For An Informed Ambedkar Age
N. Sukumar and Shailaja Menon In an internal circular, leaked on the social media, The Hindu, one of India’s leading newspapers, banned the consumption of non-vegetarian food in its canteen1. The circular precisely points out that “All are aware that non-veg food causes discomfort to the majority of the employees who are vegetarian.” Hence, the …
Karthick RM With her new preface to Dr. Ambedkar’s ‘Annihilation of Caste’ Arundhati Roy, and the publishing house Navayana, have received criticism from Dalit activists and writers. Very compelling critiques have been put forth explaining how Navayana’s annotated version of an Ambedkarite classic is an act of appropriation. In the short essay that follows, …
Praveena Thaali The recent debate on Arundhati Roy’s introduction to Annihilation of Caste: Annotated Critical Edition, published by Navayana, is quiet fascinating to look at, if viewed in a slightly different manner than usual. So, in this article, I will try to place some of my own observations. First of all, I would like …
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 …
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 …
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 …
Vinay Bhat Anoop Kumar’s “misogynistic and xenophobic rants” are nearly five years old and archived on Facebook (as long as it remains in business). I came to know him and his rants during the debate about Binayak Sen accepting an international award on the behalf of the Tribals of India. I started reading him. …
Arvind Boudhh India, my country, is the eternal abode of castes and discriminations. Here, in one instant, you can see people boasting about the floral, faunal and cultural diversity of their country, while in the next instant, you can see people being discriminated against and exploited because of their caste, creed, religion, color or …
N Sukumar and Shailaja Menon One of Kerala’s enlightened souls, Sree Narayana Guru, had proclaimed, “One Caste, One Religion and One God” for mankind, thus ushering in a radical transformation of society. The state also witnessed momentous struggles to liberate society from the shackles of caste and untouchability. The Vaikom Satyagraha of 1924-25, a historic …