Caste's Enduring Poison: New Essay Collection Amplifies Dalit and Anti-Caste Voices

Himal Southasian, a prominent regional publication, has released a new collection of essays on caste authored by acclaimed scholars and activists Gail Omvedt, Kancha Ilaiah, and Meena Kandasamy. The anthology, published this week, compiles critical reflections on the persistence of caste-based discrimination across South Asia and its global replicas, tracing how the practice has been challenged, outlawed, and adjudicated over centuries.

The essays highlight that despite economic modernization and expanded education, caste has not been eradicated. Instead, its religious and cultural foundations have been 'sculpted to perfection,' spawning similar systems worldwide. The collection draws on historical and contemporary analysis to argue that new economic orders and emerging professions have only blurred, not broken, rigid caste lines. The authors are known for their seminal work on caste, with Omvedt a renowned sociologist, Ilaiah a Dalit rights theorist, and Kandasamy a poet and activist.

The publication arrives amid ongoing debates over caste discrimination in South Asia and its diaspora. It is expected to reignite discussions on the need for systemic change and the limitations of legal and economic remedies alone. Human rights groups have welcomed the anthology as a timely contribution, while critics argue that caste issues remain underrepresented in mainstream discourse. Himal Southasian plans to host a series of online discussions with the authors in the coming weeks.