Annihilation of Castenow tu ath and untruth s untruth —Beddba fol He tha dite not ran asin Dunia Preface to the Second Edition, 1937 -the specch prepa by te fr the Ja-Pat Toda Mandal! of Lore hs bad an-stonshingly warns reception from the lind public fr whora twas primarily tended, The Engh ‘Fone thousand five hundred copies was exhausted within ewo Souths of publication, It hasbeen transated into Guat ed Tae being tated into Marathi, Hind, Pash rd Malyalam. The demand for the Engl rex il contnnes ‘unabated Tost this demand ita become necesuy tose Second edition. Considerations f history and effectiveness ofsppeal hive led me w retain the original fem ofthe esay— ‘namely, the speech form-—alhough [wat asked to rect tin the form of dine marae, ‘To this ction have addad ewe appentices. hae collected. J Appendix the ewo aries writen by Me Gand byway ot view of my speech inthe Haran? an his leer wo Mr Sant Rama member ofthe a-Pat Tose Mandal ‘ith ane ie etd Cae Sag nee ‘ote aed wea free hor wh ke oem tite et ern name In Appendix Mt have printed my wiews a reply to the anvicles of Mr Gandhi colected in Appendix I. Besides Me Gandhi, many others have adversely ercaed my views a1 cexpresied in my speech, But Ihave fle hain king noice of such advere coments, I shoold limi met to Mir Gandhi This have done not becie what he hassai sso weighty 2510 Bere reply, but because to many 2 Hind he isan once, 50 {ret that when he ope i ips iis expect tha she argument ust le and no dog mut bak Bathe word owes much to rebel who would dare to argue {nthe fice ofthe pon adi thae he i ot ile. 1 do rot ct for the ered which every propresivesociery mus give to is eels. al be uuied i uke the Hinds rea that they ate the sick men ofr, and thas cei sickness is causing danger to the bea and happiness of othe nds, BR. AnconaPreface to the Third Edition, 1944 The second edison of this ay appeased in 1997, and was exhausted within vty short period, Anew edition hs been in mand Jog time, wis my atention to recast the exey 02 incorporate ito i another ey of mine called “Castes in India: Their Mechansin, Genesis and Developmen.” which append i the iste ofthe Indian Antique) journal fr May 19172 Bot as I could not find time, and a there very lle prospect of my being able to doo, snd asthe demand fre frm the public is very insitent, I atm content tole this be + mete repent of the sco editon, Tam gl find thats eay bas become so popular, and nop tat ic will seve the puspose or which i was intended BR. Aussoxan 22, Prin Road ‘New Delh 1 December 1944 Prologue (0612 December 1935, seceived he following lecer tom Me ‘Sant Ram, the secretary of the J-Pat Toda Mandelhave een eure om tia many oars Tt a very aot pombe o bak ate without aang the rion soto om which the cage item, i unde” Plewe do explain tat length your eat coven hate my pede fr out aval confreace We onchange ar des to acommndae your convenience, Independent Harb of oi, rt we ie th tere 9 $snzovenar py Cnt Tes fara kaa GON Gaee ayaa teat eet eg ene Db eof ‘stn actos ot teen stanton ee thn beeen ns rowan to teas 137 cs ws cd Ses Cn 935 ye Gora {tata rnp ecg fon ba sie oer the comeence t wll rv doble Lote w purpose We wil ine Hat der of alshader of opin tnd you wl ean opporcuty of gig ourides to ther, “The Mandl is depted out site ere, Me Idea “The JatPat Todake Mandal is, was gen eo understand, an gaaiation of caste-Hinda socal eerie, with the one and nly aim, ame to cade the cae yt from amongst the Hindus Ava tule, donot keto tke ay pt in a movement Which i caried on by cate Hindus. Their atiade twarde foci refirn i xo irene fom mine that 1 ave found it {iit to pill on with them. Indeed, ed cht company quite lancongeial so me on acount of oor dierences of opinion Therefore when the Mandl Firs appeoached me, 1 declined their ivitation t preside. The Mandal, however, would not take a ‘efoal fo n, and ent down one of memes to Bombay C0 press me to accept the invton. In the end Lagred to preside ‘The annual conference wat tobe belé t Lahore, the headquarters ‘of the Mandl, The conference was to meet at Easter, but was subsequently postponed