invitation : fourth arvind memorial seminar

8/14/2019 Invitation : Fourth Arvind Memorial seminar

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INVITATION

FourthArvindMemorialSeminarTheCasteQuestionandMarxism

1216March,2013ChandigarhOrganisedby:

Arvind Memorial TrustLucknow

Dearfriend,

InmemoryofourdearestCom.Arvind,who leftuson24July2008,weareorganizingthe

FourthArvindMemorialSeminarinChandigarhthistime.

Com. Arvind was a brilliant and energetic fighter of the workers movement, cultural

movementandmovementforalternativepeoplesmediainIndia.Followingtheuntimelydemise

ofthisyoungcomradeofourswehaddecidedtoorganiseaseminarinhismemoryeveryyearon

a

burning

and

challenging

problem

or

question

of

Indian

revolution.

The

first

(one

day)

and

second (threeday) seminars were held in July 2009 and July 2010 in Delhi and Gorakhpur

respectively.Boththeseseminarsfocusedontheorientation,prospects,problemsandchallenges

ofworkingclassmovementinIndiaintheageofglobalization.TheThirdthreedayseminar(July

2011)washeld inLucknowandfocusedonthecondition,orientation,problems,challengesand

prospectsofthedemocraticrightsandcivillibertiesmovementinIndia.

Afterthesethreesuccessfulseminars,weareorganisingtheFourthArvindMemorialSeminar

between1216March 2013 inChandigarhon the topic: TheCasteQuestion andMarxism. In

viewofthecomprehensivenessofthesubject,itsvariousdimensions,historyofthecontroversies

associatedwith thesubjectand itscomplexity, this timewehaveextended thedurationof the


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seminar to fivedaysso that there isadetailedaswellassatisfactorydebateanddiscussionon

eachandeveryaspectofthissubject.Untilnowwehadbeenorganizingtheseminaronthedeath

anniversary(24July)ofCom.Arvind.However,fromthistimeonwards,wearegoingtoorganizeit

onhisbirthanniversary(12March).

The castequestion,particularly theDalitquestion, is stillone suchburningquestionof Indian

society,without theprocessofwhose resolution, the classunityof the toilingmasses and the

successof

their

emancipatory

project

cannot

be

envisaged.

Therefore,

it

becomes

imperative

for

allthosewho,eventoday,considerMarxismtobetheguidingprincipleofrevolutionarypractice

intruesense(insteadoftreating itasatoolofruminatingacademicdiscourseorthatofmerely

votebankpolitics)toattempttoformaconsummateunderstandingofeachandeveryaspectof

thecastequestion,researchandstudyitanddebateitfromaMarxiststandpoint.

Therehavebeenseminarssymposiumsonthisquestionforalongtimenow.However,often

everyaspectofthisserioushistoricalquestionhasbeensettledconclusively ina henceproved

fashion through fewpositionpapers andbriefdebates.Therehasbeen an absenceof serious

researchandunbiasedlengthydebate.Ontheonehand,therehasremainedaviewoflookingat

orrejectingthecastequestionfromamechanicalclassreductioniststandpoint,ontheother,an

opportunist tendency of reconcilingMarxism and AmbedkarismNeoAmbedkarism and shying

awayfrom

uncomfortable

questions

has

also

been

present.

The

scholars

belonging

to

American

sociologicalschoolhave longbeenrejectingthemethodofMarxistclassanalysis instudyingthe

castequestion.Itisrequired,eventoday,toputforthabalanced Marxistcritiqueofsuchviews.

Intherecentdecades,theacademicpracticeofunderstandingthequestionofcasteandgender

throughsundrypost ideologiesincludingsubalternstudiesandidentitypoliticshasbeenvery

much in vogue.Plentyof critiquesof these thoughtstreamshavebeenput forth fromdiverse

Marxist positions, however, a lot needs to bewritten on the inconsistencies of various post

modernist, subaltern interpretations of the caste question, and the tasks of the presenting a

balancedcritiqueof thecriticismofMarxismadvancedby these schoolsstill remains toa large

extent. There is no dearth of such Marxist academics who are trying to correct the class

reductionistdefectsbycreatingahodgepodgeofthemethodofsubalternstudiesand identity

politicswith

Marxist

methodology.

Therefore,

athorough

debate

and

discussion

on

this

subject

is

evenmoreneeded.

Thefirstandforemostquestion iswhethertheMarxistmethodologyofdialecticalhistorical

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 interrelationofcasteandclassbeviewed? Inwhatwayhave theMarxisthistorians

explainedtheoriginandevolutionaryprocessofcastequestion?Thecastesystem,rightfromthe

timesof itsorigin to thepresentday, insteadofperishinghas continuouslybeen inexistence,

however, instead of existing in situ, inertly, it has been coopted by each subsequent socioeconomicformation,therehasbeenanarticulationbetweenthemandithasbeenreinvigorating

itself.Thequestionworthconsideringaswellasworthdebating ishowMarxismhas interpreted

thisphenomenological

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

critiqueofAmbedkarandAmbedkariteNeoAmbedkaritepositionstoalargeextent.Usually,the

discussionsonthesehavebeeneithercursoryorfragmentary.InrecentyearsnumerousMarxist

scholarsandorganizationshave,withoutgoing intoan indepthanddetailedevaluationof the

philosophicalpoliticalsocial positions of both the sides, been making efforts to harmonize

