Gee Imaan Semmalar “In my judgment, it is useless to make a distinction between the secular Brahmins and priestly Brahmins. Both are kith and kin. They are two arms of the same body, and one is bound to fight for the existence of the other.” ~ Babasaheb Ambedkar, Annihilation of Caste, 1936. Babasaheb Ambedkar, …
Flaunting noble intentions, nurturing caste privileges
Asha Kowtal My recent association with campaigns resisting violence against Dalit women has brought me in contact with several individuals, groups and organisations that represent diverse perspectives and histories. Broadly it includes groups which have been advocating ‘gender justice’ and others who have been battling the cruelty of the caste system in India. The …
The Question of Free Speech
Vaibhav Wasnik The question of human civilization is always about the question of power. The question of control is incomplete unless the dynamic of control of the thought processes of a society is addressed, hence the adage ‘The pen is mightier than the sword’. The meaning of rights such as the right of free …
Arundhati Roy replies to Dalit Camera
Arundhati Roy [This is her response to Dalit Camera‘s ‘An Open Letter to Ms. Arundhati Roy‘ published yesterday. We wish Ms. Roy could similarly address the issues raised in other articles in Round Table India by Anoop Kumar – here, here and here – and by Akshay Pathak, here] Dear Friends at Dalit Camera …
An Open Letter to Ms. Arundhati Roy
Dalit Camera: Through Un-Touchable Eyes Dear Ms. Arundhati Roy, We are writing this letter to clarify our position on the rumors spreading in New Delhi about the cancellation of the launch of the book, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar’s Annihilation of Caste, introduced by you and published by Navayana. The rumors claim that Dalit activists …
Vedic Chants for the 21st Century
Round Table India “I had none of the conditioning that a normal, middle class Indian girl would have. I had no father, no presence of this man telling us that he would look after us and beat us occasionally in exchange. I didn’t have a caste, and I didn’t have a class, and I …
Arundhati Roy’s ‘Introduction’ to Ambedkar: Inside one Misogynistic & Xenophobic Dalit’s mind
Anoop Kumar I, Ravidas, proclaim all Vedas are worthless. ~ Sant Ravidas. Nishan Singh was a freedom fighter, a martyr who fought against the British to gain freedom for the country. A Rajput whose memory must be cherished, his life celebrated. Therefore we have statues, a memorial, a school and other government buildings named …
The Judge, the Jury and the Goddess
Akshay Pathak बड़ा हुआ तो क्या हुआ जैसे पेड़ खजूरपंथी को छाया नहीं फल लागे अति दूर ~ कबीर Of what use is stature, much like a date tree,Offers no shade for travellers, its fruit beyond reach. ~ Kabir May in Bikaner is a very hot and dry month. But regular gusts of dust-laden …
Resisting a messiah
Anoop Kumar [Round Table India shall be publishing his notes and posts in social media on the issue of Arundhati Roy ‘introducing’ Babasaheb Ambedkar’s ‘Annihilation of Caste’ in a new edition of the book. Please read his earlier “Misogynistic and Xenophobic Rants”, as some savarna academic researchers dubbed them.] The Mandal may be asked …