing and also bit of common sense which seems to be missing all the times.
The best part about the work is that it has lessons for everybody. For eg even the people who wish for the so called hindu unity have been given insights through this. Ambedkar firmly believes that without the end of caste system there cannot be a unity of the so called majority in india. Although he is so brutal with his analysis that most of the right wingers would be too uncomfortable reading or even understanding him.
Just to give a little insight into his take on chaturvarna system let me quote him verbatim here_
"There cannot be a more degrading system of social organization than the Chaturvarnya. It is the system which deadens, paralyses and cripples the people from helpful activity. This is no exaggeration. History bears ample evidence. There is only one period in Indian history which is a period of freedom, greatness and glory. That is the period of the Mourya Empire. At all other times the country suffered from defeat and darkness. But the Mourya period was a period when Chaturvarnya was completely annihilated, when the Shudras, who constituted the mass of the people, came into their own and became the rulers of the country. The period of defeat and darkness is the period when Chaturvarnya flourished to the damnation of the greater part of the people of the country."
Further he goes on to give solutions too. First as I mentioned above is to get out of the fold of Hinduism. Second would be question the authority of scriptures. Probably the third one is the most feasible one which is inter caste or interfaith marriages. Once you mix the blood there is no purity as such and this cannot be refuted at all.
The parting paragraph of this commentary is directly addressing the Hindus and here it is -
"The Hindus must consider whether the time has not come for them to recognize that there is nothing fixed, nothing eternal, nothing sanatan; that everything is changing, that change is the law of life for individuals as well as for society. In a changing society, there must be a constant revolution of old values and the Hindus must realize that if there must be standards to measure the acts of men there must also be a readiness to revise those standards."
jai_g's review against another edition
5.0
Ambedkar's final words on Hinduism
The foreclosure given by Arundhati Roy in addition to the original text was very good. The letters which were exchanged in addition to the original address was also presented.
The original reforms that must be carried as a religion was also stated by Ambedkar which was vehemently disregarded by Most of the hindus.
One thing which comes to my mind is the suggestion of any one should become a priest irrespective of caste, this is one Idea already got implemented in Tamil nadu. It is a recent take, Historically it was done by Sri Ramanujar by preaching sacred text to everyone.
The foreclosure given by Arundhati Roy in addition to the original text was very good. The letters which were exchanged in addition to the original address was also presented.
The original reforms that must be carried as a religion was also stated by Ambedkar which was vehemently disregarded by Most of the hindus.
One thing which comes to my mind is the suggestion of any one should become a priest irrespective of caste, this is one Idea already got implemented in Tamil nadu. It is a recent take, Historically it was done by Sri Ramanujar by preaching sacred text to everyone.
yogarshi's review against another edition
4.0
Excellent book to kick start 2021. Ambedkar's writing has the clarity and sharp quality that makes him stand head and shoulders above his critics (particularly, and in the context of this book, Gandhi, whose simplistic arguments are destroyed by Ambedkar without blinking an eye). I want to say this book should be compulsory reading in schools and colleges everywhere, but honestly, as a privileged upper-caste teenager, my head was so far up my ass that I probably would have dismissed this work without a second thought. I'm glad that I read this when I did, with a few extra years of mature world-view on my side. It is patently clear that the problems highlighted by Ambedkar almost 9 decades ago are still relevant to the DBA community. While to a bystander Ambedkar's solution of dismantling the structures of Hinduism are radical, his arguments make it very clear how these very structures enable and perpetuate social inequities via the caste system. No amount of socio-political reform of Hinduism is going to solve the caste problem.
That is not to say Ambedkar never falters. His disregard and condescension towards Adivasis is problematic (as also pointed out in the book-length introduction by Arundhati Roy, which does a good job of setting the context for the speech). Despite this, there is more wisdom and food-for-thought to be gained here than in any of his contemporaries' writings.
That is not to say Ambedkar never falters. His disregard and condescension towards Adivasis is problematic (as also pointed out in the book-length introduction by Arundhati Roy, which does a good job of setting the context for the speech). Despite this, there is more wisdom and food-for-thought to be gained here than in any of his contemporaries' writings.