Vol. 17, Part I · pages 121–125

96 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES C. The Depressed Classes in the Punjab shall have the benefit of the Punjab Land Alienation Act extended to them. D. Right of Appeal shall lie to the Governor or GovernorGeneral for redress of prejudicial action or neglect of interest by any Executive Authority. E. The Depressed Classes shall have representation not less than set forth in the Annexure. SPECIAL CLAIMS OF THE ANGLO-INDIAN COMMUNITY A. Generous interpretation of the claims admitted by SubCommittee No. VIII (Services) to the effect that in recongnition of the peculiar position of the community special consideration should be given to the claim for public employment, having regard to the maintenance of an adequate standard of living. B. The right to administer and control its own educational institutions, i.e., European education, subject to the control of the Minister. Provisions for generous and adequate grants-in-aid and scholarships on the basis of present grants. C. Jury rights equal to those enjoyed by other communities in India unconditionally of proof of legitimacy and descent and the right of accused persons to claim trial by either a European or an Indian Jury. SPECIAL CLAIMS OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY A. Equal rights and privileges to those enjoyed by Indianborn subjects in all industrial and commercial activities. B. The maintenance of existing rights in regard to procedure of criminal trials, and any measure or bill to amend, alter or modify such a procedure cannot be introduced except with the previous consent of the Governor-General. Agreed by— HIS HIGHNESS THE AGA KHAN (Muslims), DR. AMBEDKAR (Depressed Classes), RAO BAHADUR PANNIR SELVAM (Indian Christians), SIR HENRY GIDNEY (Angol-Indians), SIR HUBERT CARR (Europeans).

97ROLE OF ......................... INDIAN DEMOCRACY ANNEXURE REPRESENTATION IN LEGISLATURES Figures in brackets=Population basis 1931 figures and depressed percentages as per Simon Report. Stength of Chamber Hindus Muslims Christians Sikhs Anglo- Indians Tribal etc. Europeans Caste Depressed Total Census ALL India (1931) (47.5) (19)* (66.5) (21.5) Upper .. 200 101 20 121 67 1 6 1 .. 4 Lower .. 300 123 45 168 100 7 10 3 .. 12 (48.9) (13.4) (62.3) (34.8) Assam .. 100† 38 13 51 35 3 .. 1 .. 10 (18.3) (24.7) (43) (54.9) Bengal .. 200 38 35 73 102 2 .. 3 .. 20 (67.8) (14.5) (82.3) (11.3) Bihar and Orissa 100 51 14 65 25 1 .. 1 3 5 * Represents percentage in Governor’s Provinces of British India. † Population figures exclude Tribal Areas.

98 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES ANNEXURE—contd. REPRESENTATION IN LEGISLATURES Figures in brackets=Population basis 1931 figures and depressed percentages as per Simon Report. Stength of Chamber Hindus Muslims Christians Sikhs Anglo- Indians Tribal etc. Europeans Caste Depressed Total (68) (8) (76) (20) Bombay .. 200 88 28 116 66 2 .. 3 .. 13 On Sind being separated weightage of Musalmans in Bombay to be on the same footing as to the Hindus in the N.W.F.P. (63.1) (23.7) (86.8) (44) C.P. .. 100 58 20 78 15 1 .. 2 2 2 (71.3) (15.4) (86.7) (7.1) (3.7) Madras .. 200 102 40 142 30 14 .. 4 2 8 (15.1) (13.5) (28.6) (56.5) (13) Panjab .. 100 14 10 24 51 1.5 20 1.5 .. 2 (58.1) (26.4) (84.5) (14.8) U.P. .. 100 44 20 64 30 1 .. 2 .. 3 Sind and N.W.F.P. Weightage similar to that enjoyed by the Musalmans in the Provinces in which they constitute a minority of the population shall be given to the Hindu minority in Sind and to the Hindu and Sikh minorities in the N.W.F.P.

99ROLE OF ......................... INDIAN DEMOCRACY Explanatory Memorandum to the said Memorandum 1. The suggested details for community representation have not been agreed by the Hindus or the Sikhs, but the full representation claimed by the latter in the Central Legislature is provided for. 2. The proposed distribution of seats for the different minorities constitutes a whole scheme and the detailed proposals cannot be separated one from another. 3. This distribution of seats follows the principle that in no case is the majority community to be reduced to the position of a minority of even equality. 4. No representaion is provided for Commerce, Landlords, Industry, Labour, etc. It being assumed that these seats are ultimately communal and that communities desiring special representation for these interests may do so out of the communal quota. 5. The allowance of 33½ per cent representation to Muslims in the Central Legislature is based on the assumption that 26 per cent shall be from British India and at least 7 per cent by convention out of the quota assigned to the Indian States. 6. In the Punjab the suggested common sacrifice by the Muslims, Caste Hindus and the Depressed Classes, would permit of a weightage of 54 per cent, being given to the Sikhs, giving them representation of 20 per cent, in the Legislature. 7. The proposals may be taken as being acceptable to well over 115 millions of people, or about 46 per cent of the population of India.” * The British Premier tried in his own way to bring the Indian delegates to a frame of mind for a settlement. The Premier’s daugther gave a party to choice delegates. The Maharaja of Baroda, *This appeared as appendix III in the original proceeding of the Federal Structure Committee and Minorities Committee, Pp. 1394-99.

100 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES Dr. Ambedkar, Sir Mirza Ismail, Jinnah, Tambe and few others attended it. The British Premier took some of the delegates to his country home at Chequers. They had a talk there relating to the Indian problem, but there, too, they could not come to a settelment. The Minorities Sub-Committee submitted its report to the Conference. The last paragraph of that report recorded that “the Minorities and Depressed Classes were definite in their assertion that they could not consent to any self-governing constitution of India unless their demands were met in a reasonable manner.” Like Joshi, Jadhav and Paul, Dr. Ambedkar dissented from the proposals of the Franchise Sub-Committee as in their opinion the proposals were inadequate, and they pleaded for immediate introduction of adult franchise. In the written speech, which he could not make for want of time, Dr. Ambedkar warned the British Government that it would be betraying the Depressed Classes if by limiting the franchise the Labour Government left them to the mercy of those who had taken no interest in their welfare. Such was his sincerity and devotion to the problem and to the welfare of his people that Dr. Ambedkar worked day and night, sought interviews, gave interviews, supplied information, and even addressed a meeting of some Members of the British Parliament to acquaint them fully with the problem of the Untouchables. He took every opportunity of contributing articles to foreign journals, of issuing statements to the foreign press and of addressing meetings in London with the sole object of exposing the intolerable humiliations and unbelievable suffering under which the Depressed Classes were groaning in India for ages. In appeal after appeal to the Press he said that the cause of the Untouchables in India needed the support of the enlightened world. He, therefore, urged that it was the sacred duty of the people at large to help the solution of their problem on the basis of humanity! The result was that the world came to know for the first time that the fate of the Untouchables in India was worse than that of the Negroes in America. The appeal moved some of the British leaders and consequently a deputation consisting of some Members