Vol. 17, Part I · pages 466–470

441A POLITICAL PARTY.........THE PEOPLE (6) This, in the opinion of the Working Committee, can be done by establishing separate villages exclusively of Untouchables who are now living scattered in small groups under the sovereignty of caste Hindus. (7) The Working Committee, therefore, urges upon the Planning Commission to reserve all cultivable waste-land, to make barren land cultivable and let colonies of Untouchables settled on such land. (8) The Working Committee is of the opinion that to raise the necessary finance that salt tax be re-levied”. Moved from the Chair, Dr. Babasaheb explained that he was thoroughly convinced in his mind that so long the Scheduled Castes live with the Caste Hindus our people will not live the life of freedom and liberty, free from oppression of the Caste Hindus. The Madras Govt, wanted to build new cherries for the Scheduled Castes but he was strongly opposed to this idea. He did not want that Untouchability should be made permanent by building new cherries. He wanted them to be burnt. This resolution was carried unanimously. Resolution No. 8. —(1) The Working Committee of the Federation is sorry for the deaths that have taken place in the Goa Satyagraha. The Committee is, however, of the opinion that Satyagraha is not proper means of achieving the liberation of Goa. (2) As understood by the Committee in Satyagraha, Satya is common ground to both. The difference is only on Agraha. In such a situation Satyagraha of the Gandhian type is possible and may be tried. But where there is no agreement of Satya, Satyagraha of the Gandhian type is a futility. The Working Committee cannot, therefore, advise the Scheduled Castes to join the Goa Satyagraha. (3) Working Committee of the Federation is of the opinion that Goa must become a part of India and that the Portuguese must quit. There are three ways of achieving this object. (1) purchase, (2) lease, or (3) War. If Government is not prepared to accept any one of these three ways it is

442 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES the duty of the Govt, to tell the people what other weapon it has”. Dr. Babasaheb explained that the satyagraha can be between two parties who agree on the “Truth” . The only difference between the parties is on Agraha. The British people could give freedom to India because both the British people and the Indians had agreed that the Indians have the right of Self-Government. In fact this principle of self Government was enunciated by Macaulay as far back as 1833. Macaulay said that the Indians were not barbarions. The Indians have a distinct civilization and culture of their own. They, therefore, should be given the right to govern themselves. But in the case of Goa the Portugues Government did not agree on the question of freedom of Goa. Satyagraha, therefore, as a weapon of liberating Goa is not only useless but dangerous. I cannot allow our people to be exposed to bullets and massacre. If we are given guns, we will fight. We, therefore, want to pass the above resolution. The resolution was carried unanimously. Resolution No. 9. —“This meeting of the Working Committee is not satisfied with the foreign policy of the country. It is neither calculated to strengthen the parliamentary system of Government nor the defence of the country”. After this resolution was carried, the President announced that he has appointed Shri Rajabhau Khobragade as the General Secretary of the All India Scheduled Castes Federation. Resolution No. 10.—Resolution congratulating Shri Khobragade was passed. The Chairman was thanked for guiding the deliberations of the Working Committee. All members of the Working Committee were also thanked.

443A POLITICAL PARTY.........THE PEOPLE This Working Committee of the Scheduled Castes Federation further resolved that the President be empowered to draft a resolution on Linguistic Provinces embodying the following points :— (1) The States be so divided as to maintain a Unity of the Country. (2) The administrative languages should be English and Hindi. (3) Bombay should belong to the United Maharashtra. (4) Hyderabad City should be a second capital of India making it a Governor’s province. (5) Hyderabad State be divided into different Linguistic Units. zz

57 A LETTER TO JAWAHARLAL NEHRU REGARDING THE BOOK ‘BUDDHA AND HIS DHAMMA’ Dr. B. R. Ambedkar had written a letter, on 14th September 1956 to Pandit Jawahadal Nehru regarding a book on “The Buddha and his Dhamma”. It is as follows : Editors. My dear Panditji, I am enclosing herewith two copies of a printed booklet showing the Table of Contents of a book on “The Buddha and His Dhamma” which I have just finished. The book is in the press. From the table of the contents you will see for yourself how exhaustive the work is. The book is expected to be in the Market in September 1956. I have spent five years over it. The booklet will speak for the quality of the work. The cost of printing is very hevy and will come to about Rs. 20,000. This is beyond my capacity and I am, therefore, canvassing help from all quarters. I wonder if the Government of India could purchase about 500 copies for distribution among the various libraries and among the many scholars whom it is inviting during the course of this year for the celebration of the Buddha’s 2500 years’ anniversary. I know your interest in Buddhism. That is why I am writing to you. I hope that you will render some help in this matter. Yours sincerely, (Signed) B. R. AMBEDKAR. Pt. NEHRU’S REPLY Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru had responded to the letter of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar. He expressed his inability to purchase the Book “Buddha and His Dhamma”. He referred this to Dr. Radhakrishnan, the Chairman of Buddha Jayanti Commttee. Following is the reply by Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru : Editors. Shri Jawaharlal Nehru, Prime Minister of India, NEW DELHI. No. 2196-PMH/56. NEW DELHI September 15, 1956.

445A LETTER............HIS DHAMMA My dear Dr. Ambedkar, Your letter of the 14th September. I rather doubt if it will be possible for us to buy a large number of copies of your book suggested by you. We had set aside a certain sum for publication on the occasion of the Buddha Jayanti. That sum has been exhausted and, in fact, exceeded. Some proposals for books relating to Buddhism being financed by us had, therefore, to be rejected. I am, however, sending your letter to Dr. Radhakrishnan, the Chairman of the Buddha Jayanti Committee. I might suggest that your book might be on sale in Delhi and elsewhere at the time of the Buddha Jayanti celebrations when many people will come from abroad. It might find a good sale then. Yours sincerely, (Signed) JAWAHARLAL NEHRU. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, 26, Alipur Road, Civil Lines, DELHI. Dr. S. Radhakrishnan informed on phone to Dr. B. R. Ambedkar expressing his inability to do anything in this regard. zz Khairmode, Vol. 12, Pp. 39-40.