Exploring the Contemporary Relevance of B.R. Ambedkar’s The Annihilation of Caste

Abstract

The Indian caste system, deeply embedded in ancient hierarchical traditions and legitimized by religious texts, has functioned for centuries as a rigid mechanism of exclusion and inequality. Although the Indian Constitution enshrines principles of equality and social justice, caste-based oppression—especially against Dalits and other historically marginalized groups—persists across various sectors of society. In response to this entrenched injustice, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar authored his groundbreaking 1936 text Annihilation of Caste, in which he offers a bold critique of caste as a religious, social, and moral construct. Even in present-day India, Ambedkar's arguments remain profoundly relevant. Contemporary challenges such as caste-motivated violence, inequity within academia, limited representation in the corporate world, and widespread societal discrimination reflect the unfinished nature of Ambedkar’s emancipatory project.