Session 2#

Anti-caste movements, their demands, Reservations#

In this session, we will dig into what anti caste struggles have taken place in India post independence. We will also look critically at Reservation policies, their impact, and their future.

Questions#

• What are some anti-caste struggles that have taken place in independent India?
• What have their demands been?
• Why does Reservation specifically get a disproportionate amount of backlash?

Required Reading#

• Dalit Panthers Manifesto

• Bridging the Unholy Rift - Teltumbde, Anand

• Prejudice against Reservation Policies - How and Why? - Thorat, Sukhadeo et. al.

• Ambedkar, Ambedkarites, Ambedkarism - Teltumbde, Anand

• Three Paths to Liberation: Marx, Ambedkar, Periyar… - Chandran, Pon

• … supplementary readings will follow.

Session 1#

What is Caste?#

In this session, we will try and dig into what Caste means.

Questions#

• How is caste defined?
• How was it historically constructed?
• How does it persist in modern India?
• Does caste persist in Muslim and Christian communities?

Suggested Reading#

• Castes in India - Dr. B.R Ambedkar - BAWS
• Waiting for a Visa - Dr. B.R. Ambedkar - BAWS
• The Birth of Caste - Guha, S. (2013). “The Birth of Caste”. In Beyond Caste. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004254855_003
• Caste in 21st century India: Competing Narratives - Desai S, Dubey A. Caste in 21st Century India: Competing Narratives. Econ Polit Wkly. 2012 Mar 12;46(11):40-49. PMID: 22736803; PMCID: PMC3379882.
• Does Untouchability exist among Muslims? - Prashant K Trivedi, Srinivas Goli, Fahimuddin, Surinder Kumar - Source Economic & Political Weekly Vol LI NO 15
• The Church Divided: The Operation of Caste in Indian Christianity - Diwakar Rao Jilla (2025) - The Ambedkarian Chronicle
• Bhimayana
• Caste in Contemporary India - Jodhka, Surinder S.
• Caste (Oxford India Short Introductions) - Jodhka, Surinder S.
• The Caste Question in India - Ghandy, Anuradha
• Conceptualising Brahmanical Patriarchy in Early India: Gender, Caste, Class and State. - Chakravarti, Uma. 1993. Economic and Political Weekly 28 (14): 579–585.
• Contextualising Backward Classes Discourse - Aloysius, G. (2021)

Videos#

Understanding Caste in India (Jati & Varna) - Rohan Davis - YouTube