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Kancha Ilaiah

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Kancha Ilaiah Shepherd (born 5 October 1952) is an Indian political theorist, writer and a Dalit rights activist. He writes in both English and Telugu languages. His main domain of study and activism is the annihilation of caste.[1]

Kancha Ilaiah
Kancha Ilaiah at Kerala Literature Festival in 2018
Ilaiah at Kerala Literature Festival in 2018
Born (1952-10-05) 5 October 1952 (age 72)
Papaiahpet, Warangal, Hyderabad State, India (now in Telangana, India)
Education
Occupation(s)Retired Director, Centre for Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive

Policy (CSSEIP) at Maulana Azad National Urdu University,

Hyderabad
Known forWriter and speaker on Indian political thought
AwardsMahatma Jyotirao Phule Award

Nehru Fellow 1994-97

Manyawar Kanshiram Smriti Mahanayak Puraskar

Early life

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Kancha Ilaiah was born in the village of Papaiahpet of Chennaraopet mandal, Warangal district in present-day Telangana.[2] He belongs to the Kuruma golla (Yadav) caste,[3][4] a community of goatherds designated as an Other Backward Class.[5] Ilaiah's father Kancha Komuraiah was always away from home while grazing sheep.[4] The dominant figure in the family was his mother. Ilaiah credited his mother, Kancha Kattamma, as pivotal in shaping his political thought.[6]

Ilaaih suffixed 'Shepherd' to his name symbolically, as he comes from a shepherding family.[7]

Professional life

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Ilaiah received an M.A. degree in political science and an M.Phil., awarded for his study of land reform in undivided Andhra Pradesh.[2] He has been a recipient of the Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Award and was a Nehru Fellow between 1994 and 1997.[2]

Ilaiah earned a Ph.D on the basis of his work exploring the political dimension of Buddhism, culminating in God as Political Philosopher - Buddha's Challenge to Brahminism.[8] He later elaborated several of its key themes in his best-known book. Why I Am Not a Hindu: A Sudra critique of Hindutva philosophy, culture and political economy (1996). A chapter of the book, Hindu Death and Our Death has been reprinted in the book The Hunger of the Republic: Our Present in Retrospect, part of the India Since the 90s series published by Tulika Books.

Ilaiah has encouraged proficiency in the English language for Dalits, arguing that it would allow Dalits in India to intellectually engage the world outside India without non-Dalits speaking "for them".[9][10][11] In May 2016, in protest against "Brahmanic hegemony" he says continues to persist in India, Ilaiah appended "Shepherd" to his name. Ilaiah identified in this choice recognition and reaffirmation of his family origins. As an English-language proper noun rather than its equivalent in an Indian language, "Shepherd" is meant to demonstrate a symbolic break with the cultural norms Ilaiah believed Brahmins sought to "impose" on Indian society. Ilaiah characterises his name change as a tool to break these norms and to value the work of what he terms "productive classes:" including Scheduled Castes and OBCs.[12]

Kancha Ilaiah is an Ambedkarite.[13][14][15] As an anti-caste activist,[2] Ilaiah is often misidentified by the media as being a Dalit himself.[16] Ilaiah identifies himself as a Sudra intellectual.[17]

 
Kancha Ilaiah in 2024

In November 2015, Ilaiah stated that if Vallabhbhai Patel, the first Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of India credited with accession of a princely states into India amidst the intense violence and bloodletting that followed the creation of Pakistan, had been Prime Minister of India, India "would have become Pakistan".[18]

Criticism

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While working as an associate professor in the Department of Political Science at Osmania University, several of Ilaiah's colleagues as well as academics affiliated with the university expressed, in an open-letter, their concern with respect to certain articles and opinions that Ilaiah had contributed to a local newspaper and advised him against writing material that could inflame sectarian discontent or prejudice.[2]

In April 2016, Ilaiah gave a controversial remark that vegetarianism is anti-nationalism.[19] On 18 September 2017, T. G. Venkatesh, a member of Indian Parliament representing the Telugu Desam Party and a prominent leader of the Arya Vysya said at a press conference that Ilaiah was a traitor and should be hanged because his writings were "intended to divide society."[20] Ilaiah alleged that the members of Arya Vysya community had tried to kill him and lodged a police complaint when Arya Vysya community members attacked his car in 2017.[21][22]

In September 2017, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu banned Ilaiah's book on Vyshas for hurting the sentiments of the community after Vysyas community members protested and demanded a ban on the book.[23][24]

Appointments

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Among Ilaiah's official appointments have been:[25]

Selected publications

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English language publications:

