Book Release of ‘UNCASTE’, subtitled as ‘Understanding Unmarriageability: The Way Forward To Annihilate Caste’- – A.B. Karl Marx Siddhartha
Unmarriageability noun
- (in India in the present) the practice of not marrying outside one’s caste
- refers to the caste-based endogamous practice
- a form of discrimination widely considered as a custom within the Hindu society
Unmarriageables noun
often Unmarriageable
- (in India in the present) a member of a Hindu social class (or caste) commonly referred to as Dalits that was considered by other classes to be the lowest
Is this a promotional article? Affirmative. But my concern being the author is not to promote the book or myself. Rather, the desire is to centre stage the stigma of Unmarriageability thereby challenging the intellectual acumen of the Sociologists and Scholars in rightly studying the system of Caste.
My intention is to compel the academicians to enter into the bloated vacuum of Unmarriageability that they have so far bypassed in their study and also to coerce the law-makers to bring in the abolition of caste into the Indian Constitution.
How ‘UNCASTE’ Should Be Construed
By coining the term ‘Unmarriageability’, what is my motive? What am I expounding? This book should never be understood as a prescription for exogamy over endogamy by the Unmarriageables (the Dalits) in their desire to assimilate within the Hindu society. None of the words in this book and the meaning they carry are meant in that way. Nor should they be understood in that connotation.
Through the concept of Unmarriageability, I intend to make two distinct and direct appeals to the Unmarriageables and the caste Hindus:
To the Unmarriageables by indicating the stigma of Unmarriageability, I try to light their consciousness that they are never a part of the Hindu society and in fact form a separate element in the national life. The Unmarriageables should construe the stigma of Unmarriageability purely as a strategic spearhead to enlighten themselves to denounce Hindu religion and embrace Buddhism. This should be their primary concern.
Apart from this, they should realise that the concept of Unmarriageability provides strong rationale against anti-reservation endeavours, questioning the conscience of young generation remaining dormant to the caste prejudices, and laying out the path to annihilate caste. The Unmarriageables should resist the caste Hindus by bringing Constitutional amendment to abolish caste and banning the caste matrimonies- thereby centre-staging the stigma of Unmarriageability prevalent within the Hindu society.
In any way, if my reiteration to amend the Constitution to include the abolition of caste appears to be utopian to anyone, it does not undermine my arguments. Rather what we are reminded of is the dystopian state in which we are living at present that makes us even to think of the abolition of caste as a utopian or fairy tale concept.
My appeal to the caste Hindus via the stigma of Unmarriageability is if at all there is any intention among them to reform the Hindu religion- socially and religiously, it can be done only through the superposition of exogamy over endogamy. This would be a hard task for them to initiate and even harder to have their thoughts inclined in that direction. They should undo what they have done for centuries.
The caste system is eternal because endogamy has made it to be so and if the caste Hindus do not wish the Hindu society to remain rotten for eternity, they should superimpose exogamy over endogamy and purge the stigma of Unmarriageability. Definitely, this prescription would be indigestible to them. But if they no longer wish to remain as sunken humanity, they must realise this as the ‘only’ right prescription that they have to choose.
Having said this much about the purpose of the book, there is an altogether different question that I would like to entertain briefly- Does the term ‘Unmarriageables’ and the concept of Unmarriageability intended to infuse inferiority complex among the Depressed classes in any manner? The readers would independently answer the question in negative if they grasp the purpose of the book that I have aforesaid. Also, each and every idea expounded in this book negates the necessity of such a question to arise.
However, I can completely understand why such a question could arise. Though I have presented the stigma of Unmarriageability from the standpoint of Unmarriageables, this entire book is a critique of the caste Hindus and their Brahminical Hindu society. As each caste unit is endogamous i.e. the members of each caste being Unmarriageables to the rest of the castes, it is up to the caste Hindus to continue embracing it as a practice or realise it as a stigma and shun it.
Also, I do not wish to ignore this question on account of being an outcome of shallow understanding. Because, the question, if wrongly answered, has enough potential to reduce the authenticity and the noble intentions of my book itself. It is for this reason I have included ‘The Unmarriageables- Why the Name is Essential?’ as chapter 3 in this book. The readers would find that the book can survive without this chapter yet I have taken the trouble to intrude into the dialectical construction of the book by inserting this chapter only to nip in the bud the criticism of infusing inferiority complex among the Depressed classes via the term ‘Unmarriageables’ and the concept of Unmarriageability.
The ultimate fight of the Unmarriageables should be the fight against Unmarriageability. But the purpose behind it should never be to make themselves marriageables. Rather, the motive should be explicit and clear- to denounce Hinduism. It is in this inclination I am pronouncing the fight against Unmarriageability as the spearhead against the caste system.
There might be challenges in embracing Buddhism but the Unmarriageables should not forget that the social reform of prescribing exogamy to the Hindu society will be seen by the Hindus only as an unacceptable and ludicrous endeavour. Instead of trying to reform the endogamous Hindu society, the Unmarriageables must realise that the path to Buddhism would unfold a silent revolution among them. Embracing Buddhism is a lot easier than achieving exogamy.
The foundation and inspiration for this book are undoubtedly BAWS (Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Writings And Speeches). The beginning chapter which solely consists of his writings is intended to familiarize anyone with the right understanding about the subject of the caste system and the Hindu society before introducing to her or him the concept of Unmarriageability. The works of Dr Ambedkar reproduced throughout the book is fondly highlighted in Italics to gather the attention of readers.
At ample places in the book, I have made repetitions to bring in emphasis which might bother the intellectuals and scholars but much required for the masses and reformers who are my constant concern in the process of crafting a positive social change.
The stigma of Unmarriageability offers wide scope for the feminist thinkers to ponder upon. This book is an invitation to them to explore the subject further.
A.B.Karl Marx Siddhartha.