Gandhi’s lieutenant publicly told caste Hindus caste itself need not go

Evidence

Let not the people of Vykom or any other place fear that Mahatmaji wants caste abolished. Mahatmaji does not want the caste system abolished but holds that untouchability should be abolished … Mahatmaji does not want you to dine with Thiyas or Pulayas. What he wants is that we must be prepared to touch or go near other human beings as you go near a cow or a horse … Mahatmaji wants you to look upon so-called untouchables as you do at the cow and the dog and other harmless creatures. — Ambedkar, B R, Annihilation of Caste_ The Annotated…, 319

Categorization

• XREF: This is the crux of the Gandhi-Ambedkar split that structures much of the book: Gandhi’s abolition of untouchability WITHOUT abolition of chaturvarna, versus Ambedkar’s insistence that the caste system itself must be annihilated.