The Political Philosophies of Antonio Gramsci and B.R. Ambedkar Bridging two generations of scholarship on social inequality and modern polit- ical forms, this book examines the political philosophies of inclusion of subal- terns/Dalits in Gramsci’s and Ambedkar’s political philosophies. It highlights the full range of Gramsci’s ‘philosophy of praxis’ and presents a more critical appreciation of his thought in the study of South Asian societies. Equally, Ambedkar’s thought and philosophy is put to the forefront and acquires a promi- nence in the international context. Overcoming geographical, cultural and disciplinary boundaries, the book gives relevance to the subalterns. Following the lead of Gramsci and Ambedkar, the contributors are committed, apart from underscoring the historical roots of subalternity, to uncovering the subalterns’ presence in social, economic, cultural, educational, literary, legal and religious grounds. The book offers a renewed crit- ical approach to Gramsci and Ambedkar and expands on their findings in order to offer a present- day political focus into one of the most crucial themes of con- temporary society. This book is of interest to an interdisciplinary audience, including political theory, post- colonial studies, subaltern studies, comparative political philosophy, Dalit studies, cultural studies, South Asian studies and the study of religions. Cosimo Zene is Head of Department in the Study of Religions Department at SOAS, University of London, UK. His publications include The Rishi of Bangladesh (RoutledgeCurzon, 2002) and a special issue of Culture and Reli- gion on ‘Religion in Gramsci’ (Taylor & Francis, forthcoming). Routledge advances in South Asian studies Edited by Subrata K. Mitra South Asia Institute, University of Heidelberg, Germany South Asia, with its burgeoning, ethnically diverse population, soaring eco- nomies, and nuclear weapons, is an increasingly important region in the global context. The series, which builds on this complex, dynamic and volatile area, features innovative and original research on the region as a whole or on the countries. Its scope extends to scholarly works drawing on history, politics, development studies, sociology and economics of individual countries from the region as well those that take an interdisciplinary and comparative approach to the area as a whole or to a comparison of two or more countries from this region. In terms of theory and method, rather than basing itself on any one orthodoxy, the series draws broadly on the insights germane to area studies, as well as the tool kit of the social sciences in general, emphasizing comparison, the analysis of the structure and processes, and the application of qualitative and quantitative methods. The series welcomes submissions from established authors in the field as well as from young authors who have recently completed their doctoral dissertations. 1 Perception, Politics and Security in South Asia The compound crisis of 1990 P. R. Chari, Pervaiz Iqbal Cheema and Stephen Philip Cohen 2 Coalition Politics and Hindu Nationalism Edited by Katharine Adeney and Lawrence Saez 3 The Puzzle of India’s Governance Culture, context and comparative theory Subrata K. Mitra 4 India’s Nuclear Bomb and National Security Karsten Frey 5 Starvation and India’s Democracy Dan Banik 6 Parliamentary Control and Government Accountability in South Asia A comparative analysis of Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka Taiabur Rahman 7 Political Mobilisation and Democracy in India States of emergency Vernon Hewitt 8 Military Control in Pakistan The parallel state Mazhar Aziz 9 Sikh Nationalism and Identity in a Global Age Giorgio Shani 10 The Tibetan Government- in-Exile Politics at large Stephanie Roemer 11 Trade Policy, Inequality and Performance in Indian Manufacturing Kunal Sen 12 Democracy and Party Systems in Developing Countries A comparative study Clemens Spiess 13 War and Nationalism in South Asia The Indian state and the Nagas Marcus Franke 14 The Politics of Social Exclusion in India Democracy at the crossroads Edited by Harihar Bhattacharyya, Partha Sarka and Angshuman Kar 15 Party System Change in South India Political entrepreneurs, patterns and processes Andrew Wyatt 16 Dispossession and Resistance in India The river and the rage Alf Gunvald Nilsen 17 The Construction of History and Nationalism in India Textbooks, controversies and politics