For An Informed Ambedkar Age
Nidhin Sowjanya The 16th Lok Sabha elections have culminated in something that anyone who looks closely at the history and functioning of this Brahminical Hindu nation could have easily expected. These elections announced the victory, however incomplete, of the right wing Hindutva party- BJP. The sheer number of seats (282 on its own) and …
Rajinder Barpagga It is an absolute pleasure to dedicate this article to the memory of honourable Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar (14 April 1891- 6 December 1956), revivalist of Buddhism in India, the first law minister of independent India and the chief architect of Indian constitution drafting committee. He had made the biggest contribution in …
Shakyamuni Chandal A veritable danger lurks over the whole corpus of knowledge and practices developed as a result of Dalit existence, assertion and its resistance to Brahminism; in short, the entire Dalit episteme: from the teachings of Buddha, Ajiwakas, Siddhas, Naths, Bauls, south Indian revolutionaries like Akkamahadevi, Basavanna, Chenna Basavanna, Kinnari Bommayya, Siddharama, Allamaprabhu …
Atul Anand The film ‘Revolver Rani’ is about a Chambal based female dacoit/politician Alka Singh (Kangna Ranaut). She takes up arms after her father is killed by his upper caste brethren. She dresses up like a cross between Michael Jackson and Phoolan Devi. Unlike Phoolan Devi she wasn’t compelled to take up arms because …
Dalit Camera: Through Un-Touchable Eyes Veteran political activist U. Sambashiva Rao was one of the key speakers at the ‘Democratic Debate on Appropriation of Ambedkar’s Writings’ held on 10th April 2014, in Hyderabad. U. Sambashiva Rao, who is Chairman of the BC Mahajana Sangham, has played an active part in many people’s movements – …
Murali Shanmugavelan In 1936, Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, fondly called as Babasaheb, wrote an un-delivered lecture called Annihilation of Caste (AoC) for a Hindu reform group called Jat-Pat Todak Mandal (Society for the Abolition of Caste system). The group rejected Ambedkar’s text as too radical as it made the case for the fundamental destruction of …
Hajira Bano Balkang Leh: A peace rally and a mass essay writing competition among students of different schools of Leh demanding inclusion of Bhoti in 8th Schedule of Indian Constitution on the 123rd Birth Anniversary of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar held at Polo Ground Leh on 14th April organized by Ladakh Buddhist Association Leh. Unlike …
~ Democratic debate on the appropriation of ‘Annihilation of Caste’ by Navayana on 10th April, 5 p.m., at Sundarayya Vignana Kendram, Hyderabad ~ Dear Friends, All of you are aware about the ongoing discussion on the issue of publication of Dr B.R.Ambedkar’s “Annihilation of Caste” by Navayana Publications with an introduction of Arundhati Roy …
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, …