Ambedkar Flashcards
Educational background, education of B R. Ambedkar.
graduate from Elphinstone college Mumbai,
Ph.D from Colombia university, USA, M.Sc. And D.Sc from LSE, London,
and Law from Grey’s Inn.
Who supported BR Ambedkar in education?
From the support of Gaikwad of Baroda, and Sahuji Maharaj of Kolhapur.
Crux of BR Ambedkar’s political thought
flexible parliamentary democracy, rationalist Humanism,
rights and social justice.
Who chaired all India depressed classes congress held in Nagpur?
B. R. Ambedkar.
Who was the first law minister of India?
B. R. Ambedkar., but resigned on the issue of Hindu Code bill
Who was the chairman of the drafting committee of constituent assembly 1947
B. R. Ambedkar.
Books, essays and paper is written by BR Ambedkar
• Castes in India- 1916 ;
Annihilation of caste-1936
• Who Were the Shudras? 1946 ;
The Untouchables -1948
• The Budhha and his Dhamma-1957
3 pillars of BR ambedkar’s political thought
Rights
Socialism
Democracy
BR Ambedkar on the origin of the caste system and the untouchables
• Endogamy is the origin of the Caste System. Brahmin as the most privileged class were probably the first to close themselves into caste by marrying within themselves;
• It was endogamy over exogamy. Brahmin didn’t marry within the same Gotra, thus, following exogamy within and also didn’t marry outside their caste, following endogamy.
• Others classes might have followed the Brahmin to organize themselves into endogamous caste.
• As far as origin of untouchability is concerned, he rejected the ‘Aryan theory’ which stated that caste Hindus were of Aryan race who defeated and subjugated the non-Aryan races of India and made them Untouchables.
According to BR ambedkar who were the untouchables
To him, Untouchables were ‘broken men’ who adopted Buddhism, ate beef, and remained outside the Hindu villages. In due course of time Brahmanical Hinduism defeated Buddhism and those ‘broken men’ were outcasted by Brahmins and were made Untouchable.
Features of the caste system Ac to Ambedkar
• Graded inequality: Assigning occupation not to individual but to a group, Equality within the group, inequality among the group.
• Not only division of labour, but division of labourer
• System of respect upward and contempt downward- As one goes upward in Caste hierarchy, social status and respect increases; as one goes down, contempt increases.
• Caste system is not natural. It is a social construction. Has economic basis- material foundation. Is like capitalist system, in which means of production is monopolized by a select few, the upper castes. Remaining people, in majority, are forced to become the labour class.
• Hence, it has an evil design to keep a minority privileged at the cost of the majority, the untouchables.
• The caste system is against the normative spirit of liberty, equality, fraternity, and social justice.
• It is sanctified by Hindu religious texts, myths, customs/tradition. Has been deeply internalized and accepted as fait-accompli by the untouchables
• Hence, the caste system and Brahamnic Hinduism reinforce each other.
• Caste denote Brahmanical hegemony. It was like manufacturing of the consent of the untouchables for their own oppression and subjection. It was like third dimension of power, in which the oppressed don’t even realize that they are being oppressed. They accept it as fait-accompli.
Evil impacts or caste on Indian society
• In his own words “turn in any direction, caste is the monster in our path”. It makes political reform meaningless and economic reforms almost impossible.
• It has divided the Indian society, created class antagonism, condemned the Untouchables to live inhuman lives.
• It made the Indian society closed, conservative, and retrograde (backward).
• It has made the Indian people week and dependent. It generated arrogance,
selfishness, and perversity in a section of Hindus.
• Since it snatched occupational freedom from individuals, many felt alienated from the job. It also hindered adjustment in the job as per changing economic environment. Due to all this, it resulted into suboptimum economic efficiency, under employment and unemployment.
• The caste system disorganized and demoralized the Indian people, especially the Hindus.
• It even made the ‘purification’ movement in Hinduism less successful, as the new entrant into the Hinduism is apprehensive of his position and status in the caste system.
According to BR Ambedkar why does the caste system need to annihilated
• As explained above, the caste system, to Ambedkarji, was like a demon, a monster which was the biggest barrier on way of socio-economic and political reforms of the country. Hence, Indian society would have to either reform and get rid of the caste system
• But It was beyond reforms. In his view, the suggestion to revert back to the ‘Chatur Varna Ashram’ (four Varna system) was impractical. To him, the ‘Chatur Varna Ashram’ was like a leaky pot. It will again degenerate into the caste system.
• Hence, only option is to abolish the caste system
How to abolish caste system Ac to Ambekar
• Mass Education:
o Giving quality higher level education to the masses, downtrodden castes, untouchables is the most potent way to remove the evil effect of the caste system.
• priesthood to all castes:
Priesthood should be open to qualified persons of all castes. Govt may implement this by framing suitable eligibility criteria and rules for this. This will end the monopoly of Brahmins on Hindu Shastra and help abolition of the Caste System.
• Encouraging inter-caste marriage may also break the caste system.
• Urbanization, industrialization will loosen the tight hold of the Caste System. The lower caste and untouchables may move to cities and work in industries to get rid of the limitations of the Caste System.
• legal and constitutional remedies, such as legally banning untouchability, constitutional rights of equality, liberty may also help abolish the caste privileges.
• Affirmative actions, such as reservation to untouchables in Govt jobs and legislation may place them at strategic locations in the societal power structure. This would give them pride, self-respect, and self-confidence. This will lessen the evil impacts of the Caste System
• Also, the Untouchability themselves should refuse to carry out traditional unclean jobs, migrating to towns, working in industries, getting educated, and raise the voice of their unfortunate brethren.
• State socialism, such as collective farming under state supervision may also help abolish the Caste System.
• But all the above steps still may not be sufficient for annihilation of the caste as it has got sanctions from the Hindu religious scriptures (Shastras and Smriti). Hence, only option may be to reject rules of Varna Ashram Dharma of the Dharma Shastra and Smritis.
In which book did Ambedkar talk bout his annihilation of caste system
Annihilation of caste
