Kancha Ilaiah
Kancha Ilaiah Shepherd (born 5 October 1952) is an Indian political theorist, writer and a Dalit rights activist. He writes in both English and Telugu languages. His main domain of study and activism is the annihilation of caste. Early life. Kancha Ilaiah was born in the village of Papaiahpet, Warangal district of Chennaraopet Mandal in Hyderabad, Telangana State. His family belonged to a community designated by the Government of India as an Other Backward Class. Ilaiah's father Kancha Komuraiah was always away from home while grazing sheep. The dominant figure in the family was his mother. Ilaiah  credited his mother, Kancha Kattamma, as pivotal in shaping his political thought. Ilaaih suffixed 'Shepherd' to his name symbolically, as he comes from a shepherding family. Professional life. Ilaiah received an M.A. degree in political science and an M.Phil., awarded for his study of land reform in undivided Andhra Pradesh. He has been a recipient of the Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Award and was a Nehru Fellow between 1994 and 1997. Ilaiah earned a Ph.D on the basis of his work exploring the political dimension of Buddhism, culminating in "God as Political Philosopher - Buddha's Challenge to Brahminism". Ilaiah has  encouraged proficiency in the English language for Dalits, arguing that it would allow Dalits in India to intellectually engage the world outside India without non-Dalits speaking "for them". In May 2016, in protest against "Brahmanic hegemony" he says continues to persist in India, Ilaiah appended "Shepherd" to his name. Ilaiah identified in this choice recognition and reaffirmation of his family origins. As an English-language proper noun rather than its equivalent in an Indian language, "Shepherd" is meant to demonstrate a symbolic break with the cultural norms Ilaiah believed Brahmins sought to "impose" on Indian society. Ilaiah characterises his  name change as a tool to break these norms and to value the work of what he terms "productive classes:" including Scheduled Castes and OBCs. Kancha Ilaiah is an Ambedkarite. As an anti-caste activist, Ilaiah is often misidentified by the media as being a Dalit himself. Ilaiah identifies himself as a Sudra intellectual. Criticism. While working as an associate professor in the Department of Political Science at Osmania University, several of Ilaiah's colleagues as well as academics affiliated with the university expressed, in an open-letter, their concern with respect to certain articles and opinions that Ilaiah had  contributed to a local newspaper and advised him against writing material that could inflame sectarian discontent or prejudice. In February 2013, at the Jaipur Literary Festival, Ilaiah and Javed Akhtar engaged in a heated discussion over the implications of religion in Indian social life. In November 2015, Ilaiah stated that if Vallabhbhai Patel, the first Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of India credited with forging national unity amidst the intense violence and bloodletting that followed the creation of Pakistan, had been Prime Minister of India, India "would have become Pakistan". In April 2016, Ilaiah gave a controversial remark that  vegetarianism is anti-nationalism. On 18 September 2017, T. G. Venkatesh, a member of Indian Parliament representing the Telugu Desam Party and a prominent leader of the Arya Vysya said at a press conference that Ilaiah was a traitor and should be hanged because his writings were "intended to divide society." Ilaiah alleged that the members of Arya Vysya community had tried to kill him and lodged a police complaint when Arya Vysya community members attacked his car in 2017. On September 2017, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu banned Ilaiah's book Vyshas for hurting the sentiments of another  community after Vysyas community members protested and demanded a ban on the book. Appointments. Among Ilaiah's official appointments have been: Selected publications. English language publications: Telugu language publications: