Category: Caste

Ambedkar on Caste

Was Indian president K.R. Narayana denied entry in to a temple for being a Dalit?

No. President KR Narayana was denied entry, not because he was a dalit, but because he was considered an Ati-Shudra(ex-untouchable) by the so called high caste Brahmins. The President too considered himself as an Ati-Shudra (Ati shudras were outside the varna system and treated as untouchables) and therefore didn’t mind the insult. Otherwise, he would have quoted […]

How can we abolish caste based reservation in India?

It is obvious that caste based reservation (and anything to do with caste) will automatically be abolished when the whole concept of belonging to a caste is abolished. The problem is most people are either vehemently opposing or protecting caste based reservation but hardly anyone is fighting for complete annihilation of the caste concept. ALL […]

When will India become free of reservation and quota system?

I assume you mean caste based reservation and by caste you mean jati. India will definitely become free of any jati based reservation system as soon as the concept of belonging to a jati becomes a thing of the past. Until then, I’m sorry to say, it will remain unless a dictatorial government abolishes it. This will also […]

Why are scheduled castes and tribes not Hindu?

In a letter to British PM Ramsay Mcdonald in Sept 1932, Mr Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi wrote, “In the establishment of separate electorates at all for the ‘depressed classes’, I sense the injection of poison that is calculated to destroy Hinduism.” Mr Gandhi may have been “somewhat” correct on this occasion. “Distruction of Hinduism” would’ve been a welcoming side effect for […]

CASTES IN INDIA Their Mechanism, Genesis and Development

CASTES IN INDIA Their Mechanism, Genesis and Development Paper read before the Anthropology Seminar of Dr. A. A. Goldenweizer at The Columbia University, New York, U.S.A. on 9th May 1916 Many of us, I dare say, have witnessed local, national or international expositions of material objects that make up the sum total of human civilization. […]

Which caste do people with the surname Ambedkar belong to?

Why did the need to ask this question arise? People with the surname Ambedkar do not belong to any caste. Nor did the most famous Ambedkar (Dr BR Ambedkar), the social reformer who fought for a casteless society belonged to any caste. Read one of his undelivered speeches, ‘Annihilation of caste’. ‘Ambedkar’ is not a caste. Nor is that […]

QUESTION 3: How can we unite Dalits all over India & world?

QUESTION 3: How can we unite Dalits all over India & world? Time to Organize. ANSWER by Shekhar Bodhakar: WHY DO YOU WANT “DALITS” TO UNITE ANYWAY AND AGAINST WHOM? The exact meaning of the word “DALIT” is ‘ground down’, or ‘broken to pieces’. [Academic Ref]: Anupama Rao, Representing Dalit selfhood the word ‘DALIT” is an adjective, derived […]

QUESTION: क्या भीमराव अम्बेडकर को भारत में आरक्षण के लिए दोषी ठहराया जा सकता है?