to the mide of May 1936 he seception commie ofthe Mandal has now cancelled the confrenee. The notice of cancion ce long ater y residential addres had been pind, The copes of his aresse now lying with me, As I did not get an opportunity to deliver the ase rom the residence public has not had an opportunity to know may views onthe problems created by the eae sytem, To let the public Know ther, ad also to dispose ofthe printed copes which ying on ey hand, have decided to pu dhe prin copie of the adres in the maket, ‘The accompanying pages contin the text ofthat ares, The public will be earious to know what led to the anclltion of my appointment at the president of the conference. A the stare, 2 dpe are over the riting ofthe sddzes I desired tha the adres shouldbe printed in Bombay. The Mandal wished chet shouldbe printed ia Lahore, onthe grounds of economy. Idd ot agree, and ined upon having i raced in Bombay. Insea of thei ageing tomy proposition, T eecoied after signed by several members ofthe Mans Som which I give the flowing ext {le Hinds i he Pass ae apie your Being tied 0 ths pone The Ja-Pat Task Mandl haben alee to the tetra ccm and he eid cena ee from all quate. AL the Hinds lender song wor being Ba armani MILA frp, Hida Maa)" Malatra 18 waste esctlpa ans Raj Br Golal Chind Naseg, ince fr la sl government, Rap Needs Nah! MLC ec, hive doc ‘hes Eo hip fhe Mand ‘sie al hi the runt fthe ot-Pa Toda Manda he leung figure bring Si. Sint Rar) are deteried to wade theo hice hi bat wend nt ge up he ie of your ‘pendenthip. The Mandal us cared tad ame ‘Under the isumainer becomes your dat to co-opee with the Manda. Oa and you foo augment thie coe wil Bea ms sinctdence of a rk Foren. “We hope you wll hink over the mater do whats pod atsoputy ned sepa 9B4200 St {Bi ea and tay Sere Ca cn oeThis leer puzaled me grey, 1 could not andentand why the Mandal should dslease me, f the ske of ow rupees, in che mater of printing die adres, Secondly. 1 ould toe believe that men like Sir Gokal Chand Narang fe really sengned ae + protett against my selection = present, because I had reesived the following lte from Sit Gokal Chand himelt: SMragemery Rou, Lahore 7eesay 136 Dear Doctor Aad, 1am iat co let fi he workers of the Ja-Pat Iida Te wl ier machete iy ay with whe yeu are at Labor ‘Whatever be the th id aot yet this pres, But fen when the Mandal found thi I was ining upon having my ates prined in Bombay. instead of agreing {0 my proposal the Mandal sat me a wite tat they were sending Me Har Bhagwan! to Boaay total over mates “sn escent fn abo oars Hy ed penal” Me Har Bhagwan came to Bombay on the Dt of Api When Yet Me Ue Dhagvan, 1 fund dat Ihe had noting to say searing the se. Inded he was so unconcerned rotting the piting of the addres vets shoul be priced in Bombay on Labore—that hedidnot even mention iin te eure of ou conseraton ‘Al hat he was anxious for wast know the contents ofthe adres. as then convinced cha getting the tebnes pried in Labore, the main object ofthe Mania teas noe to fave money Bat gota he coments oF the dre. [gave htm a copy, He did ot el very happy with Some parts oft, He retured to Lahore, From Lahore, he ‘rot to me the fllowing leer Laie, 1 Api 936 My dear Doctor Sabb, Since my atl owe Bombay, on the 20,1 Rae been fre or its which wre pnt in he rin Resinwheter ould be enh by hin for ring ine the 25h Ta any ae wold tea wide py nd we bathe esponity dosnt om he Mal. Tepe tn dhe measime Kindy seep yeni thank or the Kinde shown wo me nd the get pin taken by Accordingly 1 handed over my manuscript ro the prints with aa oder ro prin thousand copies. Fight days later I received another leer fom Me Har Bhagvan ‘which I eprodace below: Lindy accep ur than. Inacondnce wth your dee, vee hive gun psiponed ob conference, at Sel th tery dyin the Pun nthe ri of May wold be By ow and te stings nthe yin would not ou be wo do all we ant ake ting a comfortable SS posbl eis bel inthe mile of May ing your eclrtion om the sje of change‘olf me hati wat undoutely oui th scope a the yo ase met hat the in pon of yout pean hake wer one oh ich grap that you wanted 9 a1 