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4.66 AVERAGE
4.66 AVERAGE
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
True eye-opener for anyone who wants to learn more about caste and how it operates.
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
I read AOC first instead of starting with Roy's essay on the recommendation of a friend. I'm glad I did. I was blown away by Ambedkar's fearlessness. His 'radical intellect and searing insolence' like Roy said in The Doctor and The Saint.
Roy's essay was a much needed history lesson that was a treat to read after AOC. I learned so much about caste struggles and context about Gandhi that I certainly didn't know before.
Roy's essay was a much needed history lesson that was a treat to read after AOC. I learned so much about caste struggles and context about Gandhi that I certainly didn't know before.
"For every act of independent thinking puts some portion of an apparently stable world in peril."
Dr. Ambedkar's Annihilation of Caste is a must read, and is chock-full of independent thinking. Though "The Doctor and the Saint" is interesting and gives some historical context, I would suggest reading Ambedkar's text on its own merit. Ambedkar posits that social reform must precede any sort of political reform, which the Congress party at the time was aching to enact disregarding pressing social factors. His distinction between a religion formed out of principles, and one out of rules is insightful. He draws on forms of caste that have existed across historical periods and religions. He compares them to the caste system in Hinduism, and proceeds to skillfully dismantle its cruel fallacies.
His ultimate conclusions regarding the Hindu religion are powerful. The only way to annihilate caste would be to discard the authority of the scriptures that also propound caste. This would allow us to build a religion on principles of liberty, equality, and fraternity. Although the necessity of a religion to form a state (or to give some sort of a foundation to a state) is something I don't necessarily agree with, the way Ambedkar formulates his ideas is inspiring as he talks mostly of principles, rather than rules.
There are many ideas I did not cover in this review. Overall, this is a short but immense read, which I recommend everyone to go through at least once.
Open yourself up to the ideas it presents and this book will shake you out of your stupor
4,5 really
some very slight disagreements and/or things I didn't appreciate but what an amazing work!
some very slight disagreements and/or things I didn't appreciate but what an amazing work!
This is the text of a talk that was never given. It was not given because when the proposed text was presented to the Jat-Pat Todak Mandal, a Hindu reformist organization the governing members of whom had invited the already-prominent Lawyer-politician Ambedkar to address them, it was rejected, no doubt because it advocated the complete dismantling and annihilation of the caste system. Inasmuch as the caste system is inextricably part and parcel of Hinduism, Ambedkar was in effect proposing the dismemberment of Hinduism itself. Those who detest the imposition of inequality and who champion equality of opportunity for all men and all women in all walks of life, regardless of the lineage of their descent will be deeply stirred and inspired by this outspoken, heartfelt cry for the pulverization of all that prevents and poisons liberty, equality and fraternity.
This book is as relevant today as when it was first published. Casteism is endemic in India, and is manifest in daily beatings, humiliations, rapes and murders. Those in doubt need only read the Indian newspapers and, increasingly, Western ones. The caste system allows high-caste Hindus such as Brahmins to lord it over their lower caste brethren, benefitting from what amounts to slave labour on a scale unimaginable and unparalleled in the West except perhaps by the Nazis towards the end of the World War II. The West is becoming increasingly familiar with casteism and its evils, and a book like Annihilation of Caste will serve for a long time to remind us of the need for the radical reform of Indian society and indeed, for all inhumanity that hides itself in the guise of 'religion'.
This book is as relevant today as when it was first published. Casteism is endemic in India, and is manifest in daily beatings, humiliations, rapes and murders. Those in doubt need only read the Indian newspapers and, increasingly, Western ones. The caste system allows high-caste Hindus such as Brahmins to lord it over their lower caste brethren, benefitting from what amounts to slave labour on a scale unimaginable and unparalleled in the West except perhaps by the Nazis towards the end of the World War II. The West is becoming increasingly familiar with casteism and its evils, and a book like Annihilation of Caste will serve for a long time to remind us of the need for the radical reform of Indian society and indeed, for all inhumanity that hides itself in the guise of 'religion'.
insightful & utterly persuasive. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was intelligent, a great thinker and writer and his work shows that— Annihilation of Caste is impeccably structured and engagingly lays out all these complex arguments in a clear, concise, easy to understand manner. His skills are made even more apparent when you reach Gandhi's rebuttal (to his speech), which couldn't hold a candle.
also his criticism of Plato was very much appreciated. His scathing remarks of Gandhi are considered, and the latter has since gone down in my estimation. It's a shame that they don't really cover Ambedkar in school syllabus. going to start working my way towards everything he wrote that is available to read.
It saddens me how much we're failing dalits and muslims and other minorities in this country. Can only imagine how much better our country would be if it had the leadership of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar instead, or presently someone like him. feel hopeless whenever I think of the next four years.
also his criticism of Plato was very much appreciated. His scathing remarks of Gandhi are considered, and the latter has since gone down in my estimation. It's a shame that they don't really cover Ambedkar in school syllabus. going to start working my way towards everything he wrote that is available to read.
It saddens me how much we're failing dalits and muslims and other minorities in this country. Can only imagine how much better our country would be if it had the leadership of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar instead, or presently someone like him. feel hopeless whenever I think of the next four years.