Vol. 17, Part I · pages 416–420

391SCHEDULED CASTES’................MANIFESTO— conclusive. From some of the published figures available, it would appear that in respect of certain food crops, at any rate, the trend has been downward. It is difficult to assess the over-all trend of productivity in agriculture, but the broad picture that emerges suggests conditions of stagnation in this respect. 8. The Problem of poverty is thus a double edged problem. From one point of view it is a problem of more production both in Agriculture and in Industry. From another point of view, it is a problem of controlling the excessive growth of population. Both sides are equally important. The Scheduled Castes Federation proposes to fight the battle against poverty on both the fronts. 9. For the purpose of reducing population, it would advocate an intensive propaganda in favour of birth-control among the people. It will advocate the opening of birth control clinics in different parts of the country. It regards the growing rate in the increase of population in the country so grave an evil that it would not hesitate to advocate more drastic methods of controlling it. 10. For the purpose of increasing production, the Scheduled Castes Federation will not be bound by any dogma or any pattern. The Pattern of industrial enterprise will be a matter regulated by the needs of the time and circumstances. Where national undertaking of an industry is possible and essential, the Scheduled Castes Federation will support national undertaking. Where private enterprise is possible and national undertaking not essential, private enterprise will be allowed. Looking at the intense poverty of the people of this country no other consideration except that of greater production and still greater production can be the primary and paramount condition. A pre-conceived pattern of industry cannot be the primary or paramount consideration. The remedy against poverty is more production and not the pattern of production. Once reservation, the Scheduled Castes Federation must however make. Any scheme of production must in the view of the Scheduled Castes Federation remain subject to one overriding consideration namely that there should be no exploitation of the working classes.

392 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES 11. While the rapid industrialisation of the country is very essential in the opinion of the Federation agriculture is bound to remain the foundation of India’s economy. Any scheme of increased production which does not take into account the re-construction of Indian agriculture is doomed to disappointment. 12. The Federation holds that for increased production in agriculture the following plan must be adopted :— (i) Agriculture must be mechanised. Agriculture in India can never become prosperous so long as the method of cultivation remains primitive. (ii) To make mechanised farming possible, cultivation on small holdings must be replaced by large farms. (iii) To increase the yield, there must be provision for adequate manuring and for the supply of healthy seeds. 13. It is not possible for the average agriculturist to adopt this plan and work upon it. He has no means to bear the cost involved in the plan. The Scheduled Castes Federation believes that the plan should be put into effect by the State. The first item in this plan should be the responsibility of the State. The State should supply all the mechanized equipment to the farmer on hire and at a rental to be recovered along with the land revenue. 14. With numerous small holdings, the problem of creating large scale farms becomes very difficult. But the problem must be solved either by introducing Co-operative farms or collective farms. 15. Although India is an agricultural country, there are a vast number of people who are just landless labourers, who are ekeing out a miserable living and who are exploited by cultivators and majority of whom are Untouchables and other backward classes. There is no need why this body of landless labourers should be left to their fate resulting in their misery

393SCHEDULED CASTES’................MANIFESTO— and in the poverty of the country. This is all the more regretable because the situation is not beyond remedy. In this connection the following figures relating to available land in India are very instructive : Total Geographical area 811 million acres. Total area under agriculture 577 million acres Total area under forest 84 million acres Cultivable waste 93 million acres Uncultivable waste 93 million acres Current fallow 62 million acres Net land under agriculture 244 million acres From these figures it is quite clear that there are 93 million acres of land which is cultivable waste and which can be brought under cultivation. Surely, it cannot be beyond modern science to reclaim this vast amount of cultivable waste land and make it available for cultivation. The Scheduled Castes Federation will take up this question. 16. The prosperity of the agriculturist must depend upon the maintenance of forest belts spread over the country. Without forests belts proper degree of rainfall will not be assured and agriculture in India will continue to be the gamble in rain as it has always been in the past. The Federation would urge for more and more afforestation of the uncultivable waste land. 17. Agriculture in the narrow sense of the term can never be a profitable persuit. It must be supplemented by subsidiary industries which are called cottage industries. But no cottage industry worth the name will be possible without an adequate supply of electricity. Generation of electricity is in the opinion of the Scheduled Castes Federation the foundation of economic prosperity of India and the Scheduled Castes Federation will strive for the realization of the river valley projects, the purpose of which is to produce irrigation, to produce electricity and to stop floods. 18. Just as land has been neglected so also landless labourers have been neglected. The Federation will reserve land out of uncultivated land or reclaimed land for the

394 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES benefit of landless labourers and will also introduce for them the principle of minimum wages. II. New Problems 19. So far the manifesto has dealt with the way the Scheduled Castes Federation proposes to deal with the old problems which the British left as a legacy to India. Since Independence, new problems have come up. They fall into two divisions– (A) Problems of Internal Administration, and (B) Problems of Foreign Relations A-Problems of Internal Administration 20. Among the problems of Internal Administration the glaring ones are :– (i) The Problem of Linguistic Provinces; (ii) The Problem of restoring purity of Administration ; (iii) The Problem of Control and Black-marketeers; (iv) The Problem of Inflation and the distress due to rising cost of living. 21. The Problem of Linguistic Provinces is most urgent. The quarrels within linguistic units in the States of Madras, Madhya Pradesh and Bombay have made it impossible for democracy to work. There must be social peace among various linguistic units if our constitution is to work on purely political considerations. For that purpose Linguistic States is the only remedy. The Federation will press for the creation of Linguistic States. 22. . The Scheduled Castes Federation believes that corruption in administration is wholly the creation of the Congress. The Congress imply does not believe in punishing the corrupt. Charges have been made by members of the Congress itself against congress ministers of corruption and graft not in one State but in many states. The Congress High Command did not even think it necessary to make inquiries. Instead of making inquiries into these charges

395SCHEDULED CASTES’................MANIFESTO— and punishing the guilty Ministers the Congress High Command has suppressed those who have made such charges thereby openly protected the corrupt and the dishonest. When Ministers at the top are corrupt how could officers below fail to be corrupt ? The Federation will urge stern action against ministers or officers who are corrupt and raise the standard of administration which has fallen so low during and owing to the Congress regime. 23. The problem of control and Black-marketeers is also the result of the close association between the Congress and Big Business. The Congress throughout its life has been financed by Big Business and is reared upon the support of Big Business. From what has recently been revealed to be happening in the State of U. P. this association between the Congress and Big Business bids fair to continue. Congress is prepared to sell Big Business power in exchange for election fund and Big Business is ready to buy power by giving money to Congress to run its election. Much of the remedy lies in the hand of the Voter himself. If he realizes that he must not support a candidate who is backed by Big Business he will greatly help to solve the problem. The Federation which is miles away from Big Business will see to it that the Big Business does not run the Government of country. 24. The problem of inflation seems to have come to stay. It is allowed to despoil the life of the people. It has never been given the consideration it deserves. The Federation will press for its immediate solution. B- Problems of Foreign Policy 25. It is a fact that on the date of India’s Independence all nations were the friends of India and wished her well. Today the situation is just the reverse. India has no friends. All nations are her adversaries, if not actual enemies. This ghastly change in the situation is the result of the Foreign Policy of the Congress Government. This change of front by foreign nations towards India within the last three years is due to India’s policy regarding Kashmir, regarding the admission of Communist China in the United Nations Organisation and in regard to the Korean War.