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A review by mitra_anushka
Annihilation of Caste by B.R. Ambedkar
5.0
It was a stray remark in the famous Quad of Presidency College- always bustling with conversations, cards and chai; that introduced me to The Annihilation of Caste. I had recently been made aware of my own privilege of being a savarna Hindu and Dr. Ambedkar's text was an acute revelation. I have read it once more since then, for a better understanding of the text and I remain in its awe. This review is not about The Annihilation of Caste. It is about the controversial introduction by Arundhati Roy.
Although named The Doctor and the Saint, it is more about Gandhi than Ambedkar. Roy dares to uncover the disappointing and sometimes simply opportunistic views of the most revered man in this country. She does it skillfully, equipped with immaculately researched facts and logic- much like the Doctor himself. The feud between the two titans is brought to the fore and I winced with each of the blows Roy rains on Gandhi. Being born in a generation that has the luxury to objectively look at the heroes of the Indian independence from a lens of objectivity, I have been somewhat skeptical of Gandhi. This text adds to that skepticism- no man should be deified. Praised and applauded and revered-yes. But not deified and worshiped-that's what fascists do. I would probably not recommend this text for those who are not very familiar to the Indian history, but it gives an excellent perspective on how complex caste politics really has been and how the caste Hindus have used it to their advantage over and over again (specially, to someone like me who has been a beneficiary of upper caste privilege in many, many ways.)
I could also see why the controversy around it arose- but I would rather that you discover it on your own. Roy's own identity and pro-maoist stance does come in the way of reading the text at times and I am aware of the irony that the introduction was written by an upper caste author. However, as Ambedkar said, "Freedom of mind is the real freedom." It would be an even greater irony and a disservice to Ambedkar, to not read an introduction of The Annihilation of Caste because of the author's caste.
For those of you who are interested in the debate that ensued between Rajmohan Gandhi, Roy and Nandini Oza, you can read it on EPW Engage here. (Rajmohan Gandhi penned a response to this text in 2015 which was followed by responses from Roy and Nandini Oza. They were followed by Gandhi's subsequent rejoinder to these responses.)
Although named The Doctor and the Saint, it is more about Gandhi than Ambedkar. Roy dares to uncover the disappointing and sometimes simply opportunistic views of the most revered man in this country. She does it skillfully, equipped with immaculately researched facts and logic- much like the Doctor himself. The feud between the two titans is brought to the fore and I winced with each of the blows Roy rains on Gandhi. Being born in a generation that has the luxury to objectively look at the heroes of the Indian independence from a lens of objectivity, I have been somewhat skeptical of Gandhi. This text adds to that skepticism- no man should be deified. Praised and applauded and revered-yes. But not deified and worshiped-that's what fascists do. I would probably not recommend this text for those who are not very familiar to the Indian history, but it gives an excellent perspective on how complex caste politics really has been and how the caste Hindus have used it to their advantage over and over again (specially, to someone like me who has been a beneficiary of upper caste privilege in many, many ways.)
I could also see why the controversy around it arose- but I would rather that you discover it on your own. Roy's own identity and pro-maoist stance does come in the way of reading the text at times and I am aware of the irony that the introduction was written by an upper caste author. However, as Ambedkar said, "Freedom of mind is the real freedom." It would be an even greater irony and a disservice to Ambedkar, to not read an introduction of The Annihilation of Caste because of the author's caste.
For those of you who are interested in the debate that ensued between Rajmohan Gandhi, Roy and Nandini Oza, you can read it on EPW Engage here. (Rajmohan Gandhi penned a response to this text in 2015 which was followed by responses from Roy and Nandini Oza. They were followed by Gandhi's subsequent rejoinder to these responses.)