On rect of che tecond fxament of your non me ave been taken Ursrpa, teat would make 0 eng tha we Meas very ew people would adhe whale at Bess ha hat wae your near Hin. You ase ao nccesly stacked he moray ad emnatiene of the Ved an ache egos books of the Hind, ad hove at lng de apo the tech ie of Hinds ns wich absltely no connection withthe been very plese if you bd coined your ade tha porn give toe, ce ifan ston ws necemay, se waald have been ited to wht you bad water 101, Wh Te rewards tod ply Brin, et. The lt porn which das wih ee wou there uly request you om behalf of the people reponse for the cone to Fave fou he poses fered te above aloe the adres Beinsm, We doubthe wie ofmating the roto Be under your bn fr remdling he ind Fein. Myo bad side to pe togherpresons of Your ck, Fea are you hope other weal! have Frined your amy often fom the Pani Tr fast, we thought yoo would ew 2 edi he tesecton ofthe evil of is} caste syste, pecially secagthen oo andy i Taking yore a elem the arte ello. but Arlt of the nae made by you, when repeated, Tet poe, an Bevo hskneyed tee. Une tovwork might caret towards cht end evened (of thei ith nd bn and the elo notions In (se oudovo, Tam sanguine that you weal da eady ‘ops om te Pn ss echan endevout Til be tefl you wl help wa hi acre a ‘we fave alma undengine ch expend sod hoesAvibe—for mo the conference and oad prefer > pospone te de, ahah by ig 0 sl be ing te goodwl of the people Beas of the pei pniponemens We shoal howe kk opin ou ht onder ate onthe cate stem, whi excel other testieso wen wl pune be able eg 10 1 9 Weal be wernt to you fn be Thanking yo tery much for you kind and wih am you ice, “To this eter ot he following reply am mn eept of our leer ofthe 204 Ape nace ids eget et he rceton corte ofthe Ja Pat In reply 1 avec nfm ou ht Lalo would pete to have the coneece anceld do nei o we ‘ago terms the Mandl ite! upon having ke my deci. Bat Tear ge op the ake of she honow of presiding over he confancey"the ity ‘ata brea anus Oana faear 8 Ke oe he day which very pent owe he oneence ove wich be ese 0 iets kad whieh he shinks ig ra groper The nae one of penile, sd fel Tse do thing to opoesie i a9 wy. them. In de fe pce moe dipel be notion ht he views coed nha arto he aes to which the Manas epi Me St Ram, aa Beat on bs bee en by Se comaitesvecmse {the el mead of breaking wp the ote ster ‘ings te dey the Te sn pone: to ths tha hong Lough 0 elon in ny sess what 7 ad stam snence a yt ohn You amos tnd he nig Say ht woe i a of ny ables no matey bce Tle daae odo (wet eee bout ha finally nese t comple dhe argument. 1 fm anced fo tad tat you chante he poren of fn ofthe pan You wil allow we wy at as» ‘hatte porn objet oe ot aly mat eran btmost portant pao he aes that have died he way nd mean f braking up the Bur you cue tain an aon wich dea wth he eben of cate nor open canbe doped to ds how ease ‘Your other compat rae: o she length of the ses have pleaded iy tothe change on the des avelown tha opm Iho planned o wre shock oft datonte thse twas the Manda which asked ‘net deal wih the bjt exbatiey and twas the oien esed inthe corroeny betweon the Malan is opponens, nd which the Mandal found diel to of the Mandl nei repos tt he ade ba row ‘ad are yoo wl ape ha he al especng tbe caste Bate apoken ofthe deacon of the Hind teligon I shughe wi only fost who were fal ‘wor Bale shouldbe ny misagpshenonin he ‘mins ofthe people, Fev ken yes puto explain ‘wha ean by slg and desontion ofl, Lam "You wll ace shat {me never accepted to be teed in any ay in he preperation of ade, a the question wo wha the ade solo hold nat {eect eps in he nie sch views el 0 the subject ned wot you came to Bombay onthe th ‘Apt the Mana di ot knoe wht wor of ales {as preputng fe was wen you came o Bombay that the ables. Beye s psig erence ofan niet Character where sy eat “am sorry Twill ate he, le thave i othing soot he ajc in ny aes ‘When Tee yo sje ever eo sucha psig aed 0 ‘ange tab the Depeued Clave? yn a hk fost ll yu th Tata oy response fr suc seeing eas pet Tt sje ny fh itace en the pt ofthe expo one, Thee isto difrence im saben been the o1gh drt Jeter ofthe 1, athe leat on which devin nice cosununised fo te 8 your leet tule dat. The des ethers The nly ditxene 1 tat they have been work ea in ree deta in her we anythin tes, you oa is sd oon the 18th Ba oa nr. On the con, you sed me eo pent off 1,00 copes, leaving me the bent seep ot ne te ver opis printed, which or ow ying with me, ig es Inter you write to say that you abject ta the addees a Att ift isnot ameoed be conference wl be canceled ‘You cup to ave known tha tee was no ope ny skerton Being made nthe ade ld you when You xpesed inthe ate wa eaiely tine, and if they vere nt key he enfece Tween ifthe conference pone resition condemning them ‘So mais wast elev your Man om having 0 Sha dered Rave my ne Snugucl ste ad noo 4 preset lds, a oud are heen ete pice 0 take 3 deo om the tag in the mantic of iting bas been of out commit, cul are been rd ise odo wth the decom your commie hive ‘Confcace held a Amritsar ba ha god desl oo with the decom of the commie, Nocing ee cn ‘Sisco epi the se vec sbowa bythe Commitee beveen the lth nd the 228 Ape. ra toe however, plang hi ontotery a me agus fo cep ny ado ts, dt hank oa or yoar {preitin of the pins have tke che prepa fe aides Ucetinly ve pte by he bof an iatour st ante wen my beh ma aot equal 6 BR Amelie “This correspondence wil discos the reasons which hare led to the cancelation bythe Mandal of my appointment 2s president, and the seaer wil be ta poston to ly the blame where if onghe propery to belong. This is 1 Ielive the fics ime whea the appointment of president's cancelled by eb reception commitee Because i not approve of the views of the president. Buc whaher Hinde. am sory sachs cae aged Dat what and the self-respecting wct of Unioushables, wh “orthodox ellos, aad the ater have no alt naive bet nist upon efor BR. Anarowan Ragnha, Dadar Bombay ie 15 May 1936, Annihilation of Caste ‘An Undelivered Speech, 1936ends, Lamseilly sory forthe members ofthe at-Pat Todak Mandl who have so very kindy invited me to preside over {his conference. Lam sure dey willbe atked many questions for having selected sme a the president. The Maadal will be aie to explain as to why i has imported 4 man from Bombay to preside ove 3 fetion which ie held is Lahore "haley the Mandal could exiy have found someone beter, ulifed than myself to preside on the occasion. I have Crt the Hindus. ave questioned the autorty ofthe ‘Matas whom they revere. Tey bate nie, To thers Lam 3 snake in thei garden. The Mandal wil no doubt be asked by ically minded Finds o explain why thas alld me toil this pce of honour. isan ac of great daring! hall not be surprised some pola Hinds yard itasan insu This selection of mine eerily cannes plese the ordinary‘The Mandal therefore knows fom whors 2 Hing should: ‘ake his leone and foun wom he shuld not. The sass lo not permit a Hind to accept anyone as his gra merely because ee wel versed. Thirinide very clearby Ramda” 2 Brahmin saint from Mahara, who i alleged to awe inspire Shiva to esablsh 4 Hinds Raj. In his Dash 3 as ay ow or rao eal be socio-polico-teligions ease in Marathi verse, Ramdas dik, addzessing the Hindus, can we acept an ante to be our goru becuse he is a panic (Le, karned? He gives an answer in the negative 13 What replies o give to these questions i mater which 1 pat eave tothe Mandal, The Mandal knows beth eons Which ed to rave to Bombay to soe president, to fi spon a man vo repugnant tothe Hinds, and 9 decend dow in the sede a to select a antyase—an Untouchable—0 dre a audince ofthe svaraa® As for msl, you wll Allow me to say that U ave accepted the ination much inst my will and sho aguose che will of many of my flow Untouchables. Tkaow thi the Hinds are ik of me Teaow that 2 a0 penn gate with chr. Keowing all his, Tha delerately kept myselfaway fom them. T have to desire to infict melf upon them, I have been giving fexprenion tomy views Goun ay own platform, This has slreny cane a great deal of earthen and eration 1 ave no desire to ascend the platform of the Hindus, do within their sight what Ihave been doing within this hearing. IF am re Kb Because of your choice and not 2 atari fhe td aecause