MarxismandAmbedkarisminapopulistmanner.Withoutadetailedanalysis,adversecomments


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havebeenmadeandchargesofeconomicdeterminismandclassreductionismhavebeenleveled

againstMarxismfromanAmbedkariteposition.TheneedistoanalyseAmbedkarsphilosophical

position(hisworldviewandmethodology),putforthacritiqueofhisviewofhistory,evaluatehis

politicalpositionandhiseconomics,analysehisviewpointonsocialquestionsandtoseewhatis

hisprojectfortheabolitionofcasteandDalitliberation,andhowlogical,historicalandpracticalit

is! There is also a need to present an elaborate analysis of all the criticisms advanced by

Ambedkar andAmbedkaritesofMarxism.The samemethodof thoroughanalysisand criticism

shouldbe

followed

by

Ambedkarite

and

various

Dalit

thought

streams

too.

Only

then

ameaningfuldebatecantakeplaceanditwillbepossibletoarriveatcorrectconclusions.

It isvery importanttopresentahistoricalanalysisandsumupof the theoreticalpositions

andpracticalactivitiesofcommunistmovementoncastequestionandDalitquestion.Whatisthe

formandnatureofcastequestionandDalitquestioninpresentdayIndia,whatisthepositionof

variouscommunistrevolutionaryorganizationstherein,what istherelationofDalit liberationor

wholeofthecastequestionwiththeliberationstruggleofIndiantoilingmasses,andwhatcanbe

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.

Duringthe

past

decades,

the

influential

political

organizations

running

in

the

name

of

Ambedkarhaveremainedsubmergedinthemireofbourgeoisparliamentarypoliticsofthebasest

kind. There are few otherswhose social base has been quite narrow.Mostly, the position of

diverseformsof dalitism influencedbyAmbedkarismNeoAmbedkarismandpost ideologies

suchassubaltern studies, identitypoliticsetc.has remainedconfined to the fieldsofsociology

andliterature.Theirabsenceintheformofasociopoliticalmovementisworthconsideration.In

literature, theDalit literatureexistswith itsown ideology, and a lothasbeenwrittenonDalit

aestheticstoo.Thequestionsworthponderingare thathowdoestherealismofDalit literature

formaseparateindependentcategory,whatisthetheoreticsofDalitliteratureandDalitcriticism,

andwhatisthephilosophicalpositionofDalitaesthetics?

Allinall,thedebatablekeyissuesinthisfivedayseminarfocusingonThecastequestionand

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 andDalit liberationAMarxist critique. Critique ofMarxist positions on

thesequestionsfromAmbedkariteandotherproDalitpositions.AnalysisofAmbedkarsview

onMarxism.Discussiononallthesequestions.

Dialectical historical materialist understanding of the caste question. NeoAmbedkarite

positions, theirMarxist critique and discussion on them. PostModernist positions such as

thoseofsubalternstudies,identitypoliticsetc.ontheDalitquestion,othersociologicalschools

andneoMarxistpositions,theirMarxistcritiqueanddiscussiononthem.

Marxist

historiography

on

caste

question,

its

Ambedkarite

opposition

and

discussion

on

them.

ThecastequestionandthecommunistmovementinIndia.Retrospectionofhistoryundivided

communistpartyandcastequestion,revisionistpartiesandcastequestion,positionsofafew

chosencommunistrevolutionaryorganizationsoncastequestion,thecommunistrevolutionary

projectfortheabolitionofcaste.

ThetheoreticsofDalitliteratureandcriticism.ThephilosophicalcontentofDalitaesthetics.


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Weshallbeobligedifyouintimateusaboutthestatusofyourarrivalaswellasyourpaperby25

February.Ifyousendyourpaperby28February,itwouldbeeasierforustoplanthesessions.

Wesincerelyrequestyoutoparticipate inthisseminar.Kindly, informusaboutthedateof

yourarrival,bus,trainetc.onanyofthemobileor landlinenumbersgivenbelow.Youcanalso

contactusforany informationontheemailids.Wepromiseyouofwarmheartedhospitalityand

assureyouthattherewouldnotbeanykindofinconvenience.

Awaitingyour

reply.

Withsincereregards,

Meenakshy(ManagingTrustee)

AnandSingh(Secretary)

Katyayani,Satyam(Member)

Arvind Memorial Trust

Programme

1216March

Firstsession:(10AMto1PM)

Secondsession:(3PMto8PM)

Lunchbreak:1PMto3PM

Teabreakduringsecondsession:

6PM

Venue:

SohanSingh

Bhakna

Bhavan,

Sector

29

D,

(Opposite

Tribune

Colony)

Chandigarh

Youcancontactanyofthesemembersoftheorganisingcommittee,

ortheLucknowofficeoftheTrust:

Meenakshy Ph:9212511042,Email:[email protected]

AnandSingh Ph: 9689034229,Email:[email protected]

Katyayani Ph:9936650658,Email:[email protected]

Satyam 8853093555,Email:[email protected]

AddressofLucknowoffice:

69A1,BabakaPurwa,PaperMillRoad,Nishatgunj,Lucknow 226006

Email:[email protected], [email protected]

Website:http://arvindtrust.org

invitation : fourth arvind memorial seminar

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