Buffalo Nationalism: A Critique of Spiritual Fascism

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‘O Mother Lachumamma, your blouse is torn,  Your hair is soiled, your sari in rags . . .  Even in that condition what have you done?  You planted saplings, walking backwards like a bull,  In order to produce food from the mud.’  Kancha Ilaiah Shepherd translates these words of the Telugu poet, singer, activist Gaddar to emphasize the productivity of the ordinary people, the Dalit-Bahujans of India, who receive so little in return. Arguing forcefully against spiritual fascism, which refuses equality or freedom to the majority, he commends the buffalo as a productive animal that epitomizes the qualities of the Dalit-Bahujans. This book contains a selection from Ilaiah Shepherd’s columns in The Hindu, Deccan Herald, Deccan Chronicle, Hindustan Times among others, and journals such as Mainstream and Economic and Political Weekly.  Of particular interest is the new Afterword that discusses his political and social programme for the Sudras of India, presenting his vision of a more just society.  Cover Contents Acknowledgements Introduction Part 1 On Communal Violence 1 Ayodhya: What Stake Do OBCs Have? 2 Consequences of the Call for Epic War 3 Dalit, OBC and Muslim Relations 4 The Rise of Modi Part 2 On Clash of Civilizations 5 A Case of Slipping Morality 6 A Lesson to Be Learnt 7 The Invisible Country 8 Heroes Who Made the World Rock and Roll Part 3 On Social Justice 9 A Paradigm Shift 10 Attacks on Ambedkar 11 The Bard Whose Song Is His Weapon 12 Countering the Counter-Revolution 13 Hindutva and the War-Loving Self 14 Spiritual Fascism and Civil Society 15 Freedom Unattained Part 4 On Caste 16 The Buffalo's Unholy Milk 17 Durban, Caste and Indian Democracy 18 Secularism: The Predicament of the OBCs 19 Caste and Women's Sexuality 20 Caste Shadows in London 21 Caste in a New Mould Part 5 On the Right to Religion 22 Hinduism and the Right to Religion 23 Reject the Oppressor 24 Religion and Democracy 25 Spiritual Democracy 26 Where Should the Reform Begin? Part 6 On Electoral Politics 27 Sonia, Swadeshi and Videshi 28 The End of Dalit Ideology? 29 Major Priorities Part 7 On Culture 30 Cow and Culture 31 Cows, Buffaloes and Nationalism 32 Hinduism and Capitalist Ethics 33 The Buddha Smiles in Afghanistan Part 8 On Globalization 34 Cultural Globalization 35 Dalits and Globalization 36 Death Wish? Part 9 On Education 37 A Lesson from African English 38 Caste, Clinton and IT Revolution 39 Through Books, Ships and Sea 40 Blacks, Science and National Pride 41 Education and the Dignity of Labour 42 Reservations: Experience as Framework of Debate Part 10 Afterword Afterword: Where Are the Sudras? Index About the Author