.................after a month..............
When I sit down to write about caste after reading Ambedkar`s The Annihilation of Caste I am confused. I must be honest here. I have tried to assimilate all confused thoughts bellow.
Difference divides. Nationality, language, religion; the list is endless. All these divide people. Division creates not only diversity but also bias. caste is one such difference that promotes discrimination.
If I have to go by Ambedkar caste is the worst by product of a society; Hindus are a defeated group; worst still Hindus are not even a group; there is no racial support for caste; what to speak of a religion that is responsible for creation of a class of people who are not even fit for touching and dining together.
I am sorry I am more optimistic. Ambedkar says "YOU" are responsible for caste. Rama was cheap fellow (feminists agree! He put seeta to so much trouble...); he killed shambhuka because he was a Shudra; Killed Vaali (who was a shudra!) unjustly. Manu was an evil. Well, I can not imagine so much. {Kuvempu says "Kalpanege kechchiral katti kaana"!}
I must say one thing: victims view is just one of the views, may neither be right nor reasonable. Ambedjar`s non-cooparation to freedom movement speaks a lot. His frustration can not be taken for reasons to attack a system instead of attacking what is bad in the system. I leave Ambedkar`s writings behind saying only that Budhism is`t any better and Ambedkar`s contribution in creating one of the world`s progressive constitution, overwhelms any weakness we may want to attribute to him. There is no denying he was a scholar, I do not hesitate to believe he experienced and understood something beyond I am capable of. But, I do not agree with him.
To continue.............
~rAGU