Amartya Sen describes caste divisions as anti-nat’l

Addressing a special event at the London School of Economics (LSE) to mark the 125th birth anniversary of Dalit rights activist Babsaheb Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, Sen said: “One issue that keeps coming up in India is people being branded as ‘anti-national’ for not toeing a certain line”.

“I would say caste is anti-national because it divides the nation. We want to be national, not anti-national, for which it is important to eliminate all divisions,” the 82-year-old economist and philosopher said.

Referring to Ambedkar, a former LSE student, as a “great social revolutionary and an intellectual powerhouse”, he added: “It is through education we can truly bring about change in the world. That is the vision which Babasaheb Ambedkar gave us for a united nation.” 

‘Dr Ambedkar’s Relevance Today and in the Future’ was organised by the Federation of Ambedkarite and Buddhist Organisations UK (FABO UK) in collaboration with the Inequality and Poverty Research Programme, Department of Anthropology at the LSE and the India Observatory at the LSE to coincide with the centenary of Dr B R Ambedkar joining the LSE.