The Doctor and the Saint: Caste, Race, and Annihilation of Caste, the Debate Between B.R. Ambedkar and M.K. Gandhi Paperback – May 16, 2017

Just in 124 pages, Roy changes our perspective about Hinduism, Ghandi and a lot of events of Indian independence movement as we know it..The book delves deep into the historical oppression of dalits by casteist Hindus, their transformation into political fodder by opportunist political parties during independence movement and how Gandhi(the saint) and Ambedkar (the doctor), end up in a face-off situation with regards to the rights and acceptance of the untouchables of India..Reading Gandhi’s hypocritical, racist , castiest statements in his own words could make us uncomfortable.. makes us question the credibility of history lessons we were taught in schools..reveals deeply embedded insitutionalised forms of discrimination on the basis of caste

Roy’s ability to write difficult truths without flinching, to make connections that damn the halo of the Mahatma is admirable and exhilarating. It is a revolutionary call to overthrow a system of discrimination, even if that system is a religion.

In this 2014 introduction to B R Ambedkar's undelivered 1936 speech, "Annihilation of Caste", Arunhati Roy reveals the shameful treatment of India's untouchables, the Dalits. The famous but forgotten debate on caste between the great soul Gandhi and Ambedkar, drafter of the constitution and champion of the downtrodden, helped to define the era.Roy examines the plight of the outcastes with an economy of words, yet in heart rending detail. Their condition is described from colony to republic, within the framework of religion and politics. Short biographies of Gandhi and Ambedkar are given, as well an analysis of the demographic upheavals that occurred during the partition of Pakistan.For Gandhi, the living saint, an end to caste struck at the heart of Hinduism. His movement did not challenge caste except to condemn untouchability and encourage intermixing. Rights to public water, schools and roads would need to be fought for. Ambedkar's faith lay in separate electorates and reserved appointments for Dalits. Gandhi opposed these with his life.Mass conversions to Islam and other religions resulted from Hindu society's rejection of the outcastes. British rule exacerbated the problem by an institutional reduction of four thousand castes into four. Ambedkar, outcaste and convert, came to view Buddhism as a reaction against the caste system. Gandhi's campaign to embrace the Dalits would greatly stem the tide.This is work is best read alongside the text of the address, and the subsequent debates of Gandhi and Ambedkar. The combined tracts are available in a different edition. If you read one book on the social background of modern India this might be it. There are also good insights into the roles Hindu nationalism and Marxism have played upon the public stage.

Demolishing myths and shining a light on Babasaheb Ambedkar that helps us understand this incredible and complex man and his incredible work. Rescuing Dr. Ambedkar from the dustbins of history, Arundhati writes with erudition, skill and great anger. She is unsparing of all. Not to be missed.

As usual, Aaron. Arundhati Roy writes knowledgeably and clearly about the subject of race and caste and the classic Indian book on the subject.

In only 124 pages, Arundhati Roy completely deconstructs everything you thought you knew about Gandhi, Hinduism, and India.

excellent

How strange to find this book unreviewed and may I infer from this Amazon neglect that it has gone somewhat unnoticed? This has compelled me to write my first review ever because I cannot think of a more relevant book that sheds light on who the real Gandhi was as opposed to the mythologized version of him that we are familiar with and heavily taught about in school. What we find is that the actual Gandhi may not have been propelled by the pristine humanitarian ideals with which we have invested him, but more that he was an apt politician who galloped adroitly on the memes of equality for all and, not only speaking truth to power, but using the steely will of one individual to galvanize a movement to overthrow a hulking colonial power. However, his intention was not to help untouchables or the myriad tribal peoples of India, his motivation was narrowly limited to the liberation of the upper Indian business classes for which the brahminical arm into which he was born supplied the erudite legal teams and court judges. These people had never tasted of humiliation or oppression pre-colonialization, and hence, had the vision and desire to regain their usurped esteemed status. While on the other side, nothing much had changed for Dalits and other lower castes with the arrival of the British, only the surnames of their rulers. To be clear, Gandhi was a great proponent of the caste system, and in no way wished to dismantle it, and Arundhati Roy illustrates this in the book, but he also was aware that he had been branded as a great Mahatma, and used this image freely to his advantage.The wise individual will not want to erase all the positive repercussions from history that Gandhi may have inadvertently provoked or inspired. I will still love seeing the bumpersticker, "Be the change you wish to see in the world," and rejoice over the good intentions of the individual who placed it on their vehicle. But that said, it's valuable to place a microscope on a figure whom we thought we knew in order to suss out the truth of the matter and Roy helps us to do that in her lyrical yet finely researched prose. The Gandhi we knew was one who had been repackaged for western consumption. This book takes also us bravely into the larger contextualization of Indian history and culture, for which most of us, have been largely clueless beyond the realities of yoga studios and bright mango lassies, allowing us to see the bigger picture in order to make finer sense of the complexity of this narrative.While the realization that the Gandhi we knew and loved is not the Gandhi who walked the earth may conjure resistance and bring on waves of sorrow, once the film is torn from the surface of our eyes, the world will be that much brighter. For some perhaps too bright, there is always the threat of imminent blindness in such situations. And that I believe is the culprit behind why this book has been sitting unreviewed for too long, the knowledge that we don't want to hear this story because it contradicts the mythologized version that we have been raised with.And the final wonder of the book is learning about Dr. Ambekar, born Dalit, who became a true champion of his untouchable caste. Because he lacked the marketing powers of his contemporary, we have failed to hear about him. He may after final review be the doctor and the saint in one, the hero we were searching for after all, and the one we embraced previously may have been a decoy all along.