Vol. 17, Part II · pages 451–455

426 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES the matter of their staff. The outlook of the Colleges is on this account largely communal. This communal outlook has its effect on granting admissions. The result is students belonging to special communities or higher communities get preference in the matter of admissions and students belonging to the Scheduled Castes are either refused admissions on the ground that the numbers are full or are considered last when only a few vacancies are left. The situation has been considerably worsened by the influx of population in large towns where most of the Colleges are concertrated. The enormously increased number of students wanting to enter Colleges has made admission a matter of greater difficulty than it was before. 6. Such a situation cannot be allowed to continue. It must be remedied immediately. The only effective remedy seems to be to establish Colleges in Selected Centres which have the education of the Scheduled Castes as its primary aim. The other Communities do not mind this competition for the simple reason that most have got their own Colleges. This is true of other Minority communities such as Sikhs, Muslims, Indian Christians and Anglo-Indians, each of which” maintain under their control various Schools and Colleges in which the education of their communities receives first consideration. But the Untouchables having no such institution at their command suffer most from this competition for admission. 1 propose to make a beginning by starting a College in Bombay which will have such an aim and will endeavour to carry it through. According to my calculations it will require a sum of about Rupees Six Lakhs to set up such a College. In prewar time it could have been done with a lesser amount. But having regard to the rise in the cost of material I do not think that the College could be stalled on anything less than this amount. As to the rasing of this amount it is impossible to expect the Scheduled Castes who are the poorest community in India to be able to raise this amount. I am therefore obliged to request the Government of India for a loan of the amount without interest to be repaid by suitable instalments. The properties of the proposed College will be mortgaged to Government as a security for the loan.

427I HAVE . . . . . . . . . THREE REASONS 7. I mention below some important particulars about the proposed College in order to indicate how it will function :— I. It will be managed by a duly constituted body registeredunder the Charitable Societies Act, II. It will have two sides Arts and Science. III. It will be non-Communal in as much as : (i) It will be open to students of all Castes and creeds, only it will pay special regard to the educational interests of the Scheduled Castes students. (ii) The teaching staff will be mixed staff. There will be no bar on the ground of race, religion or community. (iii) Subject to the Regulations of the Universities in India it will be open to Scheduled Castes students of all Provinces without any kind of discrimination. 8. I have chosen Bombay as a place for the College for three reasons. Firstly, I propose to take upon myself the duties of the Manager of the College and also take part in teaching as soon as I am free from the responsibilities of my present office. In the initial stage I feel I must take these responsibilities on my own shoulders. This I can do better if the College is located in Bombay. Secondly, there is an acute need for more Colleges to provide College Education to the enormous number of students who have now congragated in Bombay and who cannot find admission in any of the existing Colleges. According to press reports applications for opening ten new Colleges are pending before the Senate of the University of Bombay which shows how vast in the number of students in want of admission. With the prospect of drawing a large number of these into the College I feel confident that the College will pave its way and there is every chance of the College showing profit. Thirdly, having been a professor of Economics in the Sydenham College of Commerce, Bombay, Principal of the Government Law College, Bombay, a Member of the Senate and Syndicate of the Bombay University I feel that 1 can get recognition for the proposed College more readily from the Bombay University than from a University outside that Province.

428 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES 9. I have selected a site for the College with an approximate area of six acres. It belongs to the Bombay Municipality. It is the only site left in Bombay which can be regarded as suitable for a College. If I lose the site I shall have to abandon my project which will be a great valamity. I can proceed with the negotiations only on the assurance that I can raise funds which is I have said I can do only by way of loan from the Government of India. I do not proposed to draw the amount of loan immediately. It will remain with the Government of India. It will be drawn as and when need to draw arises. 10. As I am anxious to secure the site I shall be grateful if my application is granted without delay. 1st February 1945, I remain, 22, Prithviraj Road, Yours faithfully, New Delhi. (Sd.) B. R. Ambedkar. zz

6 Memorandum of Association of THE PEOPLE’S EDUCATION SOCIETY MUMBAI (Estd. 8th July, 1945) Founder: Dr. B. R. Ambedkar M.A. Ph.D., D.Sc, LL.D., (Columbia). D. Litt., (Osmania) Barrister-at-Law. Head Office : Anand Bhavan, Dr. Dadabhai Naoroji Road, Fort, Mumbai-400 023. Registered under the Society’s Registration Act XXI of 1860. Registration No. 1375 of 1945-46 Date 9th July, 1945 and the Bombay Public Trust Act, 1950 (Bombay XXIX of 1950) Registration No. F 303 (Bom.) Dated : 2nd June 1953.

430 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES PEOPLE’S EDUCATION SOCIETY, MUMBAI. Bard of Trustees 1. Shri K. B. Talwatkar (Trustee) 2. Hon’ble Shri K. H. Ranganath (Trustee) 3. Shri S. S. Rege (Trustee) Members of the Governing Body 1. Dr. S. P. Gaikwad, G.C.A.M. (Chairman) 2. Shri S. S. Rege, B. A., Dip. LIB. Sc. (Dy. Chairman) 3. Shri K. B. Talwatkar, M. A., LL.M., S.E.M. 4. Dr. P. T. Borale, B. A., LL.B., Ph. D. (Law) 5. Shri M. S. Moray, B. A., LL.M. 6. Prof. S. K. Mohagaonkar, M.Com. 7. Hon’ble Shri K. H. Ranganath, B.Sc., B.L. 8. Padmashri Dr. M. L. Shahare, M.Sc., Ph.D. 9. Prof. S. L. Khot, M. A., LL.M., 10. Prof. Arun M. Donde, M.A., LL.B., Ex. MLC. Secretariate Prin. D. J. Gangurde, M.Com., LL.M., Secretary