Vol. 17, Part II · pages 231–235

208 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES (5) The statement includes Europeans under the category of “General”. From this it may be presumed that the Europeans will have the right to vote for the election of representatives to the Constituent Assembly. Are the Europeans entitled to put up Europeans as candidates for the election of the Constituent Assembly? This is not made clear in the Statement. These are questions which require clarification. I shall feel grateful if you will be so good as to favour me with your answers to them. I am leaving Delhi tonight for Bombay. Any reply that you may like to make to the questions set out above may kindly be sent to my address in Bombay, which is given below. Yours sincerely, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar” 1 Address: B. B. & C. I. Railway*, Saloon No. 27, Central Station, Bombay. zzz * Bombay - Baroda & Central India, Railway. 1: The Transfer of Power, Vol. VII, No. 359, Pp. 661-662.

9 CLARIFICATION BY LORD PETHICK - LAWRENCE TO DR. B. R. AMBEDKAR “28th May 1946 Thank you for your letter of the 22nd May in which you ask for elucidation of certain points in the recent Statement. You will appreciate that the object of the Delegation is to set up machinery whereby Indians can frame their own Constitution for an independent India. The object of our Statement is to provide a basis on which the parties can come together for that purpose and we hope that it will be accepted and worked by all concerned. We have limited our Statement to the minimum which seemed to us necessary for that purpose. Other matters which arise will fall to be decided by the Constituent Assembly. It is certainly our intention that the term “minorities” in paragraph 20 of the Statement includes the Scheduled Castes. On the other hand, it will be for the Constituent Assembly itself to set up the Advisory Committee and we assume that it will desire that it should be fully representative. It is not our intention to interfere with the Constituent Assembly. The personnel of the Advisory Committee is not however limited by our Statement to persons who are members of the Constituent Assembly. I think your other questions are largely covered by the further Statement which was issued by the delegation on Saturday evening and of which I enclose a copy. Mr. Alexander has asked me to acknowledge and thank you for your letter which you sent him recently. He is away from Delhi for a few days on a visit to Ceylon and will reply to you on his return.” 1 zz 1 : The Transfer of Power, Vol. VII No. 399, p. 723.

10 AMBEDKAR FINDS CHAMPION IN CHURCHILL “London, May 30. (Renter).—A pledge that the Conservative Party would do its utmost to protect the future of 60 million Untouchables “whose melancholy depression by their coreligionists constitutes one of the gravest features in the problems of the Indian sub-continent” is contained in a cable sent by Mr. Winston Churchill to Dr. Ambedkar, Member of the Viceroy’s Executive Council. Mr. Churchill adds : We shall take our stand on the broad principles set forth in the American Declaration of Independence that all men are born free and equal and entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Dr. Ambedkar had cabled to Mr. Churchill stating : “The Cabinet Mission’s proposals are a shameful betrayal of the cause of the 60 million Untouchables. The Untouchables all over India are greatful to you for your speech in parliament. The future of the Untouchables is very dark. We depend upon you for safeguarding their interests.” 1 zz 1 : The Bombay Chronicle, dated 31st May 1946.

11 HINDU - SCHEDULED CASTES CLASHES IN BOMBAY June 1, 1946 The situation in the Worli area where there have been frequent clashes between the Scheduled Caste members and Caste Hindus during the last four days, resulting so far in five killed and nearly seventy injured, is quiet this morning, strong police parties have been stationed all over the locality and mobile armed police are constantly patrolling the affected area. There were only three stray cases of assaults upto midday today. Mr. B.G. Kher, Prime Minister of Bombay, is meeting Dr. Ambedkar, Leader of the Scheduled Castes this evening with a view to discussing with him how best to bring about normal conditions in the Worli area. The last four days disturbances have affected the working of certain mills because many of the operatives abstained from attending work for fear of being stoned. Last night four mills had to give up night shift and this morning excepting one mill all the other mills worked with depleted staff. State of Emergency proclaimed A ‘State of emergency’ has been proclaimed by the Government of Bombay in the disturbed labour areas in Worli and Delisle Road where there have been clashes between Caste Hindu workers and Scheduled Class workers. This gives wide powers to the police in handling the situation, particularly in the matter of rounding up of bad characters and externing them from the city limits. One more person who had been admitted to hospital yesterday with a stab wound died today, thus bringing the total killed to 6. Dr. Ambedkar Deplores Development The Government of Bombay in the Home Department has decided on the immediate measures to put down law lessness in the Worli Chawls and Delisle Road with a stern hand.

212 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES While the Government has made up its mind in this respect non-official organisations like the Provincial Congress Committee, the Scheduled Castes Federation and local Hindu organisations have had consultations on the methods of restoring peace in the affected area. This move follows an interview which Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Labour Member, Government of India, had with Mr. Morarji Desai. Home Minister, Bombay Government and later with Mr. B .G. Kher, Prime Minister, this morning. During the interview, Dr. Ambedkar is understood to have deplored the developments in Worli and suggested certain measures to be taken to restore peace. He also assured the Ministers that he would advise his followers to remain peaceful and exercise more restraint on their part. It is understood that Dr. Ambedkar, Mr. Nagindas T. Master and Mr. S.K. Patil, have decided to issue a joint statement appealing to Caste Hindus, Congress Workers and Scheduled Caste people of the locality to remain calm and make combined efforts to restore normal conditions. The Home Minister is understood to have suggested to Dr. Ambedkar the appointment of Chawl Committees in Worli who should be held responsible for breaches of the peace and for the maintenance of peace. If things went out of hand, the Members of the Committees should be held resposible. The Police authorities, under instructions from the Home Minister, are promulgating certain orders to meet the situation. The measures contemplated include round-up of all bad characters in the areas and emergency powers to be exercised if, the situation showed a tendency to deteriorate. Up-to-date, in the four days agitation six persons have been killed and 70 injured and a large part of the mill area has been kept in a continued state of tension. Mr. Rajbhoj’s Statement Mr. P.N. Rajbhoj, General Secretary of the All India Scheduled Castes Federation, after visiting the Worli Chawls in a statement said that the condition of many of his followers was extremely