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Annihilation of Caste Paperback – 1 November 2015
by B.R. Ambedkar (Author), & 2 more
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'Reading Ambedkar bridges the gap between what most Indians are schooled to believe and the reality we experience every day of our lives' - Arundhati Roy
B.R. Ambedkar's Annihilation of Caste is one of the most important, yet neglected, works of political writing from India. Written in 1936, it is an audacious denunciation of Hinduism and its caste system. Ambedkar―a figure like W.E.B. Du Bois―offers a scholarly critique of Hindu scriptures, scriptures that sanction a rigidly hierarchical and iniquitous social system. The world's best-known Hindu, Mahatma Gandhi, responded publicly to the provocation. The hatchet was never buried.
Arundhati Roy introduces this extensively annotated edition of Annihilation of Caste in "The Doctor and the Saint", examining the persistence of caste in modern India, and how the conflict between Ambedkar and Gandhi continues to resonate. Roy takes us to the beginning of Gandhi's political career in South Africa, where his views on race, caste and imperialism were shaped. She tracks Ambedkar's emergence as a major political figure in the national movement, and shows how his scholarship and intelligence illuminated a political struggle beset by sectarianism and obscurantism.
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Length 416 Pages
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"Annihilation of Caste has to be read ... No Hindu who prizes his faith above life itself can afford to underrate the importance of this indictment." --M.K. Gandhi
"What Communist Manifesto is to the capitalist world, Annihilation of Caste is to caste India. Arundhati Roy's introduction is expansive and excellent. S. Anand's annotations have style and perfection." --Anand Teltumbde, author of The Persistence of Caste: The Khairlanji Murders & India's Hidden Apartheid
"For the 1930s, Annihilation of Caste was a case of marvellous writing with conceptual clarity and political understanding - something the world should know about. The annotations illumine the whole book. Roy's essay has the sharp political thrust one has come to expect from her." --Uma Chakravarti, author of Everyday Lives, Everyday Histories: Beyond the Kings and Brahmanas of 'Ancient' India and Pandita Ramabai: A Life and a Time
"Arundhati Roy's 'The Doctor and the Saint' manages to convey an intimate and deeply felt sensitivity to the history that produced Annihilation of Caste. The annotations do an excellent job of providing supplementary information, corroboration and relevant citations ... A robust edition of an under-appreciated classic." --Satish Deshpande, Professor of Sociology, Delhi University
"S. Anand's annotations are very thorough and on the whole based on first-rate and current scholarship on South Asia and elsewhere ... Arundhati Roy's essay is punchy, eye-opening and provocative ... There is very little left of the saintly stature of the Mahatma once Roy is done with him, while Ambedkar, quite rightly, is left standing as the man in full control of his senses and his very considerable intellect." --Thomas Blom Hansen, Director, Stanford's Center for South Asia
"This annotated edition of Annihilation of Caste was long overdue ... The copious footnotes give the reader a sense of direction and all the additional information needed for making sense of the text - including the translation of the Sanskrit shlokas Ambedkar used to document his analysis. This edition is truly a remarkable achievement." --Christophe Jaffrelot, author of Dr Ambedkar and Untouchability: Analysing and Fighting Caste
"Those who have read Annihilation of Caste many times before will still read this work for the sake of the annotations and reference-based clarifications of Ambedkar's thoughts. This edition will foster a more critical engagement among readers." --Ayyathurai Gajendran, anthropologist
Book Description
'What the Communist Manifesto is to the capitalist world, Annihilation of Caste is to India.' -Anand Teltumbde, author of The Persistence of Caste
About the Author
Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar was born in 1891 into an 'Untouchable' family of modest means. One of India's most radical thinkers, he transformed the social and political landscape in the struggle against British colonialism. He was a prolific writer who oversaw the drafting of the Indian Constitution and served as India's first Law Minister. In 1935, he publicly declared that though he was born a Hindu, he would not die as one. Ambedkar eventually embraced Buddhism, a few months before his death in 1956.
Arundhati Roy is the author of the Booker Prize-winning novel The God of Small Things. Her recent political writings include Listening to Grasshoppers, Broken Republic, and Capitalism- A Ghost Story.
S. Anand is the publisher of Navayana, an independent press in New Delhi. He is the coauthor of Ambedkar- The Fight for Justice, a graphic biography, and has annotated this edition of Annihilation of Caste.
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Product details
Publisher : Verso Trade; 1st edition (23 March 2016)
Language : English
Paperback : 416 pages
ISBN-10 : 1784783528
ISBN-13 : 978-1784783525
Dimensions : 13.97 x 2.59 x 20.98 cm
Best Sellers Rank: 347,784 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
65 in History of Tibet
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Customer Reviews: 4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 1,643 ratings
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Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar
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ABOUT Author- Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (14 April 1891 – 6 December 1956), popularly known as Babasaheb, was an Indian jurist, economist, politician and social reformer who inspired the Dalit Buddhist movement and campaigned against social discrimination towards Untouchables (Dalits), while also supporting the rights of women and labour.He was Independent India's first law minister, the principal architect of the Constitution of India and a founding father of the Republic of India.
