INVITATION

FourthArvindMemorialSeminar
TheCasteQuestionandMarxism
1216March,2013 Chandigarh

Organisedby:

Arvind Memorial Trust

Lucknow
Dearfriend, In memory of our dearest Com. Arvind, who left us on 24 July 2008, we are organizing the FourthArvindMemorialSeminarinChandigarhthistime. Com. Arvind was a brilliant and energetic fighter of the workers movement, cultural movement and movement for alternative peoples media in India. Following the untimely demise ofthisyoungcomradeofourswehaddecidedtoorganiseaseminarinhismemoryeveryyearon a burning and challenging problem or question of Indian revolution. The first (oneday) and second (threeday) seminars were held in July 2009 and July 2010 in Delhi and Gorakhpur respectively.Boththeseseminarsfocusedontheorientation,prospects,problemsandchallenges of working class movement in India in the age of globalization. The Third threeday seminar (July 2011) was held in Lucknow and focused on the condition, orientation, problems, challenges and prospectsofthedemocraticrightsandcivillibertiesmovementinIndia. Afterthesethreesuccessfulseminars,weareorganisingtheFourthArvindMemorialSeminar between 1216 March 2013 in Chandigarh on the topic: The Caste Question and Marxism. In viewofthecomprehensivenessofthesubject,itsvariousdimensions,historyofthecontroversies associated with the subject and its complexity, this time we have extended the duration of the

seminar to five days so that there is a detailed as well as satisfactory debate and discussion on eachandeveryaspectofthissubject.Untilnowwehadbeenorganizingtheseminaronthedeath anniversary(24July)ofCom.Arvind.However,fromthistimeonwards,wearegoingtoorganizeit onhisbirthanniversary(12March). The caste question, particularly the Dalit question, is still one such burning question of Indian society, without the process of whose resolution, the class unity of the toiling masses and the success of their emancipatory project cannot be envisaged. Therefore, it becomes imperative for all those who, even today, consider Marxism to be the guiding principle of revolutionary practice in true sense (instead of treating it as a tool of ruminating academic discourse or that of merely vote bank politics) to attempt to form a consummate understanding of each and every aspect of thecastequestion,researchandstudyitanddebateitfromaMarxiststandpoint. There havebeenseminarssymposiums onthis question for a long time now. However,often every aspect of this serious historical question has been settled conclusively in a hence proved fashion through few position papers and brief debates. There has been an absence of serious research and unbiased lengthy debate. On the one hand, there has remained a view of looking at or rejecting the caste question from a mechanical class reductionist standpoint, on the other, an opportunist tendency of reconciling Marxism and AmbedkarismNeoAmbedkarism and shying away from uncomfortable questions has also been present. The scholars belonging to American sociological school have long been rejecting the method of Marxist class analysis in studying the caste question. It is required, even today, to put forth a balanced Marxist critique of such views. In the recent decades, the academic practice of understanding the question of caste and gender throughsundrypostideologiesincludingsubalternstudiesandidentitypoliticshasbeenvery much in vogue. Plenty of critiques of these thoughtstreams have been put forth from diverse Marxist positions, however, a lot needs to be written on the inconsistencies of various post modernist, subaltern interpretations of the caste question, and the tasks of the presenting a balanced critique of the criticism of Marxism advanced by these schools still remains to a large extent. There is no dearth of such Marxist academics who are trying to correct the class reductionist defects by creating a hodgepodge of the method of subaltern studies and identity politics with Marxist methodology. Therefore, a thoroughdebateand discussion on this subject is evenmoreneeded. The first and foremost question is whether the Marxist methodology of dialectical historical analysis and Marxist categories (class, production relations, base, superstructure, etc.) are inadequate or inappropriate to understand Indian social formation and caste question? How should the interrelation of caste and class be viewed? In what way have the Marxist historians explainedthe origin andevolutionary process of caste question? The caste system, right from the times of its origin to the present day, instead of perishing has continuously been in existence, however, instead of existing in situ, inertly, it has been coopted by each subsequent socio economic formation, there has been an articulation between them and it has been reinvigorating itself. The question worth considering as well as worth debating is how Marxism has interpreted this phenomenological process and in what way has this been interpreted by other theoretical positions! The relationship of Ambedkarism with Marxism is often considered an intricate and uncomfortable question. There has been an absence of comprehensive Marxist analysis and critique of Ambedkar and AmbedkariteNeoAmbedkarite positions to a large extent. Usually, the discussions on these have been either cursory or fragmentary. In recent years numerous Marxist scholars and organizations have, without going into an indepth and detailed evaluation of the philosophicalpoliticalsocial positions of both the sides, been making efforts to harmonize Marxism and Ambedkarism in a populist manner. Without a detailed analysis, adverse comments

