India and communism (book notes)

 First of all this book is not Dr BR Ambedkar's book it was an unfinished draft of a book, that he had created a template for, but did not complete.

Most of the book is an introduction by Anand Telumbde.

Anand Telumbde does not mince any words in blaming both communists and Ambedkarites for creating and artificial rift between the two movements. Particularly he identifies the pioneering communists for having a sort of essentialist understanding of Marxism. Or to put it in Marxist jargon, the understanding of base structure and super structure and the belief that once the base structure is changed, everything else changes automatically.

He uses post Soviet reading of Marx especially Louis Althusser's reading of Marxism and his concept of over determination to explain further. Over determination a Freudian concept, applied in understanding Marxism would mean that apart from the economics which is the last instance or the most important part, idealogical and political conditions also determine the society or the history/ course of society/ Humanity.

Revolutionary changes have to happen in the other spheres also while the economic base structure undergoes changes. Interestingly he uses Das Capital chapters on Primitive accumulation of Capital wherein the revolution is also accelerated by changes in religious and political spheres to describe the phenomenon.

On the other side, Anand Telumbde identifies political reasons for the Ambedkarite movement for having taken a different path from the communists, which I'd better not deliberate here.

He brings his rather long introduction to a spectacular close with these words.

"The Dalits and the communists must know they are natural Allies; there is no revolution in India without the Dalits shouldering it and there is no anhilation of caste without the vast sections of the toiling masses owning it up."

The actual book, the sections by Dr Br Ambedkar are where he lays down the basis of the hindu religion, his entry point of analysis of the society. This foundation I think would have helped him establish the importance of a idealogical/ political revolution that would have to be facilitated alongside the economic revolution to firmly establish a Socialist state. 

The book was an interesting read, that sort of answered a few questions and raised a few and introduced new concepts.

I hope this book is translated to Tamil if it isn't already.