QUESTION: क्या भीमराव अम्बेडकर को भारत में आरक्षण के लिए दोषी ठहराया जा सकता है? Answered by Shekhar Bodhakar  यह आपके लिए आश्चर्य की बात हो सकती है परन्तु डॉ आंबेडकर आरक्षण व्यवस्था चाहते ही नहीं थे बल्कि कस्तूरबा गांधी के निवेदन पर महात्मा गांधी की जान बचाने के लिए उन्हें यह निर्णय लेना पड़ा। डॉ आंबेडकर ने जाति आधारित आरक्षण व्यवस्था को नहीं बनाया जैसा कि आम तौर पर दिखाया जाता है। वे केवल उस समय की सरकार द्वारा ब्रिटिश प्रधानमंत्री रैम्से मैकडॉनल्ड के द्वारा स्वीकृत कानूनी “कम्युनल अवॉर्ड” को लागू करवाना चाहते थे। इस समझौते ने आरक्षित जाति व जनजातियों को हिन्दू बहुसंख्यक सरकार से राजनीतिक सुरक्षा के रूप में एक अलग निर्वाचन क्षेत्र देने का अधिकार दिया जिसकी स्वतंत्रता पश्चात सत्ता में आने (लागू होने) की आशा थी। वे गांधीजी ही थे जिन्होंने इस अधि निर्णय का विरोध किया; इसके पश्चात वे आंबेडकर पर अलग निर्वाचन क्षेत्र के बदले में आरक्षण स्वीकार करने का दबाव (या यूं कहें कि एक प्रकार की भावनात्मक धमकी <इमोशनल ब्लैकमेल> ) डालने के लिए भूख हड़ताल पर चले गए। पर मजे की बात तो ये है कि इस गांधीजी ने सिखों, मुस्लिमों, आंग्ल- भारतीयों.… आदि के लिए स्वीकृत अलग निर्वाचन क्षेत्र का विरोध नहीं किया.. उन्होंने केवल अस्पृश्यों व जनजातियों को लेकर विरोध किया। यदि किसी ने आरक्षण व्यवस्था बनाकर देश का विनाश किया है तो ये वो लोग हैं जिन्होंने “जाति वा जातिवाद” को बनाया। इसने वर्णाश्रम व्यवस्था के नाम पर समाज के हाशिए पर रखे समुदायों के लिए अकल्पनीय कठिनाइयां और निर्दयता उत्पन्न कर दी। यदि यह इसके लिए नहीं होता तो अस्पृश्यों के लिए अलग निर्वाचन क्षेत्र की आवश्यकता ही नहीं होती, ना गांधीजी का उपवास और ना ही जाति आधारित संवैधानिक आरक्षण व्यवस्था। आरक्षण हमारे संविधान में दिया गया है, केवल अम्बेडकर के द्वारा नहीं बल्कि उस समय के सभी भारतीय अधिनायकों के द्वारा जो कि संविधान सभा के सदस्य थे। योग्यता (मेरिट) आज भी इस देश में अनाथ है और इस पर किसी जाति विशेष का आधिपत्य नहीं है। केवल वही लोग जिनके निहित स्वार्थ हैं वे ही मेरिट के बारे में बात करते हैं। लोगों ने केवल एक जाति विशेष के लिए शिक्षा में जाति आधारित आरक्षण को असंख्य पीढ़ियों तक सहन किया और उस समय में किसी ने भी योग्यता के बारे में चिंता नहीं की। एक जाति विशेष के शत प्रतिशत लोग तो योग्य नहीं हो सकते और इसके बारे में उस समय तक किसी ने प्रश्न नहीं उठाया जब तक कि समानता, स्वतंत्रता, भाईचारे, सभी के लिए सामाजिक न्याय की भावना पर आधारित एक नए देश के निर्माण का समय नहीं आ गया जो की एक जाति आधारित समाज में कदापि संभव नहीं है। आरक्षण नीति पूना पैक्ट का परिणाम है! जो कि केवल गांधीजी के कम्युनल अवॉर्ड के विरोध में गैर कानूनी तौर पर भूख हड़ताल पर जाने के कारण हुआ जिसे आंबेडकर ने गोलमेज सम्मेलन में कानूनी रूप से जीता था। डॉ आंबेडकर ने ने उनके लिए कम्युनल अवॉर्ड की मांग की (और जीते भी) जो की शताब्दियों से यदि सदियों से नहीं, मानवाधिकारों से वंचित व दमन के शिकार हैं। और गांधीजी ने बदले में आरक्षण की मांग की इसलिए अम्बेडकर को आरक्षण हेतु दोषी ठहराना बंद करें जब तक कि आप पूना पेक्ट को नकारकर अलग निर्वाचन क्षेत्र के मूल समझौते को स्वीकार नहीं कर लेते। निष्कर्ष तो कौन है भारत में जाति आधारित आरक्षण व्यवस्था का जिम्मेदार? ~Shekhar Bodhakar