SPIELART Festival: ANNIHILATION OF CASTE BY DR. B.R. AMBEDKAR

World premiere

"Annihilation of Caste" is the title of a speech by the Indian social reformer Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, which was never delivered. He wrote it in 1936 for the conference of a reformist Hindu organization in Lahore in what is now Pakistan. In it, he called not only for the abolition of the caste system, but also for a radical questioning of its religious foundations. In response to this extensive criticism, Dr. Ambedkar was disinvited by the organization and the conference was cancelled. Today, almost 90 years later, the caste system can still be felt in social hierarchies and structures. "Annihilation of Caste" is therefore more than just a historical document. This performative reading by Indian theater maker Lakshman KP is an attempt to give the text a voice. It is an act of confrontation and an exercise in listening.