VIVEKANANDA INSTITUTE OF
PROFFESIONAL STUDIES,
VSLLS.
SOCIOLOGY PSDA
SUBMITTED BY –
SANSKRITI PAL SINGH
10017703822 , 2B
BALLB(HONS.)
ANALYSIS ON
“ANNIHILATION OF CASTE”
ANALYSIS ON “ANNIHILATION OF CASTE”
The book ‘Annihilation Of Caste’ was written by Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, also
known as Babasaheb Ambedkar, was one of the most prominent lawyers,
economists, politicians, and social reformers who inspired the Dalit Buddhist
movement and campaigned against social discrimination against the Untouchables.
He played a significant role for the upliftment of the downtrodden. He was
considered a messiah for a suppressed class as he belongs to the untouchable’s
community. He is considered as a great critique of the caste system. He had
knowledge of 9 languages like Hindi, Pali, Sanskrit, English, French, German,
Marathi, Persian, and Gujarati.
He was born in a Dalit Mahar family of western India, he was a boy humiliated by
his high-caste schoolfellows. In 1947 Ambedkar became the law minister of the
government of India. One of the greatest contributions of Dr.Ambedkar was in
respect of fundamental rights and directive principles of state policy enshrined in the
constitution of India. The fundamental rights provide for freedom, equality, and
abolition of untouchability and remedies to ensure the evolution of rights. He took a
leading part in the framing of the Indian constitution, outlawing discrimination
against untouchables, and skillfully helped to steer it through the assembly. He
resigned in 1951, disappointed at his lack of influence in the government. In October
1956, in despair because of the perpetuation of untouchables in Hindu doctrine, he
renounced Hinduism and became a Buddhist, together with about 200000 fellow
Dalits, at a ceremony in Nagpur.
Annihilation of Caste’, is one of the most recognized, debated and celebrated treatise
on the questions of ‘persistence of caste and modes of annihilating it’, penned by B
R Ambedkar, one of the towering personalities in the modern democratic India.The
prime original version of this treatise was first published in May, 1936 and
subsequent reprints rolled-out in 1937 and 1944 during Ambedkar’s lifetime itself.
Ambedkar conceptualized this work as a means of dealing with the caste questions
from; historical, literary, cultural, political, economic, etc perspectives and observed
how caste as an institution is an anti-human, undemocratic, exploitative and
stumbling-bloc to the human creativity and thus espoused creative means and ways
of dealing with its annihilation. This work is widely circulated, printed and reprinted
many a times in India by various publishing houses on behalf of various
organizations, individuals, etc, mostly in
vernacular modes. Mostly, this work is well celebrated, propagated and promoted
by Ambedkarities in India. Ambedkarites here primarily refers to the Scheduled
Castes. Though, this work is widely available in India in various vernacular modes;
the present work attempts to critically engage by providing critical annotations to
this celebrated treatise.
Issues relating to the caste system:
1. Caste is a system in which the determination of position, rights, and duties of
an individual is done on the basis of the birth of such individual in a particular
group. In other words, we can say that the status of an individual is determined
by birth. As we have evidence of the Varna system in Hinduism which divides
its society into 4 classes or castes the upper is Brahmins including priests and
intellectuals. They themselves claim to have all good qualities like honesty,
integrity, cleanliness, purity, austerity, knowledge, and wisdom. They are
assigned to spiritual tasks like teaching and studying Vedas, perform
sacrifices and religious ceremonies, etc. Then after Brahmins, Kshatriyas
were the warriors, police, and administrators basically protectors of society.
They are expected to show considerable strength of body and character. Then
Vaishyas, were farmers, merchants, and business people. Their duty is to
protect animals and the land, to create wealth and prosperity, and to give taxes
to the Kshatriyas. The lowest class are the Shudras, consisting of artisans and
workers. They have to render service to the other upper class above them.
2. Under the caste system an individual is not allowed to change its status for
instance, in November 1935 some untouchable women of village Zanu in
Ahmedabad started fetching water in metal pots which was considered as one
of the luxury items, this enraged the upper caste Hindus and they assaulted
the untouchable women for their shamelessness. This means that
untouchables cannot have access to any luxury items even if he/she can afford
to buy it as this was considered as an affront to their dignity.
