Vol. 17, Part I · pages 351–355

326 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES like the villagers between whom and the Mahars had no direct contractual relation exists and at the same time not prepared to exercise any pressure to see that payment is made by the third party. 46. The question is, therefore, pertinent. The Patil is not asked to depend on Baluta. The Kulkarni, while he was a village servant, was also not made to live on Baluta. Why then is the helpless Mahar alone asked to serve Government and look for the payment to the villagers with no legal means open to him for its enforcement ? It is time that Government did justice by taking the responsibility of remunerating the Mahars on its own shoulders. 47. As to the cash payment as a source of remuneration, the sums fixed by Government as remuneration to Mahars are the paltriest that can be conceived of. They were fixed somewhere about 1869. Remunerations of other Government servants fixed in those days have since been increased considerably from time to time. In fairness and justice to the Mahars it cannot be denied that an increase in their remuneration is long overdue. II. INCREASE OF DUTIES OF INFERIOR VILLAGE SERVANTS. 48. The Government of Bombay have passed Government Resolution No. 7420/33 of the Revenue Department dated 13-9-1938 containing a list of duties to be performed by Mahars, Mangs, Vethiyas in this Presidency which impose upon them an intolerable burden and which it is impossible for these Watandars to bear. The duties prescribed in the Government Resolution came in for a good deal of angry criticism in the Haregaon Conference. The Resolutions passed in the Conference, which are appended to this Memorial, state the objections of the Inferior Village Servants to the duties prescribed by Government. 49. The contention of these Watandars is that they should not be called upon to perform duties listed at item Nos. 1, 3, 5, 9, 13 and 19 without payment of extra remuneration in the form of daily wages of not less than annas eight whenever they are called upon to perform these duties. In this I am sure, there is justice on their side. I have received several complaints from the Watandars of this Province that the Village and the Taluka

327REPRESENTATION..........MANGS ETC. officers require the Watandars to render private service to them, such as taking a private chit to distant village, under the pretext that such service also falls under one or other of the above mentioned items. In this connection, I further beg to state that almost all Government Officers are paid Travelling and Subsistence Allowances whenever they go outside their headquarters and, therefore, it is in the fitness of the things that these Watandars, who are also Government servants, should also be given proper allowance whenever they are asked to go outside their village to compensate them for the extra expenditure they have to incur. 50. With regard to Duty No. 2 mentioned in the Government Resolution referred to above, these Watandars say that it should be confined to call the Khatedars by “Bataki” or “Davandi” and should not be extended to running several times after the recalcitrant Khatedars. In this connection, I may bring to Your Excellency’s kind notice that in several instances the Watandars have to expose themselves to the risk of being assaulted and entangled by the recalcitrant Khatedars. In order to avoid all such contingencies, the only solution is the one proposed above. 51. With regard to Duty No. 7 mentioned in the Government Resolution referred to above which compels the Watandars to give to the village officers information about births and deaths in a village, they claim exemption. For the reasons stated below these Watandars should be exempted from doing this duty and the persons concerned should be compelled to give information of births and deaths to the Village Patil as is done in all Municipal Areas. Sometimes the Watandars boycotted by the so-called touchable villagers and are not allowed to enter the village, In such cases, it becomes impossible for the Watandars to get the necessary information, especially about births and deaths in the village and the Watandars, in consequence, are punished with a fine for no fault of their own. 52. Duty No. 15 of the said Resolution calls upon the Watandars to remove unclaimed dead bodies. In my opinion this is a duty to be discharged by the Police. The Watandars, therefore, should be exempted from performing that service.