Ambedkar was a prolific student, earning doctorates in economics from both Columbia University and the London School of Economics, and gained a reputation as a scholar for his research in law, economics and political science. In his early career he was an economist, professor, and lawyer. His later life was marked by his political activities; he became involved in campaigning and negotiations for India's independence, publishing journals, advocating political rights and social freedom for Dalits, and contributing significantly to the establishment of the state of India. In 1956 he converted to Buddhism, initiating mass conversions of Dalits.
In 1990, the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, was posthumously conferred upon Ambedkar. Ambedkar's legacy includes numerous memorials and depictions in popular culture.
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ZenBowman
5.0 out of 5 stars Like oxygen for a polluted world.
Reviewed in the United States on 10 October 2019
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Reading Ambedkar is an absolute pleasure. His fearlessness and dedication to social justice are combined with a clarity of thought that is exceptional.
This edition by Verso Books is divided into three portions
— the first of which is an essay by Arundhati Roy, “The Doctor and the Saint”, which provides some background for the fundamental dispute between Ambedkar and Gandhi. In order to understand this, its useful to understand the caste system as it operated when this book was written in the 1930s — the best analog for the way caste operated in India then is the way race operated in the United States during that same period, especially in the Jim Crow South. “Superior” castes (akin to whites in the Jim Crow South) were able to enforce an economic and social hierarchy through both oppressive social conventions and the threat of mob violence (when conventions were broken).
Gandhi wanted to do away with “untouchability”, that is, the strict barrier between the people of the lowest caste (Dalits, or अवर्ण) and the remaining castes (सवर्ण). However, he did not want to mandate the abolition of caste entirely, as he himself was an orthodox Hindu. He believed that once untouchability was abolished, upper caste people should recognize that while people of all castes have equal standing in society, they are all suited for different tasks. This was largely in line with the “genetic thinking” prevalent throughout the Western world at the time.
Ambedkar, on the other hand, wanted to abolish caste entirely. He focused his energy on ending the practice that he termed “Brahminism”. He posited that once the group holding power adopted a practice of social separation, there would be an “infection of imitation”, whereby every other social group would attempt to do the same, directing their social oppression at the group immediately “below” them. Therefore, the only way to create an equal society was to target the very heart of the oppression itself — to abolish caste entirely, and to denounce any religious scripture that sanctions caste practices.
The second part of the book is Ambedkar’s essay on the annihilation of caste — which was scheduled to be delivered to the Jaat-Paat Todak Mandal but was ultimately canceled because it was deemed too provocative. The Jaat-Paat Todak Mandal (which translates roughly to “the abolition of caste committee”) was a group of Hindu reformers seeking to radically reform the religion to eliminate caste entirely. However, while they wanted to abolish caste, they were ultimately not willing to give up Hinduism, and some portions of Ambedkar’s speech involved direct attacks on the shastras, to which there was significant objection. Still, they should be seen sympathetically, as they are quite radical social reformers for their time and aim at a fully equal society (unlike members of the orthodoxy).
Ambedkar’s criticism of Brahminism is very incisive, and is a useful tool to look at parallel systems of hierarchy that exist today. For example, the “citizenship hierarchy” that exists in most countries in the West — with citizens on top, legal immigrants in the middle, and undocumented immigrants at the very bottom — mirrors the caste system very closely in the way it actually functions. Even the so-called “enlightened & progressive” nations in Western Europe have no objection to treating the last category of people in much the same way that Dalits were treated in India at the time of this writing.
Similarly the Jim Crow caste hierarchy might have started with just two castes (“white” and “black”), but before long there was additional stratification with a significant level of social discrimination targeted at Catholics and Jews as well. Once the infection of Brahminism begins, it rarely stops, it continues to subdivide and grow until it is attacked at its root.
Throughout the essay, Ambedkar skillfully combines his attacks on the social evil of caste with an aspirational vision of what could come next. That is, as he argues forcefully against what is the “old India” (which his opponent, Gandhi, has idealized), he also begins to provide the material for the formation of a “new India”. In one sense, Ambedkar can be seen as one of the first genuine nationalists — but one that argues for an inclusive nationalism of liberty, equality, and fraternity between all Indian people; which can only be achieved through the abolition of caste (and of the old religions and method of religious thinking). Ambedkar’s vision for India is a “Prabuddha Bharat (प्रभुद्द भारत)”, or enlightened India. He places himself squarely in the proud anti-caste tradition of the subcontinent, of which the Buddha, Ravidas, Guru Nanak, and Kabir are the most famous proponents. In this sense, he differs greatly from most social critics, as he advocates for the building of a new nation as he attacks the old. This is really what gives his book tremendous moral strength, and imbibes the reader with hope for the future rather than disappointment at the present.
