This is one of the most ambitious episodes I’ve ever recorded, in terms of ideas covered & just sheer length. The title comes from a cartoon by  Syamsundar Vunnamati& it is one that fills me with so much pride, anger, joy & sorrow. Ep 4 explores what it means to be raised as an Ambedkarite, & hopefully critiques some of the major fallacies that savarnas have about Ambedkarite communities,& ways of life. At the same time, through the wonderful experts Jyoti Nisha & Divya Malhari, it is not merely a rebuttal but a statement all its own.

Making this episode over last month was really such an enriching experience because I got to read a bunch of Ambedkar texts that I hadn’t before, & listen to so much Ambedkarite music. But, as I’m putting it out there now, I’m filled with resentment & frustration, & I’m not alone in feeling this way. The so-called reservation”debate” is India’s thin red line - this is sickening. As a lot of us have made clear over the past week, it has nothing to do with the opinion of savarnas. Reservation is our right, our contract with the state, & NO student who is either from a community eligible for it, or who has availed of it must be ashamed. My mother always told me & my sister that savarnas had a lot of nerve being mad about reservation after “sitting on everybody’s heads for thousands of years”. It’s pure (pun intended) selfishness & cruelty that they disguise as religion, tradition, astrology, “merit”, government policy, “apolitical” opinions, & so many other scams & lies. Ambedkar saw through their miasma of horror & hatred, and so do we.

Artists that I referenced throughout this ep are: 

Audio from live performances by Ginni Mahi & Arivu whose music is available on all major streaming platforms. 

Syamsudar Vunnamathi (@syamcartoonist on Instagram) whose cartoon gave me the inspiration for the episode title.

Audio from live performances by:
Rohith Gaya, Dalit Gaya, Mar Gayi Hai Lokshahi by Sheetal Sathe of the Kabir Kala Manch

#मैं_भिम_का_दिवाना_हूँ_ Main Bhim Ka Deewana Hoon by Anand ShindeSupport the show (https://paypal.me/experiencingAmbedkar)

This is one of the most ambitious episodes I’ve ever recorded, in terms of ideas covered &amp; just sheer length. The title comes from a cartoon by  <a href='https://www.instagram.com/syamcartoonist/?hl=en'>Syamsundar Vunnamati</a>&amp; it is one that fills me with so much pride, anger, joy &amp; sorrow. Ep 4 explores what it means to be raised as an Ambedkarite, &amp; hopefully critiques some of the major fallacies that savarnas have about Ambedkarite communities,&amp; ways of life. At the same time, through the wonderful experts Jyoti Nisha &amp; Divya Malhari, it is not merely a rebuttal but a statement all its own.Making this episode over last month was really such an enriching experience because I got to read a bunch of Ambedkar texts that I hadn’t before, &amp; listen to so much Ambedkarite music. But, as I’m putting it out there now, I’m filled with resentment &amp; frustration, &amp; I’m not alone in feeling this way. The so-called reservation”debate” is India’s thin red line - this is sickening. As a lot of us have made clear over the past week, it has nothing to do with the opinion of savarnas. Reservation is our right, our contract with the state, &amp; NO student who is either from a community eligible for it, or who has availed of it must be ashamed. My mother always told me &amp; my sister that savarnas had a lot of nerve being mad about reservation after “sitting on everybody’s heads for thousands of years”. It’s pure (pun intended) selfishness &amp; cruelty that they disguise as religion, tradition, astrology, “merit”, government policy, “apolitical” opinions, &amp; so many other scams &amp; lies. Ambedkar saw through their miasma of horror &amp; hatred, and so do we.Artists that I referenced throughout this ep are: Audio from live performances by Ginni Mahi &amp; Arivu whose music is available on all major streaming platforms. Syamsudar Vunnamathi (@syamcartoonist on Instagram) whose cartoon gave me the inspiration for the episode title. Audio from live performances by: <a href='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09kmLJTw3_0'>Rohith Gaya, Dalit Gaya, Mar Gayi Hai Lokshahi by Sheetal Sathe</a> of the Kabir Kala Manch<a href='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IeqsQczLJY'>#मैं_भिम_का_दिवाना_हूँ_ Main Bhim Ka Deewana Hoon</a> by Anand Shinde<a rel="payment" href="https://paypal.me/experiencingAmbedkar">Support the show</a> (https://paypal.me/experiencingAmbedkar)

As India descends into a genocidal frenzy, amidst the clamour & din, one legacy emerged from the margins to the mainstream. But outside of the spaces where he has always been remembered, not much is known about Dr B.R. Ambedkar. Riya Talitha, an aspiring journalist, in her final year at UBC, facilitated a for-credit course about the man best credited as the architect of India's Constitution. Clear Blue Skies is Riya's attempt to archive the discussions, analysis and discourse that her seminar, Experiencing Ambedkar, prompted. Along with experts, classmates & friends, Riya will explore Babasaheb Ambedkar's politics & philosophy; its influence on anti-caste movements then and now, and the living (breathing, fighting, roaring) inheritance that he has left in India.

Advertisement