328 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES III. CONCLUSION 53. In conclusion, I beg to state that the grievances referred to in this Memorial are crying for redress. I have no complete information regarding the amount of Judi so far recovered from the Mahars. From the figure relating to Nasik district which have been supplied to me it appears that in the Nasik district alone the amount of Judi levied on Maharki lands so far under the new policy comes to about Rs. 2,201-4-11 per year. This has produced a great tension and I am afraid that if the grievances are not redressed the Watandar Mahars may go on a strike as per last resolution of the Haregaon Conference. I had advised them to suspend action in the hope that Government will alter their policy and do justice to them. But nothing has so far been done. I, therefore, request Your Excellency to treat this question as urgent and redress the wrong which is being done to these Watandars by the new policy launched by Government. If the Mahar Watandars affected by this policy go on a strike or come in conflict in the matter of the recovery of Judi by attachment of their property which I hear is going on in some places, the responsibility thereof will be on Government alone, inasmuch as the Mahar Watandars will have ground to say that they have tried to get their grievances redressed by constitutional means and failed. 54. I would respectfully urge that the policy adopted by Government in dealing with the Inferior Village Servants should be suspended. The issues involved are very large and controversial. They cannot be settled by the executive action of Your Excelllency’s Advisers, however competent they be. They can be settled only by the vote of the Legislature after all sides had the opportunity of putting their case. This is not possible now owing to the suspension of the Legislature. But the question is an old one and can wait for its solution. I am sure that the Mahars and other Inferior Village Servants will prefer to wait for a just and agreed solution. ‘RAJGRIHA’ DADAR, I beg to remain, HINDU COLONY, Yours Excellencey’s BOMBAY - 14 most obedient servant, 14th July 1941 B. R. AMBEDKAR.

329REPRESENTATION..........MANGS ETC. APPENDIX I Resolutions Passed at the Haregaon Conference Resolution No. 1 :This Conference of Watandar Mahars and Mangs, Vethias and other Inferior Village Servants strongly protests against the policy of enhancing Judi on Mahar Inam lands recently brought into operation in the Province under which an addition to the Judi out of all proportion has been made on already poverty-stricken Watandar Mahars and Mangs and demands that the same policy be withdrawn immediately and the levy made thereunder be cancelled inasmuch as the said policy is contrary to the underlying principles of the Hereditary Village Offices’ Act and is also harsh and unjust. Resolution No. 1 A :This Conference resolves that the G. R. No. 7420/33, R. D. dated 13th September 1938, containing a list of duties to be performed by the Mahars and Mangs imposed an intolerable burden which it is impossible for the Watandars to bear. This Conference is of opinion that these Watandars should not be called upon to perform duties listed as item Nos. 1, 3, 5, 9, 13 and 19 without the payment of extra remuneration in the form of daily wages of not less than annas eight whenever they are called upon to perform these duties. Resolution No. 1 B :This Conference is of opinion that these Watandars be exempted from discharging duty No. 15 for the same is in the opinion of the Conference the duty of the Police. Resolution No. 1 C :This Conference is of opinion that the duty No. 2 should be confined to call villagers by Bataki and not be extended to running after several times after a recalcitrant villager. Resolution No. 2 :This Conference is of opinion that the Maharki Watan be commuted on the same principles as were made applicable to the

330 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES Watan of the village servant useful to the community by Mr. Gordon in 1863 and they be relieved from the obligation to render service to the Government and the village community. Resolution No. 3 :This Conference wishes to bring to the notice of Government that there are innumerable villages in the Presidency where the Mahars are compelled to render the services free of cost. The Conference further asserts the necessity and urgency of Government assuming the responsibility for ensuring the payment of remuneration to the Inferior Village Servants. The Conference takes this opportunity to warn Government that if no steps are taken within six months in this direction, this Conference will be constrained to advise such Mahars to refuse to render any services to Government. Resolution No. 4 :This Conference recommends to the Government to appoint a Committee consisting of the Representatives of Watandar Mahars in the Provincial Legislature to revise the orders of the suspension and fines passed by the Revenue Officers of this Province and give effect to such order in accordance with the decisions of this Committee. Resolution No. 5 :This Conference authorises the members of the Scheduled Class in the Bombay Legislative Assembly to wait upon His Excellency the Governor of Bombay to represent the grievances of the Watandar Mahars and the Mangs expressed in this Conference. Resolution No. 6 :This Conference appoints a Committee of the following gentlemen to give necessary effect to the Resolutions passed by the Conference and further this Conference empowers the Committee to advise and take such action as may be necessary in furtherance of the object of the resolution.