The third portion of the book involves a series of back and forth letters between Ambedkar and Gandhi, where this discussion continues. One interesting topic that is extremely relevant to the modern age is regarding the ideal mode of development. Here, Gandhi seems almost prophetic, when he predicts that if the entirety of the world adopts the Western mode of development, the environment will be hopelessly ravaged, and we will all live in hellish conditions. Gandhi therefore idealizes the self-governing villages of India, and argues for continuing that model with some reforms. But for Ambedkar and the Dalits, those self-governing villages were already hell. For the Dalit, the city is the place where he can break free of this local tyranny and breathe the air of freedom. Again, for those familiar with American history, this will undoubtedly remind you of the migration of black people from their local tyrannies in the Jim Crow South to the cities of the North on their freedom trains (for those unfamiliar with this history, “The Warmth of Other Suns” is a fantastic book). This unresolved argument continues to this day, and humanity at large has found no acceptable solution.
In summary, this book is a very important read, not only for its historic value, but for its relevance to the present.
The caste system carries on in a less explicit form — not just in India, but throughout the world in various guises (race, sect, citizenship) — to this day. The discussion between Ambedkar and Gandhi on the modes of economic development are more important than ever in the era of climate change and mass ecological destruction. And Ambedkar’s excoriation of religious orthodoxy is a must-read in an era where religious regressives of all stripes are once again rearing their heads. Reading Ambedkar gives you a taste of freedom and hope like nothing else.
Prabhuddha Bharat Zindabad.
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aswin rajasimman
5.0 out of 5 stars Annihilation
Reviewed in India on 18 October 2023
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Experiences of the author will help you understand the caste system prevailing in our country and the evils of it.
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THANOES
5.0 out of 5 stars Nothing can be created like this .
Reviewed in India on 27 August 2023
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High end analysis of caste, Nothing can stand in the way of arguments put forwarded by Babb sahab .
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Vistasp Hodiwala
4.0 out of 5 stars 20 PAGES MISSING
Reviewed in India on 23 April 2023
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Almost 20 pages were missing and another 20 were repeated in this all-time classic. This was utterly scandalous. Ideally, I should be eligible for another copy, for Free. This is just a terrible lapse on the part of the publisher.
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Ishani
5.0 out of 5 stars The greatest arguments ever on the subject of the caste.
Reviewed in India on 19 April 2023
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Mr. Ambedkar is one of the greatest scholar, not only in India, but in the whole world. And the way he reasons, questions, answers the different aspects regarding the problems of Hinduism and of casteism, is unique. Every Indian must study this text. It is India’s and it’s people’s bad luck that we are still struggling with these social problems despite we had a thinker like Mr. Ambedkar to guide.
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sebi
5.0 out of 5 stars Shines a light on a hidden past while enlightening the present
Reviewed in the United States on 3 May 2015
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Just finished reading it. Came as a surprise to me that the man who is really most famous in India as the "guy who wrote the constitution" (which is not exactly true but that's how most Indian remember him) was a radical thinker and had such a long running feud with the "father of the nation".
The Political and philosophical differences are stark but its so amazing that having lived almost all my life in India and after going through all my education in India was never exposed to these fundamental difference between these two most famous men.
Maybe its my failing or maybe its the failing of the educational system in India.
Maybe Dr.Ambedkar's ideas are too dangerous for the existing social order to be disseminated among the lowly masses.
Whatever the case maybe, it is a scandal that this really important debate is conspicuously missing from Indian psyche.
It's interesting how a man like Gandhi who turned himself into a saint and a symbol for non-violence across the world practically threatened the entire community of "Untouchables" to grave violence in the hands of Caste Hindus in India and forced Dr. Ambedkar to sign the Poona Pact.
Here's what Dr. Ambedkar said about Mr. Gandhi's coercive strategy: "It was a foul and filthy act".
Mr. Gandhi forced the Untouchables to give up their constitutional safeguards and condemned them to live under the boot of Caste Hindus in the newly Independent India.
It's a great speech with important contextual introduction by Arundhati Roy and S. Anand.
Thank you both for shining a light to this very important aspect of Indian history which is still very relevant.
We all are still living under the shadow of a disgraceful caste system which pervades through the entire social fabric of India.
Found a few trivial errors in the book:
Page 184, Footnote 3:
Sant Ram of Jat Pat Todak Mandal died in 1988 not in 1998 (as the footnote mistakenly states). Dying in 1998 would have made him 111 years old (since he was born in 1887 - as the book correctly states).
Page 226, Footnote 34:
Nehru did NOT join the Congress Socialist Party (CSP).
The footnote mistakenly states that Nehru "did join the CSP".
In context of the statement, it certainly looks like an innocent typographical error.
Page 313: Footnote 162:
The word "persist" is mistakenly written as "persit". Just another typo i suppose.
