Description

B R Ambedkar, a brilliant academic who subsequently became an influential political leader, wrote an explosive speech in 1936 amid the turbulent winds of India’s war for independence and the cry for social reform. This speech would reverberate through the halls of history. This speech, titled “Annihilation of Caste,” was intended to question social norms and confront the foundation of India’s profoundly ingrained caste structure. To promote his radical theories on caste eradication at the 1936 conference of liberal Hindu caste-reformers in Lahore, B. R. Ambedkar prepared “Annihilation of Caste” with a specific goal. On the other hand, his speech’s ideas were nothing short of revolutionary, leading the audience into new realms of contemplation and inquiry. The decision to cancel Ambedkar’s invitation to speak was made as the organizers realized the consequences of his remarks gripped them. Ambedkar took matters into his own hands and self-published his groundbreaking work, unfazed by this setback and understanding the importance of his message. Ambedkar exposed the caste system’s inadequacies, injustices, and the pain it caused millions of oppressed people in this thought-provoking speech by surgically dissecting it. He probed the origins of prejudice with a keen mind, examining the sociological and psychological factors that strengthened the repressive system.