The reconstruction of the Social is the precondition to be democratically political. The becoming of the Social is by unbecoming of the anti-social i.e. to annihilate casteism radically - thereby the national-political is defended. To be social is to moral and to be moral is to be rational – Rationality and Morality are the two pillars of any democratic society
See Full PDF See Full PDFThe original writing of Ambedkar without any brahmanical embellishments, forewords or annotations. There have been efforts by savarna (caste) 'intellectuals' to push their own agenda and name by colonising Ambedkar's writings. His writings are freely available and to be circulated widely.
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This paper argues that Ambedkar's thoughts, notwithstanding his occasional inconsistency a la Gail Omvedt, are better understood as a 'double struggle' (Cosimo Zene) with immanent and transcendental critiques. For him, the rationale of his critique is derived from the Western history as much as India's history. This paper argues that most of his commentators miss out his 'double' reflections.
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The present paper explores Ambedkar’s imagination of an ideal society and the means to achieve it. To understand his ends and means this paper analyses the socio-economic, political, educational, and religious philosophy of Ambedkar. In this way, this paper is not only a critical engagement to the idea of social justice but also the concept of social transformation. Ambedkar’s social philosophy is based on a just society or humanity, which consists of three basic principles of “liberty”, “equality” and “fraternity”. If we analyze the thoughts and actions of Ambedkar, we find that his socio-economic, political, educational, and religious philosophy indicates towards social transformation, rather than social justice. Because social justice refers to individual rights, dignity, and equal opportunity and rights for the society within the existing structure. The fundamental principles of his just society were based on social, economic, religious, cultural, and political democracy. Hence.
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A total demolition of the casteist frame – the practice as well as the mindset – is the first step in the emancipation of Indian society towards the ideal democratic State. Dr. Ambedkar’s vehement call for annihilation of caste, to the extent of rejecting all Hindu scriptures that advocate it, is an apt diagnosis of the root cause behind inherent inequalities plaguing Indian society. Yet Ambedkar’s resolutions are merely the starting point in a journey towards ideal social order. This essay advocates a layered integration of Ambedkar’s philosophy with the Gandhian model of social consciousness along with an emphasis on universal education in order to establish an equitable and just society.
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Caste is one of the most challenging social institutions of India. It has divided society into various rigid categories. It has also made a mockery of democracy, as each caste becomes a vote bank for political parties leaving no scope for individual decision-making. Even key political positions are usually decided by caste rather than the quality of an individual. Yet it is strange that this institution is defended by many stalwarts and thinkers. Contrary to this popular approach Dr Ambedkar opposed caste, despite being a victim of this institution. His opposition to caste was not based on negative or violent reaction but it is based on humane and rational approach. Ambedkar denied accepting caste as a race or any other physical entity. He quoted references from ancient religious texts to show that the Varnas which are popularly believed to be static in origin was at one time flexible in nature. Caste is not race as there is hardly any racial similarity between the same caste men of different regions. Castes can ultimately be annihilated only by inter-caste marriages, but it is also imperative for every citizen to leave aside traditional religious beliefs and teachings that hold this institution sacred and unchangeable.
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All About Ambedkar: A Journal on Theory and Praxis
This paper is an attempt to integrate Bhimrao Ambedkar's ideas on caste system, untouchability, caste violence and democracy. It is divided into three sections. The first section includes the critique of B. R. Ambedkar's theory of caste system, the Graded Hierarchy. Through a close reading of Ambedkar's early and later texts the paper identifies two critical components that underpin the generation and operation of castes as a system: generative and ranking functions. It explores how ranking is an essential step in the systematization of castes into a hierarchy. It also explains how and why inter-caste and anti-Dalit violence are an integral part of the stabilization of the caste system as a graded hierarchy. The second section narrates Ambedkar's analysis of the state of Dalits under the caste code in Indian villages which he called the lawlessness of lawfulness. It presents his personal documentation of the discrimination, humiliation and violence Dalits experienced at the hands of caste-Hindus and explains how the punitive complex was tactical in the maintenance of the dominance of latter in the village economy where the former were treated as the hereditary bondsmen of their caste-superiors. The final section explores why Ambedkar pursued political power as a means to solve the problems of caste and untouchability and its larger meaning and consequences to his ideas on democracy as associated mode of living. Published in All About Ambedkar: A Journal on Theory and Praxis, Volume 3, Number 2, 31 December 2022, pp. 172-182 ISSN 2582-9785
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