has lay made an appeal tome, an itis case of this that 18 | ought not sefase an epportaniy of bling dhe caase—espeilly when you think tht an help it, Whether what Lam going oy today wal lp you in any way to save the problem you are rapping ith, for yout judge. AL hope todo isto pice before you my vews onthe problem, 2 a1 “The path afc efor, ike the pith o heaven at any ne fn Tia), is srown with many dficoles. Socal efoem Inia hat few frends and many cries. The critic fill nto fo dint castes. One cat conists of political rfrmer, andthe oer ofthe soils, 22 Je was atone time recogited that witbou sacl eceney.? ro permanent progres it the other lds of activity was ee rh cee ye tn, ei ‘ney wars wn ha gan ne fed ens owes tha oming to anicief wrought by evi customs, Hinds society war not tm 2 ste of eceney, and that ceascles efforts mst be made ro eradicate these eit ie svat die tothe recogition of his Fact thatthe Beth af de National Congses was accompanied by the foundation ofthe Social Confrence! While dhe Congets wae concerned with et ‘country, the Svial Confrence wat engaged in removing the he weak pins in the piel ongaitaton of he ‘weak point in the social orgniaion of Hind society. For some tnt the Congress and the Conference worked a5 e0 ‘wings of ene comasion actiiy, and they eld their annual sesons i he sane pond 23 ae wan the two wings developed eto wo patties 2 ‘political reform part’ and » ial reform party, between ‘whom there raged a Gere controversy: The ‘poiical reform purty” supported the National Congres, and the ‘social reform party’ supported the Social Confrenee, The evo odie chs became rsa hot amps. The poi atte was whether social reform should precede poi reform. Fora ecads the forces wore evenly balanced, and the Bute was Fought without victory to either side, le wat however, evident this the fortunes of the Social CConfecoce were ebbing at. The gentlemen who presided over the esis of the Social Conference lamented dat the majority of the edscared Hindus were for political Advancement and indilent to social reform and chatwhile the number oF those who stended the Congress ws very age, and the number who Gif not attend but who sympathise with ¢ was even larger, the number of thowe ho attended the Social Conference ws very much sale, 25 This indifference flowed by active host fom the plitcans. Under oh leadership of the Into Me Til the couresy with which the Congres llawed the Social Conferen ‘his thinning of es ranke—vas soon pandal as withdrawn, and the sii of nmity went to such 1 pte tha when the Social Conference dested to ee it ‘own pandal, 3 thes to born the pana was beld out by is ‘opponents? Thus i ee coune of ime the party i favour of polisal reform won and the Social Conference vanished and wis forgotten. The speech delivered by Me WIC, Bonnejeo in 1892 at ¥ Allahabad, as present of dhe eighth seston ofthe Congres, sounds ike a funeral omtion on the death of the Social Confrence, andi 0 typical ofthe Congres stitde that £ si sot fom ete flowing exc, Me Dar terwees te ew, fur gisre gen in mtrige eater than in ther courte? Teens ou wives and daughes do ot deve about wath us ‘ting our fens. bree we do ot sen or Ganges (Oxfont and Camb? (Cheers fom the aience en 1 have sated the cae for political reform as put by Mr Bonners. vietory went to the Congres But thore who belive in There were many who were happy dat the the Importance of socal seem may ak, is an angueat such a thar of Me BonnejcefnaP Does i prove thatthe victory went so thove who were in the righ? Dest prove conclusively that soil reform hat no bearing on plied ‘efor? wil help usr understand the materi tae ehe othe side ofthe case. I wil des opon the erestmet ofthe Unvouchabes for my ft ‘Uader these ofthe Pesos i the Marth county. the oes fv reenter fryeUntouchable was not allowed to we the public vse i Hinds was coming song. lt be should ollte the Hinds by hisshadow. The Untouchable wat required o have a lick thread either on is writ or around is neck, 363 gg or sackto preven the Hinds fom geting themselves pled by his touch by mistake. kn Poona, the capital ofthe