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Anupam Acharya
5.0 out of 5 stars Relevant points but slightly dated
Reviewed in India on 29 November 2022
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A very well articulated essay. Dr. Ambedkar has taken a very strong stance and tried to make things such as Caste, Religion and Human Behaviour very objective which in my opinion hardly follows objectivity. Some of the ideas and facts mentioned are also quite dated for today's day and age. Nonetheless, it is written with immense conviction. I personally enjoyed the indictments in the end a lot which provides his responses to Mahatma Gandhi who raised questions on his essay. A good read if you want to have some good debates on such a relevant topic.
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Vineet wadia
5.0 out of 5 stars For All those who are Rational Thinkers.
Reviewed in India on 20 January 2021
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This Book was on my priority list for a long time and I was Excited to read the book written by Dr. BR Ambedkar who has been termed as The Dalit leader in contemporary India. This critical edition exposes the readers to an Unheard Tale of India which may infuriate some and May prove to be a Whistle blower of the past. The introduction by Arundhati Roy is well written and composed one which hits the right chord. While writing the introduction
she maintains a balance between Mahatma Gandhi and His formidable opponent Dr. B.R Ambedkar. Annihilation of caste attacks the caste system and its advocates.
Ambedkar's Rational thinking is conspicuous and his arguments are treat to read. While the introduction stretches a bit long but considering the two great personalities it is worth reading. Though what I did feel somewhat lengthy was annotations by S.Anand. I did find some annotations very useful and knowledgeable but some where Hard to grasp. This book is for all of those who see Ambedkar as Dalit leader indeed he was but He was also the Pioneer of a Social movement and thought to make a society based on Liberty, Equality and Fraternity.
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N
5.0 out of 5 stars Arundhati Roy's Introduction brings Ambedkar's historic document up to date.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 13 March 2016
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Annihilation of Caste is a crucially important 20th century document (it was written 1936) - especially for India where the suffering of people stigmatised by this appalling human practice continues. This is, of course, despite the official ban on caste discrimination. Dr B R Ambedkar was one of the great men of the 20th century, on a level platform with Mandela and Dr Martin Luther King. His emergence from the lowliest position as an 'Untouchable' to the man who wrote the Constitution for the newly-independent India is a truly astounding story. Annihilation of Caste was after Dr Ambedkar was invited to speak on the subject at an influential event, but was never given because he was asked to withdraw elements! He refused.
But this publication is far more than just a reprint of the speech. Arundhati Roy, author of Booker Prize winner novel God of Small Things and a rights campaigner, has written a carefully researched but excoriating introduction - 50,000 words, as long as Dr. Ambedkar's original work - which demonstrates that attacks on ex-untouchables and other marginals in Indian society continue unabated despite the official political situation. Murder, rape, prejudice, and physical attacks continue every second of the day in India. And it is getting worse with the rise of the Hindu right wing views at the moment. Of course, caste issues also exist elsewhere - including Nepal, as Roy points out. Her document, coming out at this time, reflects a courageous, independent standpoint that is as laudable as it is rigorously researched. I read it on my Kindle on a recent trip to India, and it took my breath away - though I know a little of the situation.
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Elroy D Joseph
5.0 out of 5 stars The other side of India exposed
Reviewed in India on 27 June 2021
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Like every other Indian, I was taught from my childhood about the mighty MK Gandhi who spent his life for the freedom of India. But I never knew much of Dr.BR Ambedkar but only as of the maker of the Constitution of India, until now.
This book Annihilation of Caste exposes the hidden agenda of the privileged caste Hindus which includes the MK Gandhi himself, to make sure the oppressed and downtrodden class people never make it to a healthy living environment as a common citizen. This is the undelivered speech of Dr.BR Ambedkar to the untouchables in 1936. Apart from the Speech alone, with the Foreword of Arundhati Roy, the reader would get a briefing about the then situation of caste India, MK Gandhi's view of casteism and Dr. BR Ambedkar himself. If you believe MK Gandhi stood for the oppressed class and is the sole reason for the liberation of India from the British Raj, I insist you must read this book and I'm sure your views (obviously the one-sided views) would change.
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SOUMYA SHETTY
3.0 out of 5 stars Must read
Reviewed in India on 17 December 2022
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The book is a must read but I would recommend going to the book store and buying in person it as it has a dent on the side and a yellow mark on a few pages.
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Arun
5.0 out of 5 stars "He wore suites, Yes. But he died in debt."
Reviewed in India on 19 June 2021
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Lot of goosebumps while reading this book. Some places it made me cry especially the words I used for the title of this review. Well organized and it goes like a movie narrating stories of two different individuals (Dr.Ambedkar and Mahathma Gandhi) who are equially powerful in the first half. The book gives us a chance to see through the pain of oppressed class in those days and still prevalent (at least some of the practices) throughout our country.
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Dhanmay Singh
5.0 out of 5 stars U must read this book if u are interested in history
Reviewed in India on 20 July 2019
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Annihilation of caste... It is a masterpiece by BR Ambedkar.. Every Indian should read it once... U will have an awesome experience... Without any second thought just buy this 1...