Sylvie Guichard 18 Political Survival in Pakistan Beyond ideology Anas Malik 19 New Cultural Identitarian Political Movements in Developing Societies The Bharatiya Janata party Sebastian Schwecke 20 Sufism and Saint Veneration in Contemporary Bangladesh The Maijbhandaris of Chittagong Hans Harder 21 New Dimensions of Politics in India The united progressive alliance in power Lawrence Saez and Gurhapal Singh 22 Vision and Strategy in Indian Politics Jawaharlal Nehru’s policy choices and the designing of political institutions Jivanta Schoettli 23 Decentralization, Local Governance, and Social Wellbeing in India Do local governments matter? Rani D. Mullen 24 The Politics of Refugees in South Asia Identity, resistance, manipulation Navine Murshid 25 The Political Philosophies of Antonio Gramsci and B.R. Ambedkar Itineraries of Dalits and subalterns Edited by Cosimo Zene The Political Philosophies of Antonio Gramsci and B.R. Ambedkar Itineraries of Dalits and subalterns Edited by Cosimo Zene First published 2013 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN and by Routledge 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2013 Cosimo Zene The right of the editor to be identified as the author of the editorial material, and of the authors for their individual chapters, has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data The political philosophies of Antonio Gramsci and Ambedkar : subalterns and dalits / edited by Cosimo Zene. pages cm. – (Routledge advances in South Asian studies ; 25) Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. Ambedkar, B. R. (Bhimrao Ramji), 1891–1956. 2. Gramsci, Antonio, 1891–1937. 3. Political science–Philosophy. 4. Social integration– Philosophy. 5. Equality–Philosophy. I. Zene, Cosimo. B65.P58 2013 320.092'2–dc23 2013017245 ISBN: 978-0-415-70446-5 (hbk) ISBN: 978-0-203-76203-5 (ebk) Typeset in Times by Wearset Ltd, Boldon, Tyne and Wear Educate yourselves because we’ll need all your intelligence. Rouse yourselves because we need all your enthusiasm. Organise yourselves because we need all your strength. The intellectual’s error consists in the belief that it is possible to know without understanding and above all without feeling or being passionate . that is, the intellectual can be considered as such if distinct and detached from the people- nation, i.e. without sharing the elementary feelings of the people, understanding them, and then explaining and justifying them within a given historical situation, and linking them dialectically to the laws of history. Without this passion – this sentimental connection between intellectuals and people-nation – politics- history cannot be achieved. Antonio Gramsci Educate, Organise, Agitate! It is not true that entry into Hindu temples will solve your whole problem. Our problem is very broad. It extends into the political, social, religious and economic spheres. Today’s satyagraha is a challenge to the Hindu mind. From this true satyagraha we shall see whether Hindu society is ready to treat us as human beings. It might have been thought that the principle of equal justice would strike a death blow to the established order. As a matter of fact, far from suffering any damage, the established order has continued to operate. It might be asked why the principle of equal justice has failed to have its effect. The answer to this is simple. To enunciate the principle of justice is one thing. To make it effective is another thing . Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar This page intentionally left blank Contents List of contributors xii Preface and acknowledgements xvi Editorial note xxi 1 Subalterns and Dalits in Gramsci and Ambedkar: a prologue to a ‘posthumous’ dialogue 1 COSIMO ZENE PART I The emergence of subaltern/Dalit subjectivity and historical agency 33 2 Subaltern social groups in Antonio Gramsci’s Prison Notebooks 35 JOSEPH A. BUTTIGIEG 3 Revisiting interwar thought: stigma, labor, and the immanence of caste- class 43 ANUPAMA RAO 4 The other prince: Ambedkar, constitutional democracy, and the agency of the law 59 JON SOSKE PART II The function of intellectuals 73 5 Notes on Q6§32: Gramsci and the Dalits 75 ROBERTO DAINOTTO x Contents 6 Limits of the organic intellectual: a Gramscian reading of Ambedkar 87 GOPAL GURU PART III Subalternity and common sense 101 7 Living subalternity: Antonio Gramsci’s concept of common sense 103 KATE CREHAN 8 Race, class,