Vol. 1 · pages 461–465

446 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES IV. UNITED PROVINCES Constituency Scheduled Caste candidate who was successful in Final election His rank among candidates who fought the general election His position in the Primary election treating the Constituency as a single member Constituency Votes obtained in the Primary election Was his success in Primary election due to hare or absolute majority or split vote His name His party affiliation Number of votes secured 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1. Agra City .. Ram Chand Congress 16,343 2nd 1st 836 Bare majority and split vote. 2. Allahabad City Masuria Din Congress 10,308 2nd 1st 1,701 Bare majority and split vote. 3. Almora .. Khushi Ram Congress 20,605 2nd 2nd (failed) 937 .... V. PUNJAB Constituency Scheduled Caste candidate who was successful in Final election His rank among candidates who fought the general election His position in the Primary election treating the Constituency as a single member Constituency Votes obtained in the Primary election Was his success in Primary election due to bare or absolute majority or split voteHis name His party affiliation Number of votes secured 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1. South-East Gurgaon. Prem Singh Unionist 7,706 2nd 1st 1,353 Split vote 2. Karnal, North Sunder Congress 3,136 2nd 1st 519 Bare majority 3. Ambala-Simla .. Prithivi Singh Azad Congress 10,503 2nd 3rd (failed) 1,392 . . . . 4. Hoshiarpur, West Mehr Chand Congress 16,307 2nd 3rd (failed) 641 . . . . 5. Jullundur .. Gurbanta Singh Congress 21,476 1st 1st . . . . . . . . 6. Ludhiana- Ferozepur. Matu Ram Congress 24,352 1st 4th (failed) 812 . . . . 7. Lyallpur and Jhang Harbhaj Ram . . . . 8,312 2nd 2nd (failed) 1,166 . . . .

STATES AND MINORITIES 447 Appendix IV STATISTICS OF POPULATION The population of the Scheduled Caste in 1941 is estimated at 48,793,180. Can this figure be accepted as accurate ? In coming to a definite conclusion on this issue the following points must be borne in mind : — (i) The population of the Scheduled Castes in 1941 as compared with their population in 1931 shows a decline. (ii) The population of all other communities during the same period shows an increase of 15 per cent. The question is whether there is any special reason why the population of the Scheduled Castes should have declined. Was the basis for computation of the population of the Scheduled Castes in 1931 the same as in 1941 ? The answer is in the affirmative. The figures given for 1931 are the result of recasting of the Census of 1931 in the light of the definition of “Untouchables” given by the Lothian Committee. The same basis was adopted in 1941. It cannot therefore be said that the decline in the population of the Scheduled Castes in 1941 was due to an over-estimate made in 1931. It is true that the Census for 1941 does not give any figures for the Scheduled Castes for Ajmer-Merwara and Gwalior State. But even adding to the total for 1941 the figures for these two areas as they stood in 1931 the population comes to only 49,538,145 which still shows a comparative decline. The want of any proper explanation for the decline of the Scheduled Caste population and an increase in the population of all other communities during the same decade only reinforces the impression which every honest student of Indian census has formed namely that the Census of India has over a number of decades ceased to be an operation in demography. It has become a political affair. Every community seems to be attempting to artificially augment its numbers at the cost of some other community for the sake of capturing greater and greater degree of political power in its own hands. The Scheduled Castes seem to have been made a common victim for the satisfaction of the combined greed of the other communities who through their propagandists or enumerators are able to control the operation and the results of the Census. In the light of these circumstances it is fair to demand that an accurate figure for the population of the Scheduled Castes would be the Census figure as corrected by the inclusion of the population for Ajmer-Merwara and Gwalior State plus an increase of 15 per cent to give them the benefit of the general rise in the population.

448 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES Appendix IV POPULATION FIGURES Table 1 POPULATION OF DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES ACCORDING TO THE CENSUS OF 1941 Hindus ScheduledCastes Muslims Sikhs IndianChristians Anglo-Indians Parsis 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Provinces .. .. 150,890,146 39,920,807 79,398,503 4,165,097 3,245,706 1,13,936 1,01,968 Ajmer-Merwara .. .. 376,481 ? 89,899 867 3,895 1,005 . . . . Assam* .. .. 3,586,932 676,291 3,442,479 3,464 37,750 634 2 Baluchistan .. .. 39,521 5,102 438,930 11,918 2,633 263 75 Bengal .. .. 17,680,054 7,378,970 33,005,434 16,281 110,923 31,619 86,270 Bihar .. .. 22,173,890 4,340,379 4,716,314 13,213 24,693 5,963 547 Orissa .. .. 5,594,535 1,238,171 146,301 232 26,584 789 13 Bombay .. .. 14,700,242 1,855,148 1,920,368 6,044 338,812 14,034 43,467 Sind .. .. 1,038,292 191,634 3,208,325 31,011 13,232 2,731 1,936 Central Provinces and Berar .. 9.880,583 3,051,413 783,697 14,996 48,260 4,538 2,014 Coorg .. .. 105,013 25,740 14,730 Nil 3,309 80 12 Delhi .. .. 444,532 122,693 304,971 16,157 10,494 3,408 284 Madras .. .. 34,731,330 8,068,492 8,896,452 418 2,001,032 28,661 369 N.W.F.P. .. .. 180,321 ? 2,788,797 57,939 5,426 837 24 Punjab .. .. 6,301,737 1,248,635 16,217,242 3,757,401 486,038 5,891 4,327 United States .. 34,094,511 11,717,158 8,416,308 232,445 131,327 13 383 1,375 States and Agencies .. 55,227,180 8,892,373 12,659,593 1,526,350 2,794,959 26,468 12,922 INDIA .. .. 206,117,326 48,813,180 92,058,096 5,691,447 6,040,665 140,422 114,490 * Tribes 6,484,996. TRIBES Provinces .. .. 16,713,256 States and Agencies .. .. 8,728,233 INDIA .. .. 25,441,489

STATES AND MINORITIES 449 Table II VARIATION IN POPULATION BY COMMUNITIES, 1931-1941 Increase (+) Decrease (–) Provinces States and agencies Total India Provinces States and agencies Total India Total percentage 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Hindus .. 139,319,979 50,335,391 189,654,370 150,890,146 55,227,180 206,117,326 + 26,462,956 Scheduled Castes .. 38,409,009 11,131,761 49,540,770 39,920,807 8,892,373 48,793,180 – 747,590 Muslims .. 67,020,443 10,657,102 77,677,545 79,398,503 12,659,598 92,058,096 + 14,381,551 Sikhs .. 3,220,997 1,114,774 4,335,771 4,165,097 1,526,350 5,691,447 + 1,355,676 Christians .. 3,860,660 2,430,103 6,296,763 3,471,430 2,834,119 6,316,119 + 19,786 Parsis .. 96,549 13,203 109,752 101,968 12,922 114,890 + 5,138 „„