However the introduction by arundhati Roy through her doctor and the saint is Gud to study. Bt that will give only one side of the picture of Mahatma Gandhi... I started disliking Gandhiji after the reading..
Bt after reading Bipin Chandra's India's struggle for independence.. I got the complete picture... For Roy I wud say that though we used to say Mahatma for Gandhiji .. It doesn't mean he is a God.. He was also a normal human being like you and us.. And it is quite normal to have changes in ur ideology in due course of time... I also changed mine after two different readings...
Although at the end of the day Gandhiji was also a politician who used to direct the Indian National Movement against the Britishers...
Concluding myself I wud say.. Just read it.. U will have a very nice experience...
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shubham j.
5.0 out of 5 stars A must read book
Reviewed in India on 29 July 2020
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This book is the best book if you want to know about untouchables, which is briefly explained in the first section of the book , the second section deals with the communication made by dr ambedkar with the jat pat todak mandal and its members the third section deals with the " AMBEDKAR-GANDHI DEBATE". It is one of the best books i have read , Kudos to arundhati roy for the " Doctor And The Saint " section which explains us that even after decades of caste struggle , the dalit caste still remains the opressed one . The letter which is given in this book and is written by dr ambedkar which explains us deeply about the inflexibility in the caste system which still prevails in india .
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Vivek Kumar
5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for all "HINDUS"
Reviewed in India on 7 March 2019
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Amazon has always has left me with no enough words to praise them for their service. The packaging, quality of product and delivery service were superb.
Quality wise the the book is Original and has finest quality of paper and print. Binding is excellent.
Content wise it is good. Essay "Doctor and Saint" written by Arundhati Roy is good. But at many places her criticism on Gandhi seems unnecessary and illogical at many places. As she deliberately tries to put Gandhi into a frame ( i.e., misogynist, castist and favouring capialists) by using some facts (which are true indeed) without giving mention about the big picture. Cherry picking left you with half knowledge or say with certain agenda without complete insight into an issue.
Speech of Ambedkar is very well written and it left you with many thoughts storming in your mind about our society, traditions, beliefs, customs and so on. The damage caste syatem has done to our society is irreversible and irreparable.
Delivery servuce was also superb.. got my order exactly on time as that was given by Amazon.
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Anand Meshram
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant
Reviewed in India on 27 March 2014
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Hats off to Arundhati Roy for her hard-work in history and brilliant in-depth analysis, both historical and contemporary. It is a critical edition and that's what it does. Arundhati in her introduction does so much more than mere justice to analyse the stands taken by both 'larger than life' men, the doctor and a Saint, who wanted to shape India, but couldn't. There were so many untouched contentions in the past which at least I couldn't comprehend due to its complexity and rhetoric by both sides, but she enlightened me there. On most parts, if not all, in her introduction, her words leave you enchanted and enlightened. She touched every last element concerning the Dalit issue, Ambedkar's fight with far left, left, centre left, centre, centre right, right, far right and even fascism. In her humble analysis and justice, she didn't even leave out Dr. Ambedkar for some of his weird, unanswerable stands taken in the past like regarding tribal issue.
I read all her books, but this makes easily her one of the best works ever. So much respect, so much love for Arundhati. Thank you Arundhati Roy and S. Anand for invoking this timeless, undelivered speech of the Doctor, who wanted a permanent cure than the Saint's band-aid.
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Sai Vamshi
1.0 out of 5 stars Misleading title, poor paper quality
Reviewed in India on 22 September 2023
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Please be aware that it is mix up book with author thoughts and very poor paper quality, not up to mark and over priced.
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Niket K.
5.0 out of 5 stars Symbol Of knowledge
Reviewed in India on 23 June 2021
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It is very sad reality of today's India that Dr B R Ambedkar, such a great person, is only portrait as the leader of Dalit and has been used by many political parties to their conveniences. I would suggest everyone to read this book and do some research work on this great personality, so as to come out the illusion of this rhetoric.
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Sumit
5.0 out of 5 stars Must Read for our Know-it-all ignorant generation
Reviewed in India on 13 October 2021
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Both the Ambedkar essay and Arundhati's piece are a must read for our increasingly " I know it all and am always right generation". We are stuck in the lot has changed but nothing has changed scenario on this issue. Empathy is essential and this book is a good place to start
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prakash
5.0 out of 5 stars first read ambedkar's writing.. then if u want arundathi roy's
Reviewed in India on 26 August 2020
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This book is a must for everyone who supports or oppose ambedkar. He is suggesting a total reorganization of Hinduism on lines of equality,fraternity and liberty.what happened in Poona pact is clearly explained here only(no where in UPSC preparation you can find it).If anybody from depressed class like/love gandhi read this book to know how he stopped one of the great solution(double voting).This solution would have changed the exploitative relation between landed caste and depressed class to one of a barter/bargaining relationship and have been first step towards equality.
