One of the biggest hurdle in today’s world, in both academic and business life, is caste. Many scholars have talked, discussed and wrote on this social issue but unfortunately nothing is changing. The chairman of India’s constituent assembly Dr. B. R. Ambedkar had not only written on this issue but also fought for the human rights of the Dalits and against the caste inequality. Because of his innovative work to change the Hindu social order, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, the principal author of the Indian Constitution, is considered as one of the greatest intellectual and social reformers of contemporary India. He not only fought throughout his life to improve the social standing of women and the underprivileged in Indian society, but he is also one of the few social and political thinkers in India to have produced original research on the caste system's place in Hindu society. After being exposed to humanism and rational thought in the West, Dr. Ambedkar was horrified by the caste system that existed in Hindu culture. He not only put in a lot of effort at the local level to spread awareness of the oppressive caste system.
Ambedkar served as a stand-in for rebellion against the repressive aspects of Hindu society. He was honoured internationally for his role as an emancipator who contributed to the development of the concept of human rights and freed people from socioeconomic injustice. He became well-known in India as a progressive social reformer and legal theorist. Discussion of his social theory in regard to caste is possible because to his different writings and speeches. Among these research-focused books, "Caste in India: Their Mechanism, Genesis, and Development" and "Annihilation of Caste" were the most important. He took part in Dr. A. A. Goldenweizer's global anthropological seminar on May 9, 1916, at Columbia University in New York, USA. He presented "Caste in India: Their Mechanism, Genesis, and Development" in that seminar to call attention to the damaging notion of caste.
Ambedkar expressed an outstanding viewpoint on the subject of caste by criticising the ideas and theories of eminent scholars such as Senart, Nesfield, Risley, and Ketkar who each defined caste in their own unique way. Ambedkar claimed that the primary component of the caste system had been overlooked in all of these conceptions of caste.
All races have coexisted in harmony across the planet. D.R. Bhandarkar made a similar observation that even the Brahmins are not exempt from foreign components, he claimed, adding that "there is hardly an Indian caste or class that does not have a foreign strain in it."
Therefore, it can be said that the notion of Caste promoted by the so-called Orthodox Hindus or Brahmins is entirely founded on incorrect intellectual analysis. The concept of preserving racial and blood purity, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar supported both of these stances. The persistence of caste and caste consciousness has impeded solidarity by preserving the memories of previous caste conflicts. According to Ambedkar, the fundamental components should be liberty, equality, and fraternity. He passionately opposed and criticised the idea of Chaturvarna, which he believed was absolutely irrational, harsh, and illogical because it divided individuals in society into false divides.
The idea of a caste structure based on birth is nothing but a trap. Ambedkar also made note of the fact that the Caste system's inherent existence makes it impossible for a nation to be built. Caste discrimination prevented the creation of an integrated Indian nation. The negative effects of the caste system have only contributed to India's disintegration. India can only be made into a nation after the caste system has been eliminated in the strictest sense; otherwise, it cannot. He offered some practical suggestions for getting rid of it. His plan's initial phase was to start implementing inter-caste marriages in order to abolish the caste system.
He claimed that a man's mental state determines his caste. It was the result of the so-called orthodox Brahmins and Hindus' broken psychological mindset and behaviour. The fundamental principles of Hinduism formed the basis of the Caste system. Therefore, caste and religion were important to the Hindus. Ambedkar, however, did not place the responsibility on those who adhered to the caste system. He did not call them his foes. But he said that the Shastras were the source of their shared enemy, teaching them to adhere to this Caste-based religion. Ambedkar's second suggestion for corrective action was to quash the reverence for the Shastras. He criticised the reformers' efforts to bring about the abolition.
To Ambedkar, "In every country the intellectual class is the most influential class, if not the governing class. The intellectual class is the class, which can foresee, it is the class, which can advise and give lead .... The intellectual class in India is simply another name for the Brahmin caste .... Which has regarded itself the custodian of the interest of that caste, rather than of the interests of the country?"
Ambedkar was against the Brahmin myth
The majority of Brahmins were either egotistical or autocratic for their Caste interests, thus people shouldn't believe them. The Caste system was primarily created by Brahmins, who institutionalised it in order to advance their own Caste interests. All of these elements worked against the Brahmins' ability to free themselves from the control of the caste system. Manu himself provided a justification for this viewpoint.
Manu said, "If it be asked how it should be with respect to points of the Dharma which have not been specially mentioned, the answer is that which Brahmins who are Shishthas propound shall doubtless have legal force."
It should be remembered that Ambedkar held these opinions while having neither an instrument of power nor a flatterer of greatness. He had to wage an ongoing battle for the liberation of the underprivileged and oppressed. In addition, Ambedkar noted that if Hindu civilization does not push forward to create a casteless society to defend itself, Swaraj for Hindus may simply turn out to be a step towards enslavement. Naturally, it was evident from the previous discussions about the origin of castes that a variety of factors, including racial differentiation, occupational distinctiveness, the monopolistic priesthood of Brahmins, socio-religious notions of ceremonial purity, pollution, etc., contributed to the establishment of the caste institution in Hindu society.