have beenmadeand charges of economicdeterminism and class reductionism have beenleveled against Marxism from an Ambedkarite position. The need is to analyse Ambedkars philosophical position(hisworldview andmethodology),putforthacritiqueofhisview ofhistory,evaluatehis political position and his economics, analyse his viewpoint on social questions and to see what is hisprojectfortheabolitionofcasteandDalitliberation,andhowlogical,historicalandpracticalit is! There is also a need to present an elaborate analysis of all the criticisms advanced by Ambedkar and Ambedkarites of Marxism. The same method of thorough analysis and criticism should be followed by Ambedkarite and various Dalit thoughtstreams too. Only then a meaningfuldebatecantakeplaceanditwillbepossibletoarriveatcorrectconclusions. It is very important to present a historical analysis and sumup of the theoretical positions andpracticalactivitiesofcommunistmovementoncastequestionandDalitquestion.Whatisthe form and nature of caste question and Dalit question in presentday India, what is the position of various communist revolutionary organizations therein, what is the relation of Dalit liberation or whole of the caste question with the liberation struggle of Indian toiling masses, and what can be the correct, scientific, practical project of the abolition of caste in Indian society this is an important subject of detailed debate and discussion. The aforementioned agenda cannot be fulfilledwithoutunderstandingtheinterrelationsofclassandcastebysituatingthemwithinsocio economicpoliticalperspectiveinhistoricalcontext. During the past decades, the influential political organizations running in the name of Ambedkarhaveremainedsubmergedinthemireofbourgeoisparliamentarypoliticsofthebasest kind. There are few others whose social base has been quite narrow. Mostly, the position of diverse forms of dalitism influenced by AmbedkarismNeoAmbedkarism and post ideologies such as subaltern studies, identity politics etc. has remained confined to the fields of sociology and literature. Their absence in the form of a sociopolitical movement is worth consideration. In literature, the Dalit literature exists with its own ideology, and a lot has been written on Dalit aesthetics too. The questions worth pondering are that how does the realism of Dalit literature formaseparateindependentcategory,whatisthetheoreticsofDalitliteratureandDalitcriticism, andwhatisthephilosophicalpositionofDalitaesthetics? All in all, the debatable key issues in this fiveday seminar focusing on The caste question and Marxismare: Dr. Ambedkars philosophical position, his view of history, political thought and practice, economic theory and policies, views on sociocultural formation and his projects of the abolition of caste and Dalit liberation A Marxist critique. Critique of Marxist positions on these questions from Ambedkarite and other proDalit positions. Analysis of Ambedkars view onMarxism.Discussiononallthesequestions. Dialectical historical materialist understanding of the caste question. NeoAmbedkarite positions, their Marxist critique and discussion on them. PostModernist positions such as thoseofsubalternstudies,identitypoliticsetc.ontheDalitquestion,othersociologicalschools andneoMarxistpositions,theirMarxistcritiqueanddiscussiononthem. Marxisthistoriographyoncastequestion,itsAmbedkariteoppositionanddiscussiononthem. ThecastequestionandthecommunistmovementinIndia.Retrospectionofhistoryundivided communist party and caste question, revisionist parties and caste question, positions of a few chosencommunistrevolutionaryorganizationsoncastequestion,thecommunistrevolutionary projectfortheabolitionofcaste. ThetheoreticsofDalitliteratureandcriticism.ThephilosophicalcontentofDalitaesthetics.

 We shall be obliged if you intimate us about the status of your arrival as well as your paper by 25 February.Ifyousendyourpaperby28February,itwouldbeeasierforustoplanthesessions. We sincerely request you to participate in this seminar. Kindly, inform us about the date of your arrival, bus, train etc. on any of the mobile or landline numbers given below. You can also contactusforanyinformationontheemailids.Wepromiseyouofwarmheartedhospitalityand assureyouthattherewouldnotbeanykindofinconvenience. Awaitingyourreply. Withsincereregards, Meenakshy(ManagingTrustee) AnandSingh(Secretary) Katyayani,Satyam(Member) Programme 1216March Firstsession:(10AMto1PM) Secondsession:(3PMto8PM) Lunchbreak:1PMto3PM Teabreakduringsecondsession: 6PM

Arvind Memorial Trust

Venue:

SohanSinghBhaknaBhavan,Sector29D,(OppositeTribuneColony) Chandigarh
Youcancontactanyofthesemembersoftheorganisingcommittee, ortheLucknowofficeoftheTrust: MeenakshyPh:9212511042,Email:meenakshy@arvindtrust.org AnandSinghPh:9689034229,Email:anand.banaras@gmail.com KatyayaniPh:9936650658,Email:katyayani.lko@gmail.com Satyam8853093555,Email:satyamvarma@gmail.com AddressofLucknowoffice: 69A1,BabakaPurwa,PaperMillRoad,Nishatgunj,Lucknow226006 Email:info@arvindtrust.org,arvindtrust@gmail.com Website:http://arvindtrust.org