An Undelivered Speech: Annihilation of Caste

Annihilation of Caste, and Castes in India: Their Mechanism, Genesis and Development

By: Dr B.R. Ambedkar

Narrated by: Siddhartha Valicharla

The most famous speech that was never delivered, "Annihilation of Cast", by Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, along with his paper Castes in India: Their Mechanism, Genesis and Development, combined to form one cohesive audiobook, the way Babasaheb envisioned it.

Acknowledgements:

Rahul Borde for his rendition of Sanskrit Verses that can be heard toward the end of "Annihilation of Cast"

Audio engineer: Kevin Cleland

Studio: LA Digital Recording

Finally, this project would not have been possible without the support and encouragement of the Ambedkarite community here in America.

Jai Bhim! Jai Bharat!

©1936 Govt of India - Ministry of External Affairs (P)2021 Siddhartha Valicharla

Really amazing speech but narration was hard to listen to

The narrator’s tone and accent made it almost insufferable and hard to listen to. Speech was good but I would’ve loved to hear it in a neutral accent and I am Indian

Still relevant today. A must read.

Super incisive analysis of the caste system, its origins, its social harm, its violence, and how to get rid of it.

Must-read about caste politics in India

Dr Ambedkar was the primary architect of the Indian constitution. For this reason alone, you must listen to this audiobook. The audiobook includes not only his most famous undelivered speech, the Annihilation of Caste, but also some of his correspondence with the Jat-Pat Todak Mandal, his reply to Mahatma Gandhi, and his essay Castes in India: Their Mechanism, Genesis, and Development.

The correspondence has a certain “per my last email” vibe that contemporary readers will enjoy.

His views on caste, its abolition, and his thoughtful ethnographic approach to the problem reflect an intellect of stunning power. His words feel as urgent today as when he first wrote them.