The Essential Writings of B.R. Ambedkar

Description

Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (1891-1956) is both the towering symbol of protest against age-old and contemporary forms of exploitation in India and a scholar-sage proposing fair terms of social association. An untouchable himself, he led a resolute and adroit struggle against untouchability and attempted to reformulate the terms of nationalist discourse in India. This selection draws from his major works, speeches, letters and memoranda.

These writings span across forty years (1915-1956) and are organised into eleven sections: reminiscences, concepts, methodology, ideology, religion, caste, untouchability, identity, economics, nationalism, constitutionalism and law. The introduction by the editor Valerian Rodrigues provides a glimpse of his momentous life,the framework and content of his writings, and the reasons for his growing stature in India over the years. Every section and excerpts included within it are introduced and endnotes support citations and incomplete references in the excerpts. Suggestions for further readings are offered through a classification of all his writings and speeches and writings on him and his work. The chronology of events anchors the context of the writings.

The work is the first of its kind on Ambedkar and is a representative collection of the whole range of issues that engaged his attention. as the most comprehensive compilation on him and his works, this volume is going to be an indispensable reference for concerned students, scholars and activists.

About the author

Table of contents

Introduction: Essential Writings
Life Sketch
The Works of Ambedkar
Relevance of Ambedkar today
Reminiscence: On the Way to Goregaon
Concepts: Religion and dhamma
Democracy
Franchise
Representation
Representation of Minorities
Untouchability
Caste and Class
Methodology: On Provincial Finance
On Untouchables
Ideology: Ranade, Gandhi and Jinnah
Caste, Class and Democracy
Gandhism
Buddha or Karl Marx
Religion: Krishna and His Gita
The Buddha and His Predecessors
Does the Buddha Have a Social Message?
Conversion ( Away from the Hindus )
Caste: Castes in India: Their Origin. Mechanism and Development
Annihilation of Caste
Reply to the Mahatma
Untouchability:Outside the Fold
From Millions to Fractions
The Untouchables and the Pax
Britannica
An Anti-untouchability Agenda
Political Safeguards for Depressed Classes
Identity: Who are the Sudras? Origin of Untouchability
Economics: The Enlargement of the Scope of Provincial Finance
The Silver Standard a
nd the
Evils of Its Instability
Nationalism:Is there a case for Pakistan? ( A Nationality Calling for a Home )
Constitutionalsim and Law: Basic Features of the Indian Constitution
The Hindu Code Bill
Further Reading
Sources of Selection
Chronology
Glossary
Index