Anand Teltumbde Books

While the caste system has been formally abolished under the Indian Constitution, according to official statistics, every eighteen minutes a crime is committed on a dalit. The gouging out of eyes, the hacking off of limbs and being burned alive or stoned to death are routine in the atrocities perpetrated against India's 170 million dalits. What drives people to commit such inhuman crimes? The Persistence of Caste uses the shocking case of Khairlanji, the brutal murder of four members of a dalit family in 2006, to explode the myth that caste no longer matters. Analyzing context and crime, it seeks to locate this event in the political economy of the development process India has followed after Independence. Teltumbde demonstrates how caste has shown amazing resilience—surviving feudalism, capitalist industrialization and a republican Constitution—to still be alive and well today, despite all denial, under neoliberal globalization.

The book offers an in-depth exploration of the 1927 Mahad conferences, pivotal events that ignited the Dalit movement led by Babasaheb Ambedkar. Utilizing a wealth of archival materials and diverse sources, it presents a detailed narrative that sheds light on the historical significance and impact of these gatherings. The work aims to make this crucial chapter in social reform accessible to a broader English-speaking audience, highlighting the struggles and aspirations of the Dalit community.

Exploring the journey of Dalits in India, this book traces their origins within the caste system to contemporary issues. The new edition features an additional chapter that delves into the rise of Hindutva, examining its impact on state control and the resulting dynamics affecting Dalits today. This comprehensive introduction provides valuable insights into the historical and social contexts surrounding this marginalized community.