Anti-Brahmanism and Dr Ambedkar

Abstract

In order to evaluate the work of Ambedkar and its consequences in the redesignation of some three million former Untouchables as Buddhists it is necessary to say something about the condition of that element in Indian society who are nowadays designated ‘Scheduled Castes’. The term Scheduled Castes identifies the lower strata of Hindu society. Various other names have been used for these groups, such as Outcastes, Pariahs, Namasudras and so on. They were known during the period of British rule as Depressed Classes, until in 1935 the term Scheduled Castes was adopted instead. Gandhi invented for them the name Harijan, literally ‘God’s people’, but many of them dislike this because of its secondary meaning, that is, ‘child of the temple of God’ or child of a sacred prostitute, one whose father is not known and is therefore called ‘God’s child’. They therefore prefer the term Untouchable, which emphasises their oppressed condition. Under the Constitution of the Republic of India drawn up in 1949 after Independence, they were made ex-Untouchables,¹ in the sense that Untouchability was no longer a recognised status in the new India. Strictly the word ‘Untouchable’ refers to the ritual pollution which stigmatises them in the eyes of orthodox caste Hindus, but the criteria of pollution vary from place to place.