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Sai Vamshi1.0 out of 5 stars Misleading title, poor paper quality
Reviewed in India on 22 September 2023Please be aware that it is mix up book with author thoughts and very poor paper quality, not up to mark and over priced.
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Sai Vamshi1.0 out of 5 stars Misleading title, poor paper quality
Reviewed in India on 22 September 2023Please be aware that it is mix up book with author thoughts and very poor paper quality, not up to mark and over priced.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Arundhati Roy
Reviewed in India on 16 March 2014
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The fundamental question that haunt’s us in the contemporary India (‘Civilized’ for most and ‘barbarous’ for the minorities) is the Caste Notion. Annihilation of Caste by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar is not only one of his most academically-well researched vicious critique of Caste, but truly a speech that has power to exterminate in a single attempt the Caste prejudices and the subjugated caste driven human mental faculty.
Arundhati Roy in her introduction for this annotated edition titled “The Doctor and the Saint”, has rationally and by seer logical analysis spoke the truth, which most writers on Ambedkar thought have neglected to tell or choked their throats with the grime of obnoxious self enrichment. Roy speaks out with fiery critique the actions of Gandhi and the counter actions of Ambedkar on the issue of caste. The second well researched and a good logical critique of Gandhi that I have read, the first one being “What Congress and Gandhi Have Done to the Untouchables” by B.R. Ambedkar.
A must read for those who seek the path of truth and want to destroy the false and prejudiced notions of Caste and Hinduism from their rational conscious.
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Ramanujam R
5.0 out of 5 stars But one thing that a reader like me could not find the emphatic reasons behind his ...
Reviewed in India on 30 July 2015
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One cannot call it an exposure of that of the real face of Gandhiji, The Hindus' Congress and the conspirators in the British Raj, but can call as an honest attempt to highlight them with documentary proof. Both Arundati Roy's writeup and that of Dr Ambedkar unrendered speech make anyone reader become biased in favour of the oppressed, marginalised, and the real patriots with secular minds. So many startling details of episodes involving Gandhiji in South Africa and in India towards Harijans and the Mahajans ( Corporate giants the trustees of the society). But one thing that a reader like me could not find the emphatic reasons behind his embracing of and advocacy of Budhdhism as the panacea of social evils. By looking into the atrocities of the Budhdhist monks of Sri Lanka and Burma over other clans of society, the confusion over his attraction for Budhdhism leaps manifold. This book is really an asset to every reader in Indian society and really a " TOOL FOR BREACH OF PEACE", the peace sought for by the Brahminical forces and other exploiting lobbies.
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Dharaneymar
2.0 out of 5 stars Minor Tear on top of book
Reviewed in India on 10 April 2023
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I'm disappointed with this. Try to do good package next time or try to give prefectly finished book.
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Prasad Hirave
5.0 out of 5 stars This is one of best book I have ever read
Reviewed in India on 15 July 2021
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This is one of best book I have ever read ,the content of this book have soo deeply knowledge and meaningful also logical .
You will get to know about how caste based discrimination is going on till date (21th century) and difference between DR.B.R.Ambedkar and M.K.Gandhi .
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Bhavani
4.0 out of 5 stars Superb!!
Reviewed in India on 14 May 2022
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Worth of money!!
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Arjun S R
5.0 out of 5 stars Read this to understand the politics in India
Reviewed in India on 7 January 2016
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I was against reservation before reading this. This just removed lots of questions and answered by thoughts. And Arundathi Roy has put forward a one-hell of an essay before the actual work starts so that we can grasp things with a proper context. It will help us understand the view points of various leaders. Strips them of their idol status and make them useful in understanding the social-political-economic problems of the early stages.
The history has a lot been distorted. Ambedkar is a visionary, a person who can't tagged with just one discipline, a radical economist. History has been unkind to Ambedkar, it sees him only as a sectarian leader. As someone in the book quoted, What is Communist Manifesto to the Capitalist World, Annihilation of Caste is to India.
If you have courage to read go ahead and read. No guess works. No confirmation-bias. Only facts with statistics.
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tm
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic
Reviewed in India on 13 October 2020
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I don't think I need to say much on Dr. Ambedkar's seminal speech. I wanted to leave a review for this particular edition, which was worth every penny spent! Not only does it include the annotated "Annihilation of Caste", it also includes Arundhati Roy's "The Doctor and the Saint". Honestly such a riveting and eye-opening read!
The book was sent to me in perfect condition which I greatly appreciated.
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Vijay Kamble
5.0 out of 5 stars Replaced item is in worst condition than the earlier one
Reviewed in India on 12 March 2022
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The book content is good and I want to read it entirely but the quality of the book received is very bad. This I have replaced it once and this is the second time I need replacement.
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IAK
5.0 out of 5 stars If you are interested in India, it is a must
Reviewed in the United States on 18 March 2021
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I've been on a bit of a jag reading about India lately . To a westerner like me, there certainly is a lot to take in. Ambekar's book, a polemic, written pre-partition, was very helpful in trying to grasp the complexities of the caste system.