  • Ilaiah, K. Why I Am Not a Hindu: A Sudra critique of Hindutva philosophy, culture and political economy (Calcutta: Samya, 1996) ISBN 8185604185
  • Ilaiah, K. God as Political Philosopher: Buddha's Challenge to Brahminism (Calcutta: Samya, 2001) ISBN 8185604444
  • Ilaiah, K. Buffalo Nationalism: A Critique of Spiritual Fascism (Calcutta: Samya, 2004) ISBN 818560469X
  • Ilaiah, K., & Vyam, D. (2007). Turning the Pot, Tilling the Land: Dignity of Labour in Our Times. Pondicherry: Navayana Pub. ISBN 9788189059095 OCLC 184927533
  • Ilaiah, K. Post-Hindu India: A Discourse in Dalit-Bahujan Socio-Spiritual and Scientific Revolution (SAGE Publications Pvt. Ltd, 2009) ISBN 9788132104339
  • Ilaiah, K. Untouchable God: A Novel on Caste and Race (Kolkata: Samya, 2011) ISBN 9788185604336 OCLC 828612357
  • Ilaiah, K (1989-01-01). The State and Repressive Culture: The Andhra Experience. Hyderabad: Swecha Prachuranalu. OCLC 21518320
  • Bonner, A., Ilaiah, K., Saha, S. K., Engineer, A. A., & Heuze, G. (1994). Democracy in India: A Hollow Shell. Washington D.C: The American University Press. ISBN 1879383268 OCLC 470188534
  • Ilaiah, K; Nehru Memorial Museum and Library; Centre for Contemporary Studies (1995-01-01). Caste or Class or Caste-class: A study in Dalitabhujan Consciousness and Struggles in Andhra Pradesh in 1980s. New Delhi: Centre for Contemporary Studies, Nehru Memorial Museum and Library OCLC 436463940
  • Ilaiah, K., & Nehru Memorial Museum and Library. (1996). In Search of the Roots of Anti-Caste Struggle: A Dalitist Reading of the Buddhist Discourse. New Delhi: Centre for Contemporary Studies, Nehru Memorial Museum and Library. OCLC 863611670
  • Ilaiah, K., & Nehru Memorial Museum and Library. (1997). Productive Labour, Consciousness and History: The Dalitabahujan Alternative. New Delhi: Centre for Contemporary Studies, Nehru Memorial Museum and Library. OCLC 793342817
  • Ilaiah, K (1999-01-01). Reservations: Experience as Framework of Debate OCLC 606215716
  • D'Souza, J., Ilaiah, K., Raj, U., & Dalit Freedom Network. (2004). Dalit Freedom: Now and Forever; The Epic Struggle for Dalit Forever. OCLC 930036331
  • Nisar, M., Kandasamy, M., & Ilaiah, K. (2007). Ayyankali: Dalit Leader of Organic Protest. Calicut, Kerala: Other Books. ISBN 9788190388764 OCLC 437026595
  • Ilaiah, K (2010-01-01). The Weapon of the Other: Dalitbahujan Writings and the Remaking of Indian Nationalist Thought. Delhi: Longman. ISBN 9788177582468 OCLC 502268560

Telugu language publications:

  • ఐలయ్య, క. మన తత్వం: దళిత బహుజన తాత్వికత. హైదరాబాద్: హైదరాబాద్ బుక్ ట్రస్ట్

References

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  1. ^ Kannabiran, Kalpana (5 October 2017). "Taking aim at the messenger: on the attack on Kancha Ilaiah". The Hindu – via www.thehindu.com.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "The attempt to censor my writings is part of a larger game plan". Rediff. 24 May 2000. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  3. ^ Kancha Ilaiah || Talking About One Of His Book || నేను హిందువుని ఎలా అవుతా, RTV Telugu, 1 March 2023, retrieved 8 May 2023; Event occurs from 2:25 to 2:32
  4. ^ a b "How anti-caste activist Kancha Ilaiah's mother was an inspiration for his rebellion". The News Minute. 16 September 2020. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  5. ^ "How a caste reference in his 2009 book has come back to haunt Kancha Ilaiah". Hindustan Times. 16 October 2017.
  6. ^ "How cow protection laws brutalise our culture". The Economic Times. 14 August 2016.
  7. ^ Shepherd, Kancha Ilaiah (27 May 2016). "The violence of caste: Why I have changed my name to Kancha Ilaiah Shepherd". Scroll.in. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  8. ^ ""Modi should ask sadhus to clean the streets"". The Hindu. 10 July 2016 – via www.thehindu.com.
  9. ^ "Introduce English in all schools, says Kancha Ilaiah". The New Indian Express. 8 August 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  10. ^ Mathur, Swati (15 February 2013). "Kancha Ilaiah: Even if 10% dalit children got English education, India would change". The Times of India. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  11. ^ Jain, Akshat (5 June 2016). "In defence of English: Blame the Indian education system, not the language". Scroll.in.
  12. ^ "Good Shepherd: Dalit thinker Kancha Ilaiah on name, caste". Hindustan Times. 27 May 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  13. ^ "Threats to Kancha Ilaiah show India has learnt nothing from Gauri Lankesh's death". www.dailyo.in.
  14. ^ "The Ethereal Realist | Outlook India Magazine". www.outlookindia.com/.
  15. ^ "Gandhi was not a caste abolitionist: Kancha Ilaiah Shepherd". The Week.
  16. ^ "India's President Ram Nath Kovind takes oath". www.aljazeera.com.
  17. ^ Mondal, Sudipto (27 May 2016). "Good Shepherd: Dalit thinker Kancha Ilaiah on name, caste". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
  18. ^ "If Sardar Patel was PM, India would've become Pakistan: Kancha Ilaiah". Hindustan Times. 30 November 2015. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  19. ^ "Vegetarianism is anti-nationalism: Kancha Ilaiah on Ambedkar's food democracy". Firstpost. 14 April 2016.
  20. ^ "TD MP TG Venkatesh says 'Hang ilaiah' for his book". The Deccan Chronicle. 18 September 2017. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  21. ^ "After vehicle pelted with stones, Kancha Ilaiah files plaint, says death threats against him". The New Indian Express. 24 September 2017.
  22. ^ Scroll Staff (24 September 2017). "Writer Kancha Ilaiah says his car was attacked with stones in Telangana". Scroll.in.
  23. ^ "Pawan Kalyan's tweet, comments by MPs make CM see red". Deccan Chronicle. 7 October 2017. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  24. ^ Sharda, Ratan (27 September 2017). "TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu slams Kancha Ilaiah for provocative writing". NewsBharati. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  25. ^ "3rd Cycle of Accreditation – NAAC, Self – Study Report, 2013" (PDF). Osmania University. 2013. p. 48. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 March 2016. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
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