In Caste and Revolution by N. Ravi, the author addresses questions raised by Dalit and Bahujan intellectuals inspired by revolutionary parties. These questions center on caste issues and seek to formulate a profound diagnosis to chart a path toward the annihilation of caste. The book explains how caste-based feudalism and comprador bureaucratic capitalism intertwine to perpetuate the caste system. It asserts that only the path of a New Democratic Revolution can eradicate caste.
The book delves into the need for an equal position for oppressed castes in all layers of society to abolish caste discrimination and oppression. It offers an analytical diagnosis, a penetrating navigation, and a detailed account of the dialectics of caste and class across diverse spheres.
Annihilation of Caste and the New Democratic Revolution
A revolutionary party develops a perspective document on the caste question, integrating its understanding of caste and the program for caste annihilation into the party’s framework. It outlines methods for combating the caste system even within a socialist society.
The document extensively examines the annihilation of caste and its inseparable connection to the New Democratic Revolution and agrarian revolution. It highlights the contributions of the Naxalbari struggle in linking caste annihilation with broader revolutionary aims. It recounts how the CPI(ML) inspired Dalit rebellions and encouraged integration between youth, students, and Dalit communities. Dalit households became pivotal shelters and strongholds for the revolutionary movement in rural areas.
Initially, the general understanding was that eradicating semi-feudal relations in India would lead to the collapse of the caste system. However, the lessons from the Cultural Revolution emphasized the necessity of state power being held by the lowest toiling classes.
After a period of self-criticism regarding left adventurist tactics, mass movements were advocated, and social struggles of lower-caste Dalits were initiated to ignite land struggles. These struggles led to significant victories, such as challenging demeaning practices like Dalits being forced to carry their sandals or maintain separate glasses in hotels.
Caste Theory and the Praxis of the Revolutionary Movement
The chapter on caste theory and the praxis of the revolutionary movement critiques conventional Marxist approaches to caste. It asserts that communist revolutionaries cannot ignore caste, as its effects are deeply ingrained in Indian society. Among communists, it was the Naxalites who organized hundreds of thousands of oppressed caste individuals to fight against class oppression.
This chapter examines how land ownership remains concentrated in the hands of upper castes, with Dalits primarily relegated to the roles of landless agricultural workers and poor peasants. It also explores the superficial changes brought by land reforms and the shifting dynamics between castes and classes.
The chapter critiques the CPI(ML) for using Gandhi's term "Harijan" and for not adequately addressing caste annihilation in its early documents. Nevertheless, it acknowledges that oppressed castes, particularly Dalits, played a crucial role in anti-feudal struggles and revolutionary movements.
Marxist Understanding of the Caste Question
The book includes a chapter written by the late Sridhar Srinivasan, which analyzes the dichotomy between caste and class. Srinivasan highlights the evolving relationship between caste and class, the impact of capitalist relations, and the role of significant struggles like Telangana and Naxalbari in challenging caste structures.
Srinivasan critiques both the Dalit and communist movements for failing to fully integrate their approaches to caste and class. He also discusses the limitations of Ambedkar’s approach, emphasizing the need to address both ideological and production relations to dismantle caste effectively.
Book Review of Khairlanji: A Bitter Crop
The book also includes a review of Khairlanji: A Bitter Crop, which examines the 2006 Khairlanji massacre and its aftermath. The author critiques the police response and the broader movement against the carnage. Anand Teltumbde’s analysis of caste struggles is also discussed, highlighting how caste consciousness has evolved and how modern institutions sustain caste oppression.
Teltumbde critiques Bahujanwad politics for failing to bring systemic change and emphasizes that only by developing true class consciousness can caste be annihilated. He also notes the shifting dynamics within caste systems and the emergence of new oppressor-oppressed relationships between Shudras and Dalits.
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*Freelance journalist
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