Call for Papers for the Special Issue on Annihilation of Caste

B. R. Ambedkar’s Annihilation of Caste (AoC) has been described by Anand Teltumbde as the Communist Manifesto of “caste India.” Unfortunately, however, there is a dearth of critical readings on this text. The upcoming special issue of All About Ambedkar: A Journal on Theory and Praxis aims to address this lacuna. The objective is to inspire renewed engagements with Ambedkar’s classic. The special issue will be co-edited by Dr Sanjiv Kondekar and Dr Mahitosh Mandal and is scheduled to be published in December 2023.

The potential contributors to the special issue are required to write original research papers on ANY aspect of Annihilation of Caste. We are mainly looking for synchronic analyses (focused solely on the text of Annihilation of Caste); however, as and where necessary, diachronic intertextual readings too are welcome. Topics for study include but are NOT limited to the following.

1. Critiquing Ambedkar’s overall strategy of “annihilation” of caste
2. Publication history of AoC
3. Epistolary elements in AoC
4. Oratorical style in AoC
5. Ambedkar’s views on social, political and economic reforms
6. Ambedkar’s analysis of the caste system
7. Ambedkar’s critique of Chaturvarnya
8. Ambedkar’s conception of an ideal society
9. Ambedkar’s critique of the Hindu religion, the Shashtras and Brahmanical literature
10. The Ambedkar-Gandhi debate as included in AoC

Key information for prospective authors:

1. Abstract (with a title & four keywords): 150-200 words
2. Word limit of full papers (including citations): 5000-7000 words 
3. Style of citation: MLA 8th edition (Sample citation instructions are available at Purdue Online Writing Lab.) 
4. All submissions have to be drafted as per the Formatting Rules of AAA.
5. Deadline for submission of full papers: 15 July 2023
6. Email your submissions to ambedkarintouch@gmail.com.