3. We can say that it is the rigid form of stratification system, which restrict the
mobility and distinctness of status. Due to the caste system, several evil
prevails in the society and the untouchables were subjected to oppression for
instance oppressed untouchables in Maratha under Peshwas. They were being
made to attach brooms on their waists so that used paths by them could be
clean by the broom in order to stop Hindus from being polluted. They had to
carry an earthen pot hung in their neck so that they could spit in.
4. Caste system leads to untouchability. The caste system has condemned large
groups of people to a life of degradation without any hope of redemption. It
has created untouchables, an evil that has been sapping the very vitals of
society. This untouchability is reduced to the state of natural slavery and
hindered the growth of brotherhood; holding off the national unity as it
disallowed any type of social intercourse. As BR Ambedkar rightly said,
‘untouchability of Hindus is a rare phenomenon, humanity in any other part
of the earth has never experienced it. There is no such thing in any other
society. It restricts the growth of brotherhood among people and also it holds
off national unity and creates obstacles to social progress. According to
Mahatma Gandhi, untouchability is the hate fullest expression of caste. There
is an anti-social spirit in Hindus because of the caste system. This anti-social
spirit is not confined to caste alone but can be seen in sub-castes as well Caste
system denies equal rights of the individual, that’s why it is considered as
undemocratic. As Ambedkar himself said, “If i find the constitution being
misused, i shall be the first one to burn it”.
5. Disintegrating Factor: The caste system has literally split up the society into
hundreds of hereditary caste and subcastes and encouraged a spirit of
exclusiveness and class pride, narrowed the outlook, and created wide gaps
between the various sections of the community. The caste system resulted in
a lot of evils because of its rigid rules. It perpetuates the exploitation of the
economically weaker and socially inferior caste. For instance, we have
evidenced in the text the oppression by Hindus to the Balais, the untouchable
community. Hindus asked the Balais that if they wanted to live with them they
have to obey certain rules. These rules were discriminatory to a large extent,
like they couldn’t wear dhotis with colored or fancy borders, couldn’t wear
gold-lace bordered purees, in Hindu marriages, balais must play music, they
must render services without demanding their income, etc. And if they
disobey any rules they were kicked out of the villages. Also, Balais had no
access to the land and wells which were surrounded by Hindus even they
didn’t have access to their lands.
6. Barred to religious practices: As far as Hinduism is concerned the lower caste
people were not even allowed to touch the holy scriptures and they were
devoid to enter temples. They were even not allowed to recite or hear the
Vedas. They couldn’t make sacrifices as Brahmans could do. Everyone was
compelled to abide by these rules when the penal system came into effect as
there was a requirement of the penal system to maintain Chaturvarnya (a
division of society into four classes). For example, we evidenced in the text
that Manu-smriti prescribes such heavy sentences as cutting off the tongue or
pouring of molten lead in the ears of the Shudra, who recites or hears the Veda.
7. Origin of caste system: It is difficult to establish when the caste system
originated, but there is no doubt that the institution of caste for the
convenience of the ruling class leading to their successful administration by
them. There are different theories about the establishment of the caste system.
These are Religious mystical, Biological, Socio- historical theories.
Effects of caste system on Hindus itself
The effect on Hindus are completely unacceptable they have become insensitive
towards individuals other than their caste. For a Hindu everything is his caste his
responsibility, his loyalty are limited only to his caste. Caste has bound a Hindu to a
great extent. A Hindu cannot show sympathy, or loyalty other than his caste. He
cannot give charity to the needy or appreciate a deserving person other than his caste.
They are bound to give charity only to his caste members. All these restrictions have
made Hindus insensitive towards others. In fact, a Hindu will follow the leadership
of any leader only if he is of the same caste of his.for example a Brahmin will follow
a leader only if he is a Brahmin, and a Kayastha will follow only a leader if he
belongs to the Kayastha.