Pes, ‘he Unsouchable wat equired to cary trun fom bis wae, broom eo sve say from behind himelf he dat het on, est Hindu walking on the sme dist shold be palate In Poona, the Unechable wat requite to cacry an eaten pothung sound hisneck wherever he went—for holding hie ‘pit les is pic allng on che eat shoul pllte 3 Hinds ‘who might unknowingly haypen to ted on it 29 ‘Let me take more recent fic. The tyranny practised by the Hinds upotthe Bali, an Untouchable community in Genta diz, wll serve my purpose. You wall fod a report af thi inthe Tier of a of 4th Jney 1928, The corgspgndene ofthe Time of Ide epote that high-caste Hiedar—vie, Kalots, Rajputs and. Brahmin, indading the Patel sed Parwars of the villgss of Kenai, Bich api, Bchol-Mandam, snd shout fiien other villages in Indore dsc (of Indore State) informed the Baki of ir respective viages thats they wished to Ive among them they mut conform othe flowing rales: fee soemanter met ef Un” Mir as oy Ct raves ofthe dened —nomaterbow fea hee ties, es Hala moe play mse bere the (Bala women mt at al ceo confine of Hind 1 Bas mst ender rv witout demanding emanation, and mat cg whatever «Hinds lensed give 8 Ibe Bab do noe are to aie by these rms they mast acu othe vile, 240 The Bult efsed to comply; and che Hindu element proceeded agoinst them. Balas were not allowed to get water fiom the vlog wll; they wore noe allowed to let thee nile giz, Balai were prohibited from pasing throogh Tand owned by a Hinds, so that i the feld of «Bala war sucrounded by fells owned by Hindus, the Balai could have no ect 0 his own fed, The Hinds ako let eheir catle graze down the fields of Baie, The Bast scnited ‘bt a petions to the Datbc” against thee perscuto they could get no ime relief, and the oppresin continued hundreds of alas with her wives and children were obliged to shandoa chee hnes~in which their ancestors ad iedfor generations—and to migrate to ain ¢ovillagesin Dhar, Dewas, Bagh, Bhopal Gwalior and other ses What happened to them in ther new homes may foe the present be Eft out of ur consideration. ‘The incident at Kavitha Guest happened ony las yea. ‘The Hindus of Kavitha ordered the Untouchables not to insist upon sendingacit children to the common wilge school maintiaed by the government. What safecings the Untouchables of Kavitha had to undergo, for ding to exes «civic ght agin the wits of the Hinds, to wall known to need deed description, Another instance ‘occurred ia the wile of Zan, inthe Ahmedabad dence of Gojane. In November 1935 some Untouchable women of ‘well-to-do families eared Gtching wate in meal ots, The Hindus looked pon the eof metal pos by Untouchables 2 a affont to thee digi, and ated the Untouchable ‘women for thei mpudence. Seca ascsencee tara neato, a ‘A moat cent evens ported from he village of Chakwars in Jupuraate, Ie sem fromthe report that have appeared in the newspapers that an Untouchable of Chakwars who tad returned from pilgrimage had arranged t9 give inne t his fellow Ustouchibler ofthe vilge at a act of religious pry. The host desited to tress che gues to sumpéuous meal, andthe tems serve incled ghee (baer) tho, But while the aserbly of Untouchables was engaged in partaking of the food the Hindus ia this hundseds, emed vith Inti, cashed to the scene, despoiled the food, and bsahoured the Untouchables whole the food, sn rn! for ‘hei ves, And why war ths murderous assaule commited ‘on defence Untouchable? The reason given tha che Untouchable ost was impudent enous to ere ghee, and his Untouchable gues were folsh enough to taste it Ghoe ie undonbeedly& haxury & ‘ink the conampion of ghee war a mak of high social samt. The Hindss of Chakwara thought otherwite, and fn righteous indignation avenged threes forthe wron done to them by the Untosckables, who isuted chem by treating ghee as am itn of thee food—which they ought the rsh, But noone woald to have known could not be therr—consitealy with dhe dignity ofthe Hind. This means that an Uncouchable must ‘ot wie ghee, even if he can afar to bay i since wis a act ‘of arrogince towards the Hindus. This hippened on or about the it of Api 19860"