In 1936 the Jat-Pat Todak Mandal of Lahore, a Hindu reform group, invited Dr B. R. Ambedkar to deliver its annual address. When the organisers read his text, they asked him to remove passages attacking the Hindu scriptures; he refused, the conference was cancelled, and Ambedkar published the speech himself as "Annihilation of Caste".
Key arguments
- Caste is not a division of labour but a division of labourers, graded one above another, which destroys public spirit and makes a common national life impossible.
- Political reform cannot come before social reform: a society divided by caste cannot sustain democracy.
- Caste survives because it is sanctioned by the scriptures; reformers who leave that authority untouched cannot succeed.
- Inter-caste marriage and the rejection of scriptural authority are the real remedies; a religion worth keeping must rest on liberty, equality and fraternity.
The debate with Gandhi
Gandhi replied in his journal Harijan, defending varna as an ideal while condemning untouchability and caste discrimination; Ambedkar answered him in later editions. The exchange remains a classic debate on whether Hinduism can be reformed from within. The text is widely read today across the political spectrum, and often cited by those who argue that caste discrimination must still be confronted directly.
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Frequently asked questions
Why was Annihilation of Caste never delivered as a speech?
The organisers, the Jat-Pat Todak Mandal, asked Ambedkar to remove passages criticising the Hindu scriptures; he refused, and the conference was cancelled.
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Read nextHindu Rashtra Darshan (1949) — Savarkar's Mahasabha AddressesSources & copyright status
- B. R. Ambedkar, Annihilation of Caste (1936) — public domain in India
- M. K. Gandhi, articles in Harijan (July 1936) — public domain
- Historical facts: not subject to copyright.
- Commentary and translations on this page: original to The Hindu Book. © The Hindu Book, all rights reserved.
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