Vol. 10 · pages 36–40

4 * Election of a Member to the Advisory Committee for the Utilization Branch of the Geological Survey of India The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar (Labour Member) : Sir, I move: “That this Assembly do proceed to elect, in such manner as the Honourable the President may direct one representative of the Assembly to serve on the Advisory Committee constituted by the Government of India, to advise on problems connected with the work of the Utilization Branch of the Geological Survey of India.” Mr. President (The Honourable Sir Abdur Rahim): Motion moved: “That this Assembly do proceed to elect, in such manner as the Honourable the President may direct one representative of the Assembly to serve on the Advisory Committee constituted by the Government of India, to advise on problems connected with the work of the Utilization Branch of the Geological Survey of India.” † The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : It is quite true that my Honourable friend had not the benefit of hearing my maiden speech. I have made many speeches in my life and I do not think I shall be afraid of making a maiden speech. My Honourable friend pointed out that the reason why I did not speak in support of the Resolution is because there is something very dark which the department is not prepared to disclose to this House. I can assure the Honourable member that I do not think that there is anything behind this project which cither myself or the Government of India need be ashamed of. When I put forward this motion, I thought that it would go through in the usual way in which such motions arc treated and if I had the slightest inkling that my friend was going to raise these points, I would certainly have posted myself on these questions. (An Honourable Member: “You must know the procedure of the House.”) Well, I am a new man and I expect from this House a little more charity. * Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. LI, dated 14th September 1942, p. 76. † Ibid., pp. 78-79.

20 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES If my friend must have the information which he wants before he can allow this motion to go through, then my suggestion is that this debate may be adjourned to a later date when I shall be in a position to give my Honourable friend the information he wants. Mr. President (The Honourable Sir Abdur Rahim): The Honourable Member (Mr. Neogy) can get all the information he wants by putting down a question, but, I suppose it is the desire of the House that this motion should be postponed. (Voices : “Yes”.) The motion is postponed. zz

5 The Situation in India Mr. President (The Honourable Sir Abdur Rahim): The House will now resume discussion of the motion : “That the situation in India be taken into consideration.” * * * * The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar (Labour Member): Sir, the debate on the motion that has been going on for the last two or three days reveals that there are two definite points of view presented by the Members of this House. There is one point of view which holds that the action taken by the Government by arresting the members of the Congress and in suppressing the violent movement that has sprung up was not justified. There is one section of the House which holds that the action taken by the Government is perfectly justified. In a situation like this it might be well for Government to say that it is unnecessary for them to intervene in this debate for the simple reason that one side of the House cancels the other, but it seems to me, from what my Honourable colleague, the Member for Law, has said, that it would not be proper for Government Members and, particularly, the Indian Members of the Executive Council to allow this matter to rest there. Rather than let the burden remain on the shoulders of one section of the House, I think it is very necessary that the Members should take the burden upon themselves, and I, therefore, propose to deal with some of the points that have been made by that section of the House which thinks that the action was not justified. The points that have been raised evidently fall into two categories; some points arc particular in their significance and in their nature; some points are of general importance and although it might be desirable for some of us not only to deal with the particular points but also with the general points, time, I am afraid, is so short that one has to make his * Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. III, 18th September 1942, pp. 281-87.

22 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES selection in meeting some of the charges that have been levelled. I, therefore, propose to offer my remarks only on two charges which have been levelled by the party opposed against the Government. Sir, the critics of Government have said that the Government were not justified in arresting the members of the Congress and if I understand the argument correctly, the argument seems to be that Congress is a body which believes in non-violence and that if the Congress had been allowed to be free they certainly would have controlled the situation in - such a manner that they would have prevented violence from emerging. It seems to me that the Members who take that line have not correctly read what has happened to the Congress and the members of the Working Committee during the last two years with regard to the principle of non-violence. Sir, as I read the proceedings of the Congress during the last two or three years, the impression that has been left upon my mind is that there has been a terrible landslide in the principle of non-violence as has been proclaimed by the Congress. The non-violence has been deeply buried—I have no hesitation on that point at all. Let me give the House a few facts. Sir, on the 22nd of December, 1939, the Congress first gave the threat of civil disobedience. On the 19th March, 1940, the Congress had its Annual Session at Ramgarh. At the Annual Session Mr. Gandhi was made the dictator and given sole charge to lead the struggle. Mr. Gandhi became the Commander-in-Chief under that resolution. But on the 22nd of June, 1940, barely within three months, Mr. Gandhi was deposed from his place as a Commander-in-Chief. The Working Committee refused to accept the principle of non-violence as a guiding principle for its action, and Mr. Gandhi had to tender his resignation. Dr. P. N. Banerjea (Calcutta Suburbs : Non-Muhammadan Urban): That was with regard to the war. The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : Please do not disturb me. On the 15th December, 1940, the All-India Congress Committee met in Bombay and there a resolution was passed by which Mr. Gandhi was again made the Commander-inChief and requested to carry on the struggle. Mr. Gandhi continued to be the Commander till December 1941. In December 1941, a Working Committee meeting was held in Bardoli and a resolution was passed again deposing Mr. Gandhi.

23THE SITUATION IN INDIA The important feature of the incident that took place in December 1941 is, I think, not quite well-known to the Members of this House. There was a great schism at Bardoli between Mr. Gandhi and his followers who believed in non-violence out and out, and the other members of the Working Committee who did not believe in non-violence. The matter was put to issue at Wardha at a meeting of the All-India Congress Committee. Everybody in India, certainly the members of the Working Committee, expected that Mr. Gandhi would push the issue to a decision and cither have the Working Committee’s resolution passed at Bardoli rescinded or, if it was not possible for him to do so, tender his resignation. One of the most astounding things that Mr. Gandhi did at Wardha when the resolution came up for ratification before the All-India Congress Committee was that the apostle of non-violence instructed his followers not to carry the matter to a division. Not only that, he continued to associate himself with the Working Committee and continued to be its Commander-in-Chief. Sir, if that is not evidence that the Congress was saturated with a spirit of violence, right under the very nose of the Congress—Mr. Gandhi—I do not know what better evidence one could offer on that point. There is another point which, I think, Honourable Members are not aware of and about which I would like to make some reference. It is not only a fact that almost all members of the Congress Working Committee—at any rate a great many of them—had ceased to have any faith in non-violence, a great many of them had become indifferent to the principle, but there is enough body of evidence to indicate that inside the Congress there was an attempt being made for a planned campaign of violence. Sardar Sant Singh : So far as the war is concerned ……. The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : Please do not interrupt me. Sardar Sant Singh : You are making mis-statements. Some Honourable Members : It is not correct. There is no evidence. The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : I am not making any inaccurate statement. I think there is one piece of evidence to which no reference has so far been made in the House, and I would like to make a reference to it. An incident occurred at Deoli Detention Camp where Mr. Jai Prakash Narain was kept. The House probably is aware that the Jail