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5.0 out of 5 stars It's really heart melting to see why such a great speech left undelivered
Reviewed in India on 22 May 2016
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I read many books never thought of giving a review but after reading this book I cannot resist myself in sharing what I learnt, and the enlightenment it has brought to me. In schools we were taught Britishers had a policy of divide and rule. But we were already divided as castes and classes they just made use out of of it. It is a book for a brief insight to look at what is wrong with the caste system. It's really heart melting to see why such a great speech left undelivered. Yet I salute for his commitment towards not to alter a single word in his address. For the first time I got tears while reading a book. If I wouldn't have read this book would have missed meaning for life. Great book and a great inspiring personality.
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Suraj Pratap
5.0 out of 5 stars This is a book which must be read by anyone ...
Reviewed in India on 31 January 2017
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This is a book which must be read by anyone who believes that- social reform is as necessary if not more, than political or economic reform; that religion and customs should not be rules of law free from logical reasoning; that liberty, equality and fraternity are paramount to the sustenance of any society, and any faith that compromises on these principles must be thrown open to criticism and modification or even extirpation.
By the end of the book, you'll find yourself wondering why history or society could not be more kind to Dr. Ambedkar or more judicious about its own future. This book deserves nothing less than a rating of 5, even though rating such a piece of work would be undermining its relevance and application.
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Mia
2.0 out of 5 stars Old and damaged copy received
Reviewed in India on 1 November 2022
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Typically, I don't really mind a few nips and frayed edges on a book. But this is an extremely expensive purchase for gifting. And that's the only reason I picked a hardbound edition.
The copy I received seemed really old or used and the whole point of a special hardbound edition is lost.
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yash
5.0 out of 5 stars Don't wait just buy it and feel the experience of great book. Book is good to understand great mind.
Reviewed in India on 5 September 2019
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Book is good and too fantastic. It is one of the best book I ever read. Most important thing is, in this book you get an opportunity to understand greatest mind. Through this book you can understand about evil of casteism through the eye of Gandhi and Ambedkar.
Everyone should give a read to this book. Important for every Indian. Don't underestimate this book through the lens of caste, just buy it and read it.
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Anantha Krishnan
4.0 out of 5 stars Flawless content
Reviewed in India on 30 June 2021
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The book is an absolute manifesto for India, but the delivery is dreary. The spine of the book was tampered.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Must read for any Indian
Reviewed in the United States on 31 October 2020
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For Indians that have been preached the Gandhi story, this is an eye opener. Not only is he racist, he is the primary reason for most problems that Indians face today.
It also helps understand history and get a deeper understanding of the institutionalized and systemic casteism in India.
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Bangalore Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars A very famous work
Reviewed in India on 21 February 2021
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Excellent book, though Ambedkar is not as good a writer as Gandhiji or Jawaharlal Nehru, and has a one point agenda. The long introduction, "The Doctor and the Saint", by Arundhati Roy is very well written even though her bias against Gandhiji is evident.
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Jeevan
5.0 out of 5 stars A masterpiece of inclusive intersectionality
Reviewed in India on 25 September 2020
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Only after this reading can one know the great, foresighted and brilliant mind that Dr. Ambedkar was. For a speech written in the pre-independence period, a larger sect of his philosophy is applicable even in today's date.
Arundhati's take on the book, Gandhi and Dr. Ambedkar is brilliant as well.
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Vedanjanam (Nilmadhab)
5.0 out of 5 stars Read this to understand Ambedkar
Reviewed in India on 27 April 2014
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A fantastic book to understand the views of one of the finest Indian thinkers of the 20th century. The text in itself is so closely argued it is difficult to put down the book once one has started reading it.
The annotations are done very carefully and provide a background to Ambedkar's life better than any biography of Ambedkar you are likely to read. Gandhiji's response to the article makes for an equally interesting read - the Mahatma, for once, did lose his temper! :-)
Arundhati Roy's prefatorial article is beautifully written. However, in terms of substance, there is hardly anything to write about it. She fails, once again, in writing a scholarly article. Everything she does gets so clouded by her idea of revolution that she is never successful in making a solid argument for / against anything.
I highly recommend this book to one and all.
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Vongabadu
5.0 out of 5 stars Every one must read this
Reviewed in the United States on 4 January 2022
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This book gives a quick glimpse about the untouchability that india has secretly buried it
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gopinath n. menon
5.0 out of 5 stars A Challenge to Hinduism Worthy of Serious Discussion and Debate
Reviewed in India on 15 May 2016
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This is a fascinating book, packed with information that would otherwise be unavailable to most readers. The caste system that is deeply embedded in India even today and continues to play a derogatory role in Indian society needs to be annihilated but this is unlikely to happen any time soon. 'The Annihilation of Caste' epitomises writing of an exceptional quality and conceptual clarity by Dr. Ambedkar eight and a half decades ago. Ms. Arundhati Roy's essay on 'The Doctor and the Saint' is argumentative, courageous, well documented and argued. The combination of Dr. Ambedkar's and Ms. Roy's writing in one book sends a powerful message worthy of active consideration by the powers that be in India and should not just be relegated to the pages of history.
