Round Table India brings together perspectives from Dalit and Bahujan communities.
Beyond the Gold Controversy: Appropriation and the Historical Making of Sabarimala
Reflections on Dhammachakra Pravartan Din: Confronting the Contemporary Challenges of Ambedkarism
Shogun Gaikwad On 14th October 1956, Dr. Ambedkar accomplished what no one else could—perhaps the only comparable figure is the Buddha. He liberated those considered lesser than animals, stripped of their humanity and left destitute for 2,000 years. Exactly 68 years ago today, the world witnessed the largest mass conversion event in history, as millions …
A Review of Thangalaan’s anti-caste philosophy
Mayur S. Hadke Thangalaan is a Tamil language movie directed by Pa Ranjith, known for his socially conscious movies that shed light on the lived realities of oppressed communities. Thangalaan is a movie that projected the struggle for dignity and self respect. The question of land and self respect was the central focus of the …
Academic Dishonesty of Shashi Tharoor Towards Dr BR Ambedkar’s Scholarship
Jyoti Bania & Ashok Danavath Shashi Tharoor is the fox that Malcolm X warned of Shashi Tharoor, a Nair liberal, member of the Indian Parliament (MP) and author of many books made many inaccurate, controversial and contradictory comments in a recent talk on Ambedkar: The Quest for Equality held on June 13, 2023, at Selwyn …
Religion, Ethics and Kinship: On Dr B.R Ambedkar’s Path to Conversion
Abdul Najeeb Noorul Ameen The American philosopher Abi Doukhan makes an interesting observation in her book on the philosophy of Emmanuel Levinas. She states that the word ethics is derived from the Greek word ethos. The ethos pertains to the customs and principles of a society. The concept of the ethical refers to those actions …
Prabuddha Bharata: Ambedkar’s Buddhist Rashtra-Nation
Rahul Sonpimple In my Ph.D. fieldwork in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, I encountered two contrasting assertions regarding the role of Buddhism in the everyday lives of Dalits. The first assertion, claiming “Buddha is our god; Babasaheb gave us, we are not Hindus,” was prevalent among poor and illiterate Dalits in slums and villages. The …
In solidarity with Rajendra Pal Gautam
Mahesh Wasnik, (on behalf of NRI Ambedkarite organisation) Strong condemnation of Delhi and central government NRI Ambedkarites from USA, Canada, UK, Germany, France, Nederland, Ireland, Spain, Sweden, Japan, Korea, Singapore, New Zealand, Belgium, Hungary, Australia, UAE, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Malaysia condemn the manner in which Delhi’s Social Welfare minister Rajendra Pal Gautam …
Slowdown in the spread of the Dalit Buddhist movement
Mrinal Kumar The Dalit Buddhist movement began after 1890s under Iyothee Thass, Anagarika Dharmapala, Col. H. S. Olcott and Madam Blavatsky. They did not get much fame in Tamil Nadu but they did the work of sowing a seed again. After 50 years, Bodhisattva Dr. B. R. Ambedkar along with 5 lakh people mainly from …
Words Of The Ordained Women
Dr Amritpal Kaur ‘What becometh a woman best, and first of all? SILENCE. What second? SILENCE. What third? SILENCE. What fourth? SILENCE. Yea, if a man should aske me till Domes daie I would still crie Silence, Silence… ‘ – Thomas Wilson, The Arte of Rhetorique, 1560. Women have long been expected to govern their …