In 1936 the Jat-Pat-Todak Mandal, a Hindu reformist group in Lahore, invited B. R. Ambedkar to deliver the presidential address at its annual conference. When the organisers read his text in advance, they asked him to remove passages attacking Hindu scriptures. He refused, the conference was cancelled, and Ambedkar published the speech himself as Annihilation of Caste.
The text argues that caste does not simply organise work but ranks the workers themselves by birth, permanently and unequally, which destroys public spirit, charity and any sense of a shared society among Hindus. Ambedkar dismantles the defences of caste, criticises reformers who sought to eliminate untouchability while keeping the varna system, and concludes that real change requires rejecting the religious authority of the shastras themselves.
Later editions include Gandhi's reply in his journal Harijan and Ambedkar's rejoinder, a sharp exchange between two founders of modern India. Concise, uncompromising and closely argued, the book remains central to anti-caste movements and to debates about religion, equality and democracy, and has been reissued with extensive annotations in recent years.
Book details
| Author | B. R. Ambedkar |
|---|---|
| First published | 1936 |
| Original language | English |
| Genre | Politics |
| Type | Non-fiction |
| Pages (approx.) | 110 |
Themes
- Caste oppression
- Religious authority
- Social reform
- Equality
- Ambedkar-Gandhi debate
Who should read it
Everyone who wants to understand caste in India from its most rigorous critic, in his own words.