Vol. 17, Part I · pages 271–275

246 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES under the Poona Pact, or they cease to be Hindus and forfeit those privileges.” Invited to explain the position from his point of view. Dr. Ambedkar, in an exclusive interview with a representative of The Times of India, repudiated the suggestion that the Hindu community had made any sacrifices to the Depressed Classes. “It is wrong to presume that the orthodox Hindus have surrendered any seats in favour of the Depressed Classes. In fact there is no such thing as a Hindu seat or a Hindu constituency, there is only a general constituency,” he said. According to Dr. Ambedkar, the constitution does not recognise a Hindu constituency, although there are separate constituencies for Muslims, Europeans, Anglo-Indians, Sikhs (in the Punjab), etc. The general constituency includes not only the Hindus, but also the Parsis, Jews, Jains, Buddhists and a number of other communities. The concessions, if any, granted to the Depressed Classes under the Poona Pact are from the general constituency and not from the “Hindu Constituency “for such a thing does not exist. It was not mentioned in the Communal Award nor in the Poona Pact, nor even in the Government of India Act, 1935, which is to govern the franchise and electoral procedure. Classification of Constituencies Too Late to Question Issue It is too late in the day, argued Dr. Ambedkar, to enter into the justification or otherwise of the classification of Constituencies adopted by the Government of India Act. “There it is and has to be followed. Even in the Punjab, where the Muslims are in a majority and the Hindus in a minority, the former have a separate electorate and the latter a general Constituency,” he added. Thus, Dr. Ambedkar maintains, it is” incorrect and mischievous to affirm that the Hindus have made a sacrifice, for it may well be said that the numerous other communities who comprise the general constituency have made the so-called concession to the Depressed Classes.

247RIGHTS NOT...................CONVERSION The next important point made by Dr. Ambedkar is that religion has nothing to do with the political adjustments contemplated in the Communal Award, the Poona Pact and the Government of India Act of 1935, The Europeans constituency included Europeans, whatever their religious persuasion; so also the Anglo-Indians. It is only in regard to the Muslim Community that the political classification follows the religious grouping. Within the general constituency itself, there is no commonness of religious faith serving as the basis of the enjoyment of the political rights conferred on those who come under that electoral category. Franchise Adjustments In other words, franchise adjustments have been based on the membership of a community rather than adherence to any religious persuasion. The original classification of “Depressed Classes” has now been changed into “Scheduled Castes” and it refers only to a branch of a community, viewed socially and economically, not from the religious standpoint. Assuming for argument’s sake that there is an element of religion in these classification, renunciation of religion or declaration of loss or lack of faith in a set of tenets does not miliate against the enjoyment of any attendant political right, says Dr. Ambedkar. It may be a different matter if a member of the Depressed Classes gave up Hinduism and actually embraced another religion, say, Islam or Christianity. Then, and only after such conversion, will he come under the political group assigned to the adherents of such a religion; then and then only can he be compelled to forfeit the rights attaching to the membership of the Hindu Community. What if a Hindu is not an ardent believer in the Vedas ? asks Dr. Ambedkar. There are many Hindus in India today who are only Hindus in name and who do not observe the countless religious rites and formalities which go to make a Hindu. Do they cease to be Hindus on that account ? And; what is the standard by which one is to measure the extent of a Hindu’s faith in his religion ?

248 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES Insistence of Rights Intention to leave a religious sect born of disgust with current practices or injustice does not sever one’s connection with the religion which he is nominally believed to profess. “Surely, not all the present day Christians are true Christians. What about the Sunday parades in Europe where people who do not believe in Christianity or are indifferent or are rationalists demonstrate in front of Churches on Sunday morning ? They, too, are nevertheless Christians in the eyes of the State. “You may call me a statutory Hindu if you like,” said Dr. Ambedkar humorously,” but I wilt insist on my political lights irrespective of the depth of my religious fervour.” To support his contention Dr. Ambedkar cites two instances from the Punjab, where two sections of Depressed Classes have been classified as “Scheduled Castes” in spite of the proved fact that they are not Hindus. The instances mentioned are those of Ad Dharmis and Ramdasis. The first of these have gone out of their way formally to intimate to Government that they are not Hindus, and yet they have been classed under “Scheduled Castes” in the general constituency. The Punjab Census Report of 1931 says : “The most notable feature of the present census from the stand-point of return of religion has been the adoption of the term ‘Ad Dharmi’ by numberous Chamars and Shudras and other Untouchables. A new instruction to the religion was given this year, namely, ‘Persons returning themselves as Ad Dharmis should be recorded as such.’ “The Punjab Ad Dharmis Mandal had petitioned the Punjab Government before census operations started in 1930, representing that the Depressed Classes should be permitted to return Ad Dharmis as their religion at the time of the census, as they were the oborigines of India and while the Hindus kept them at a respectable distance, they did not believe in the Hindu religion. The President of the Punjab Ad Dharm Mandal was informed that a clause was

249RIGHTS NOT...................CONVERSION being provided in the Census Code requiring that persons returning their religion as Ad Dharm would be recorded as such. Ad Dharm literally means original or ancient religion.” A Negative Attitude According to Dr. Ambedkar, the dispute over the Ad Dharmi agitation became so serious that several murders were committed. However that may be, the Ad Dharmis have been classified as “Scheduled Castes” in the general constituency, notwithstanding their unequivocal declaration that they are not Hindus. In the case of himself and his followers, Dr. Ambedkar points out, the attitude is negative in respect of Hinduism and not yet positive adherence to any other faith. Similarly, the Ramdasis are Sikhs by religion, but they have been classified under “Scheduled Castes” in the general constituency. All of which, according to Dr. Ambedkar, goes to show that religion has nothing to do with electoral classifications have gone exactly contrary to the religious grouping. Thus, while Dr. Ambedkar does not recognise the Hindus’ right to complain or challenge the Depressed Classes’ privileges by virtue of the Poona Pact, he affirms that his community’s political rights are unaffected by intended or even impending renunciation of Hinduism.” 1 zz 1: Times of India : dated 24th July 1936.

13 CONVERSION MOVEMENT SANS SELFISH MOTIVE Dr. Ambedkar’s comments on Rao Bahadur M. C. Rajah’s statement against conversion of the Untouchables: At the outset I would like to say that to send this correspondence to the newspapers for publication, is in itself an indecent act on the part of Mr. Rajah. Dr. Moonje had clearly mentioned at the end of his letter that till the final decision regarding conversion, this letter might be treated as personal and confidential. It cannot be believed that this fact did not come to the notice of Mr. Rajah. Mr. Rajah should have sought the permission of Dr. Moonje before releasing the correspondence to the press. This act on the part of Mr. Rajah is ill-becoming of a decent man. The Untouchables may choose Sikhism for conversion. This fact is known to many of my Hindu friends and such members of the Untouchable community as are seriously interested in the question of conversion of the Untouchables. The correspondence regarding the possibility of the Untouchables embracing Sikhism, which took place between Rao Bahadur M. C. Rajah and Dr. Moonje has been published in the newspapers. I have gone through it. There is no reason for Rajah to rejoice that he had exposed some great secret of Dr. Ambedkar. I do not attach any importance to the letters of Mr. Rajah. In my opinion Rajah commands little respect among the Untouchable masses nor do his views regarding conversion have any worth or value. Had I felt that his views had any value at all, I would have co-operated with him to change his mind. Ignoring Rao Bahadur Rajah, Rao Bahadur Srinivasan and I were invited to the Round Table Conference to represent the Untouchables. This led to heart-burning and animosity against me in the mind of Rajah who has since then been constantly criticising and opposing me.