Gandhi's caste-related theoretical justification was obvious. On the lines of the traditional theory of caste, the Brahmanical theory of caste, etc., he based his understanding of the origin of caste. In several writings and speeches, he expressed his views and opinions on the caste and untouchability issues. He regarded the Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas, and other Hindu texts to be true. He promoted the idea of rebirth and incarnation (avatars). He was a Vaishnava of Orthodox faith. He operated in accordance with conventional wisdom, religious doctrine, and other principles pertaining to caste and untouchability issues. In addition, he created the name Harijan to describe untouchables. Politically, even he was utterly unwilling to criticise the Caste Institution. Inter-dining and inter-marriage, he claimed, were personal decisions. As a result of several political pressures and concerns, he established the Harijan movement. He disliked encouraging outcasts to rise to honourable positions in society. Even Gandhiji forbade the untouchables' effort for satyagraha in temples. After coming to terms with the harsh realities of the situation, Gandhiji modified his stance on the untouchables' pressing difficulties and acted to protect their lives and status in Hindu society. Over time, he advocated for the perpetuation of the caste system while demanding the end of untouchability.
He stepped up to start schools and dormitories for the children of the untouchables because of this. Gandhiji himself asked the Hindus to make their ponds, tube wells, roads, temples, and other facilities accessible to the Harijans. Gandhiji attempted to achieve 'social justice' for the Harijans in these ways. However, he placed more emphasis on political than social reform. But Ambedkar was very conscious of Hindus' anti-social attitudes towards the caste system and the untouchables, which led to socio-mental discrimination as a touch-me-notism tenet. His theoretical justification for the creation of the Caste System and untouchability made it very obvious that Brahmins and the Hindu Shastras are to blame for their creation. He correctly recognised the caste and untouchability difficulties. The fundamental roots of the Hindu caste system and untouchability were heated up by even his human approach to the caste and untouchability issues. His never-ending battles for the recognition of Dalit human rights in India marked a watershed moment in Indian history. His opinions and beliefs on these matters were entirely based on the principles of science, liberty, equality, fraternity, and, ultimately, nationality. He published his provocative criticism of the unjust Caste Institution and untouchability in a variety of writings and speeches.
The division of labour was not the foundation for caste. Essentially, it was a division of labour. He suggested to abolish the caste system because of this. Additionally, Ambedkar promoted inter-caste marriage, which would only be essential in reducing and resolving caste issues. He urged the general populace to reject the so-called Shastras' antiquated, illogical, and inhumane rulings as well as the socioreligious practises they mandated, which were responsible for the development and upkeep of castes and untouchability in Hindu society.
According to Ambedkar, society should play a crucial role in protecting religion rather than serving as its victimised object. However, the Caste system's emphasis on pollution was a key component as it had a strong religious component. He claimed that through time, the Hindu social psyche developed a mental illness known as untouchability.
In addition to these, the caste restrictions on inter caste marriage, inter caste dining, and endogamy constrained the class into a closed caste. Not only that, but also the custom of Sati, forced widowhood, requiring the widower to be unmarried, marrying him to a girl who was not yet marriageable, etc. were results of the Caste system's efforts to maintain endogamy against exogamy. He supported social democracy. He battled for the benefit of all people. Instead of political reform, he placed more emphasis on social reform. For the benefit of the nation and its people, he claimed, socialists would have to battle against the monster of the Caste institution both before and after the revolution.
CONCLUSION
In regards to the Caste and Untouchability issues, Gandhiji and Ambedkar held radically different thoughts and points of view. Contrary to Ambedkar, who was vehemently anti-Caste, Gandhiji was a fervent supporter of the Caste Institution. While Ambedkar developed his social philosophy on the foundation of the concepts of liberty, equality, and fraternity, Gandhiji's was based on the caste system, Varnashram Dharma, and the Hindu religion. He asserted that a person's Varna should be defined by his or her merits, as opposed to Gandhiji's emphasis on the birth criterion in this context. A person's occupation was determined by the principle of his forefathers' inherited professions.
In this competition, Gandhiji placed emphasis on the tradition of heredity. Gandhiji supported the idea of caste, whereas Ambedkar was adamantly opposed to it, developed an anti-caste thesis, and pushed for the abolition of the Caste Institution. Gandhiji, however, totally refrained from making political attacks against the Caste System. Ambedkar shouted to destroy this institution. He therefore decided to start a direct anti-Caste movement. He urged India's unfortunate poor caste-afflicted people to fight to end the Caste Institution. In this regard, he adhered to the principles of social and political democracy. Gandhiji did not, however, lead a Satyagraha movement to protest the Caste Hindus' views towards the Untouchables, who were denied access to Hindu temples. Ambedkar was instrumental in establishing the Depressed Classes' right to worship in Hindu temples because of this.
Therefore, it can be noted that while Ambedkar was an ardent supporter of equality, liberty, and fraternity in this regard and played a crucial role in establishing the concept of "Social Justice" by defending the "Human Rights" of the Depressed Classes in India, Gandhiji was a bearer of the Caste traditions.
This is a brief analysis of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar's Annihilation of Caste that I believe is non-derogatory. This analytical paper includes Gandhiji's opinions on caste in addition to those held by Ambedkar. This research study also includes an analytical comparison of the opinions of the two scholars specified above.
REFERENCES
- Songa, S.R. and Bollavarapu, R., 2023. Annihilation of Caste by Dr. BR Ambedkar: A Social Perspective. Impact of Ambedkarism on Indian Reality, pp.84-87.
- Hiwrale, A., 2020. Caste: Understanding the nuances from Ambedkar’s expositions. Journal of Social Inclusion Studies, 6(1), pp.78-96.
- Kamble, R.D., 2018. Rethinking the Nation: A Reading of BR Ambedkar's Annihilation of Caste. RESEARCH JOURNEY, p.12.
- https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/
