Vol. 17, Part I · pages 281–285

16 IN ANY OTHER COUNTRY SUCH A MINISTER WOULD HAVE BEEN DISMISSED To the Editor, The Times Of India Sir, Following close upon the action of the Home Minister of Bombay in suspending the sentences passed upon two gamblers by the High Court; there comes the news of the action taken by the Home Minister of the C.P. in remitting the Sentences passed by the Court of the Judicial Commissioners upon a person by name Jaffer Hasan who was condemned to three years, rigorous imprisonment on a charge of rape upon a girl of 14 years. The conviction took place in 1936. The accused had only undergone one year’s imprisonment so that he has been given a remission of two years. I think that this act of the Congress Minister in the C. P. is a most shameless act, for which I can find no parallel. What does the Hindu public which is so blindly supporting the Congress, think of these acts ? I would not have troubled you with this letter if the matter concerned the Caste Hindus—not that it would not have been a grave thing if the girl was a Caste Hindu girl, but because the Hindus have cultivated a religious faith that no party other than the Congress and no man other than the Mahatma can bring them salvation ! They have placed their destiny in the hands of one party and have refused to examine the acts of those in whom they trust. If they come to grief, it is their fault. But the girl belongs to the Depressed Classes. She is Chambhar by caste. It is because of that I feel deeply concerned. We are destined to be in a minority. We can only criticise. We can never hope to control. What hope have the Depressed Classes of fair play and justice if such acts as those of the Home Minister in the C. P. are tolerated by the Hindu public, are endorsed by the Prime Minister and

257IN ANY OTHER............. BEEN DISMISSED overlooked by the Mahatma ? I am sure in any other country such a Minister would have been dismissed. But, is this not to be expected in India? The Mahatma owes the Depressed Classes an explanation as to how he and his Prime Minister can justify this reprehensible act of their Minister. B.R. Ambedkar.” 1 Bombay zz 1 : The Times of India : Dated 19th March 1938.

17 SOCIALISTS NOW INACTIVE “On his arrival in Bombay, on 21st May 1938 in the course of an interview, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar expressed great satisfaction at the growing support of the people to his Party and their grateful appreciation of his efforts towards abolishing their serfdom. He said that in its own way his Independent Labour Party was striving to redeem its election pledges, but if the Congress Ministry refused to give relief through constitutional methods, and if people’s faith in it was thus lost, the alternative was obvious. He, however, was surprised at the attitude of the Socialists, who, he said, had been all those years shouting for the confiscation of all Zamindari lands and the abolition of the capitalist system, but now inactive when a concrete Bill was brought forward to put an end to the Khoti system.” 1 zz 1 : Keer, P.310.

18 LET SUCH INSTITUTIONS GROW INTO BIG LIBRARIES Dr. B. R. Ambedkar’s remarks in the Visitor’s Book of the Rajwade Sanshodhan Mandal, Dhulia (Maharashtra) on 18th June 1938— Editors : “As who has spent some six or seven years in various libraries of Europe and America I was greatly pleased to go round the collection of manuscripts and paintings of the Rajwade Sanshodhan Mandal. As compared with the European Libraries this of course is indeed a very small place. The responsibility for this, however, does not lie on those who have given birth to the institution. It is to be hoped that the new government will pay adequate attention to such institution and see that they grow into big libraries. I wish this institutions every success. 18 6-1938 Sd/B. R. Ambedkar zz

19 A BILL TO CONTROL AND REGULATE MONEY-LENDING BY Dr. B. R. AMBEDKAR, M.A., Ph. D., D. Sc., Bar-at-Law. INDEPENDENT LABOUR PARTY PUBLICATIONS No. 2 1938 Price 1/-Anna