I have read through ‘Marx on Caste’
which you suggest, and started on ‘Buddha is not Enough, Ambedkar is not
enough either, Marx is a Must’. I am enjoying reading it. It is good
knockabout stuff in its criticisms of Ambedkar which seem mostly fair. The one
I am not sure about is her criticism of Ambedkars analysis of Sati.
He explained this as arising from the
attempt by the Brahmins to mainatain endogamy. Widows, as surplus women, he
claimed, would have endangered this by potentially marrying into other casts,
there being no men of their own caste available to marry. Ranganayakamma
replies ‘what about the surplus men’, could the widows not have
married widowers?
I don’t think this is an altogether
valid criticism of Ambedkar since male life expectancy being less than female
life expectancy, society tends to have more widows than widowers. One also has
to take into account the statistical effect of living in small village
communities. In such communities the likelihood of surplus men and surplus
women balancing, even with equal life expectancies would be rare. Some
communities would have more Brahmin widowers some would have more widows. But
even if we grant that Ambedkar had identified a real problem for the upper
castes, Sati would not have been the only institution that could have been
arrived at to maintain endogamy: tolerance of polygamy and polyandry would also
deal with the occurrences of surpluses of men or women of a particular cast.
From: OPE-L [mailto:OPE-L@SUS.CSUCHICO.EDU]
On Behalf Of B.R.Bapuji
Sent: 14 February 2007 15:11
To: OPE-L@SUS.CSUCHICO.EDU
Subject: Re: [OPE-L] Caste system
May I suggest two more references relating to 'Caste question'?
One is a book and another an article. Both are by Ranganayakamma and I
did the translation (into Indian English).
FOR THE SOLUTION OF THE 'CASTE' QUESTION, BUDDHA IS NOT ENOUGH,
AMBEDKAR IS NOT ENOUGH EITHER, MARX IS A MUST! This is an English translation
of Ranganayakamma's Telugu book which underwent five editions so far and is
ready to go for sixth print since 2000. [The English version is in paper back,
pages 421, price:$10. postage free.]
MARX ON CASTE. This is also a translation of a Telugu article which
Ranganayakamma wrote and appended to the Telugu version of her book. The
English version of the article is available in the website www.ranganayakamma.org
You have to look under 'Articles'.
This is for information of those who might be interested in the caste question.
Paul C:
The above is a links page for sources on caste, including struggles
against caste, in India
and elsewhere. Includes both Marxian and
non-Marxian sources.
In solidarity, Jerry
B.R.Bapuji, Professor,
Centre for Applied Linguistics & Translation Studies,
University of Hyderabad,
Central University post office,
HYDERABAD-500 046. (Phone:91-40-23133650 or 23010161).
Residence address:
76, Lake-side Colony, [End of Road opposite to Madapur Police Station],Jubilee
Hills post, Hyderabad-500033.
(Phone: 91-40-23117302)
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