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Rachna Bhardwaj
4.0 out of 5 stars The book is excellent
Reviewed in India on 23 April 2021
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Its a really good book, does the work of two... But some of the pages were not good there were overlapping sentences...
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Rohit Kishan Ray
5.0 out of 5 stars A classic must read
Reviewed in India on 4 July 2020
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Any one who wants to have 'some' idea about the derogatory practice of caste in India, should start from here. To top it the essay by Arundhati Roy also raises questions which need to introspection into one's own idea if brahminism. Anyone who claims to be a secular Hindu should give it a try.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars A must read
Reviewed in India on 21 October 2020
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A scintillating thesis of the repugnant social division of 'caste'. Ambedkar opens your mind to new theorists and ideologists through his vivid and rational writing.
If you are a nascent explorer of Hinduism or the problem of caste that exists within its structure, Ambedkar's AoC is a must read.
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madhu
4.0 out of 5 stars Very good print
Reviewed in India on 1 June 2020
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I bought it from the Patrika book center. Print quality is really good.
50% of the book is the introduction by Arundhati Roy, If somebody wants to read just Ambedkar's speech maybe there are other cheaper options.
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D.Shubhendu
4.0 out of 5 stars The content is one in a thousand. This book ...
Reviewed in India on 4 August 2016
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The content is one in a thousand. This book should be in syllabus for graduation. A proof that how much Ambedkar, Periyar, Baboo Mangoo Ram, Pandita Ramabai, Mahatma Phule and many others were way ahead of there time. The intro "The Doctor and The Saint" is truly an eye opener on many things but I think there is a very distinct positive side also to it. Yes Gandhi and Ambedkar were adversaries of each other but they respected each other. All in all a must read for every "Free Indian" who want's to be FREE in real sense.
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ALOK
5.0 out of 5 stars Must read..
Reviewed in India on 21 May 2021
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Half through the book. But I Liked it. Everyone must read it with neutral mind and rational thinking.
What is most astonishing fact about the book every argument/idea is supported by geniune evidences....
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Saahil
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect text
Reviewed in India on 17 October 2020
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Excellent book! The annotations create a bridge between Dr. Ambedkar's ideas and how they are still prevalent in the current scenario. For someone who is new to Dr. Ambedkar's literature, this is a very helpful in text for me as well. Book quality also very well
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Nasim Beg
5.0 out of 5 stars The curse of caste system that holds the entire Indian Subcontinent back.
Reviewed in the United States on 4 September 2017
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An eye opening account of the plight of the lower casts, with the great mind of Ambedkar arguing very powerfully for elimination of the root cause, i.e., Hinduism itself.
Arundhati Roy, has introduced the 1936 undelivered speech of Ambedkar in her usual eloquent manner- the introduction is a book in itself, lays the ground to make it relevant 80 years the speech was written.
Highly recommend for anyone wishing
emancipation of the 1.6 billion people of the Indian Subcontinent.
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carlo buldrini
5.0 out of 5 stars Un libro fondamentale per capire l'India
Reviewed in Italy on 4 December 2014
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Ricordo che lessi per la prima volta "Annihilation of Caste" di B.R. Ambedkar all'inizio degli anni Ottanta nella Nehru Memorial Library di New Delhi. Fu un libro decisivo nell'orientare i miei studi nel corso del mio lungo soggiorno indiano. Questa nuova edizione del libro, con le preziose note di S. Anand e l'introduzione di Arundhati Roy, costituisce uno strumento fondamentale per poter capire la realtà indiana. Scrive Ambedkar: "Per un intoccabile, l'hinduismo è un'autentica stanza degli orrori". C'è da augurarsi che il libro venga letto anche dal mondo accademico italiano che, sul tema delle caste in India, ha scritto molte sciocchezze sostenendo per esempio che l'hinduismo non esiste e che le caste altro non sono che un'invenzione del colonialismo.
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Aishwarya M
5.0 out of 5 stars If you're a first time reader of this 'kind' like me, I would recommend you to first see ...
Reviewed in India on 25 June 2016
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I never have read non-fiction before. This is my first non-fiction and quite surprisingly I seem to dwell on this book. Arundathi Roy's introduction "The Doctor and the Saint" structures the whole speech-book of Dr. Ambedkar and caste prioritisation. If you're a first time reader of this 'kind' like me, I would recommend you to first see the movies 'Gandhi' & 'Ambedkar' so that it gets easier to relate what they're talking about in the book.
Talking about the book, she is indeed amazing! She is of great quality and despite using text-liners, the pages seem fine and new. The delivery was kind of late but, after getting the book, it was worth waiting for.
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