A Hindu must be loyal to his caste, which means that he has to support his fellows
only of his caste no matter whether they are right or wrong or good or bad. This
means that virtue and vice doesn’t matter only caste matters for a Hindu.
Caste has completely demoralized and disorganized the Hindus. According to
sociologists, there is a complete lack of “consciousness of kind” among Hindus..the
only consciousness that exists is the consciousness of his caste. That is the reason
they feel a lack of unity amongst themselves. They need to communicate or interact
with other castes which can only make them an integrated whole. For example, the
festivals are the same for everyone under Hinduism but the way of celebrating the
festivals is different, by adopting these ways they have become separated within the
same religion. They should celebrate or make joy together as this will arouse feelings
of emotions and sensitivity towards their fellow beings. This caste system prevents
the Hindus to come together and celebrating festivals together as it would be
considered as going against their religion and an affront to their dignity.
Why Hindus are bound to the caste system? Why they don’t show the courage to
destroy it?
The real reason lies in Hindu scriptures and Shastras. The system of classification,
the Varna system that existed in the Vedic society that divided the society into four
classes namely Brahmans, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras, there we find
evidence of a caste system. According to Ambedkar Hindus practices caste not
because they are abnormal or insensitive rather they practice caste just because they
are deeply religious people so this is not the fault of Hindus but their religion is at
fault and Hindus are just obeying their religion. Hindus have not flaws but their
religion, Hinduism have flaws.
These are the reasons a Hindu complains of isolation, lack of unity among Hindus,
not intermingling with others, not interdining, and not accepting inter-caste
marriage. The root cause lies in Shastras. Ambedkar regrets for reformers of
untouchability and claimed that even Mahatma Gandhi couldn’t realize the root
cause of the caste system practiced by people which lies in Shastras, a Hindu is just
abiding by his religion as their foundation for caste system emerged form their
religion. So the Shastras compel them to be loyal to the caste system and even if they
try to go against the caste system they have to face punishment like ex-
communication.
The solution to eradicate caste system:
According to Ambedkar the real remedy in the complete abolition of the caste system
is inter- marriage, nothing else will serve as the solvent of the caste system. By inter-
marriage, helps in the fusion of blood and this will create a feeling of oneness and
then only the feeling of separatist and alienation or isolation will vanish.
A Hindu has to discard the religious authority of the Shastras and destroy the religion
of the Shastras. A Hindu must be free from the notions of Shastras, he must think
rationally, unfortunately, to think with reason and logic prohibits in Shastras and
Vedas. A Hindu needs to show the courage to reject these notions.
To conclude, the caste system was a very much stringent and rigid institution of early
society that was responsible for the pathetic condition of different groups of the
community and they were treated as suppressed and untouchable. Various successful
steps were taken by different social reformers to eradicate this evil from the mind of
the people because every individual’s mind were responsible to generate this evil
into one mind. This speech annihilation of caste as the name suggests emphasized to
completely annihilating the caste system. Ambedkar has objections towards the
attitude of untouchables by the upper caste Hindus. Through this speech, he made
the people conscious of the political, economic, and social problems of the
untouchables and asserted the need of paying special attention to the condition of
untouchables. He attacked the orthodox notion of Hinduism and provoke people to
reject these notions of the caste system. Ambedkar criticized Brahmans who was
responsible for social exploitation and the backwardness of untouchables, as
Ambedkar says “You will succeed in saving Hinduism if you kill Brahmanism”.
But interestingly Ambedkar proposes the Annihilation of caste but not that of
religion. Why? The answer is slightly complicated. He argues that the caste and its
religious bases must be destroyed, for they stand against liberty, equal treatment, and
fraternity that every human being needs to survive. Caste stands against the
consciousness of kind and against national integration. Caste stands against the
direct action of common people. So it must be destroyed. But we cannot destroy
caste unless we destroy its sacredness sanctified by Hindu scriptures. The
annihilation of caste also means destroying the Hindu religion’s rules of governance.
Religion as rule or rules of precedence prescribed by Hindu scriptures must be
destroyed.
