Vol. 17, Part II · pages 236–240

213HINDU-SCHEDULED . . . . . . IN BOMBAY difficult in the disturbed area. They dared not go to work in the mills for fear of being assaulted. Many of them had not taken even their rations for the week. He complained that police protection was not freely available to them, and that many innocent persons had been taken into custody. Mr. Rajbhoj said that nearly 130 persons of his party had received injuries in the recent disturbances and two had died. More Responsibility on Hindus Bombay Leaders Appeal to Masses In a joint statement issued on June 3, on the disturbances in Worli and neighbouring labour areas Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Mr. Nagindas T. Master and Mr. S.K. Patil stated that “Being a major community, a greater responsibility lies on the shoulders of the Hindus. The majority community is bound to exercise restraint even under provocation and prove to the minority community like the Scheduled Castes that it need have no fear in the matter of its life, liberty and property even though it refuses to see eye to eye with the majority community on political questions.” The statement says : “We have been deeply pained by the unfortunate incidents which are taking place in Worli, Naigaum and Delisie Road areas of the Bombay city between the members of the Scheduled Castes and Caste Hindus for some time part. The frequent skirmishes between these two sections of the people have already resulted in three dead and several injured. In our opinion there is no reason whatsoever why these two sections should go on attacking each other and thereby disturbing the peace of these localities. Even assuming that there is any cause for honest and even for strong differences of opinion on some point or the other, such erratic reprisals can decide nothing. There are other and more effective methods of settling disputes and securing justice. These acts of violence and bad temper only bring disrepute to the fair name of the city and inflict injury and even loss of life of the innocent. Although we have no desire to apportion the blame for the incidents that have occurred, we would like to emphasise that being a major community, a greater responsibility lies on the shoulders of the Hindus.

214 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES We strongly and emphatically condemn these senseless demonstrations of violence and earnestly appeal to the good sense of the parties concerned to cry halt to this mad behaviour. We trust that they will act towards one another as responsible citizens and resume their normal and peaceful avocations.—A.P.”1 zz 1 : Jai Bheem : June 11, 1946.

12 FEDERATION EXECUTIVE RESOLVES ON DIRECT ACTION Cabinet Mission Ignored Unimpeachable Evidence “ In a two thousand word resolution, the working Committee of the All India Scheduled Castes Federation, calls upon His Majesty’s Government and the Labour Party in England to take up the cause of the Scheduled Castes in right earnest and rectify immediately the worng done to them by the Cabinet Mission. “Failing this,” says the resolution, the Working Committee feels, “that there will be no alternative for the Scheduled Castes but to resort to direct action”. The resolution further says: “If circumstances require such a direct action to save the Scheduled Castes from the impending catastrophe, the working Committee will not hesitaste to ask the Scheduled Castes to do so.” The Working Committee of the A.I.S.C.F. met at “Raj Griha” the residence of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Labour Member, Government of India, on June 4, 1946 under the Presidentship of Rao Bahadur N. Sivaraj. On the morning of 4th June the President drove to the Bomaby Central and met Dr. Babasahib Ambedkar in the Saloon. Federation workers from various parts of the country met the leaders and discussed with them on various subjects concerning the country and the community. They had informed the leaders about the untold sufferings and the unimaginable honors to which the Scheduled Castes are subjected to by the Caste Hindus. At two o’clock in the afternoon the Working Committee sat for-discussion. Eleven out of 20 members of the Committee attended the meeting. These are five from Bombay, four from the Central Provinces and one each from Madras and the United Provinces. Dr. Ambedkar was present by special invitation. The meeting took up for consideration a report submitted by Mr. P.N. Rajabhoj, General Secretary of the Federation, on the general reactions of the Scheduled Castes People to the proposals of the

216 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES British Cabinet Mission. The report, it is learnt, expresses the dissatisfaction of the community in that they had not been given any representation in the proposed Constituent Assembly. The Working Committee has passed ten important resolutions on the British Cabinet Proposals on the interim Government. The Committee has demanded that Scheduled Castes, should have the right to be represented in the Legislatures through separate electorates, and that the constitution shall contain a provision making it obligatory on the part of the Government to undertake the formation of separate settlements for Scheduled Castes. The Committee assures the Scheduled Castes that “there is no reason to be panicky and given courage and solidarity, their cause which is the cause of justice and humanity, is bound to triumph notwithstanding the machinations of their enemies.” The Working Committee has authorised the President to constitute a Council of Action charged with the duty of examining the lines of direct action and to determine the action most effective and fix the time for lauching it. Copies of the Scheduled Castes’ Federation’s resolution are being forwarded to the Secretary of State for India and the Viceroy in New Delhi and Prime Minister Attlee and Mr. Churchill in London. “In the event of their demand for such protection being turned down, the Committee has authorised the President, Rao Bahadur N. Sivaraj, to constitute a Council of Action to decide upon “the most effective means of direct action to get their demands conceded.” A spokesman on behalf of the Working Committee of the Scheduled Castes Federation explained that the Committee had focussed attention on the future constitutional settlement because they were more concerned with the ultimate statutory protection of the Scheduled Castes, rather than in the formation of the interim Government. He added: “We shall, however, be willing to co-operate with any one in the formation of the Interim Government, provided our co-operation is sought on honourable terms.”

217FEDERATION EXECUTIVE . . . . . . . ON DIRECTION The spokesman stated that the Cabinet Mission had partially retrieved the prestige of the British Government by declaring, in their second statement, that the conclusion of the Indo-British treaty would be dependent on the rights of minorities being protected adequately. What the Secheduled Castes Federation demanded, however, was that suitable amendements be made here and now in the Cabinet Mission’s proposals to ensure this. He could not see any difficulty in this being done just as in the case of the Muslims. The Spokesman in conclusion explained that the direct action clause in the resolution would become operative only if the Federation failed to achieve its goal. There was no intention 10 take precipitate actions. A.I.S.C.F’s Ultimatum to the Cabinet Mission [The following is the full text of the resolutions passed at the Working Committee Meeting of the All India Scheduled Castes Federation held at Bombay during the first week of June ] The Working Committee of the All-India Scheduled Castes Federation has taken into consideration (1) the first statement issued by the Cabinet Mission on the Constitution of India; (2) the Press interviews given by the Members of the Mission in amplification of their statement (3) the second statement made by the Cabinet Mission and (4) the correspondence between the Cabinet Mission and the Hon’ble Dr. B. R. Ambedkar. There are many points arising from the statement of the Cabinet Mission on which the Working Committee would like to state its views. For the present, the Working Committee prefers to deal with the plan of the Cabinet Mission for framing the future constitution of India in so far as it affects the Scheduled Castes. 2. The Working Committee has noticed with profound indignation that the Cabinet Mission has not mentioned the Scheduled Castes even once in the course of their statement of 5000 words. It is difficult to understand the working of the mind of the Cabinet Mission. The Mission could not have been unaware of the existence of the Untouchables, their disabilities, the tyrannies and oppression practised upon them day to day by the Caste Hindus all throughout India. The Cabinet Mission could,