Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Caste census

Sir, — Andre Betteille in his article `Caste and colonial rule' (March 4) has raised a valid issue in analysing the role of colonialism and social transformation. The Indian communist intelligentsia have surprisingly not looked at the social contradictions in pre-colonial India. They did not want to use the concept of Brahminism and analyse Indian history from the caste point of view. Their understanding of the colonial period remained unmarxist. If colonial rulers were not have to introduced anti-caste reforms it would have been impossible for Phule, Periyar and Ambedkar to put through the social democratic agenda with such force and vision. At least now the communist scholars must review their epistemology of understanding colonialism.

But I do not see why Betteille sees taking caste census as a process of aiding and abetting casteism. To abolish caste it is important to take caste census in order to tell the masses as to how caste divisions have fragmented the society and how assets, both landed and industrial, are locked within a few communities. We need to take caste census to save the society both from caste oppression and economic exploitation.

Kancha Ilaiah,
Hyderabad

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• Cold-shouldering peace
• Kerala's financial conundrum
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• A balancing act
• Limit to freedom
• Not convincing
• Caste census
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