Vol. 17, Part III · pages 106–110

77UNTOUCHABLES...............POWER It is also proposed to invite Rao Bahadur, M. C. Rajah and Mr. G. A. Gavai to attend the session so that they may also have an opportunity of being heard before any resolution regarding the Minorities Pact is passed. The second purpose for which this session is called, is equally important. There is no necessity to dilate upon it, for as you know what attempts are being made to misrepresent the public opinion of the Depressed Classes in political matters. It is not possible to put a stop to these machination unless a Central Organization is brought into being and made principal organ of the Depressed Classes. The necessity of holding this session has been emphasized by the tactics adopted by the so-called All-India Depressed Classes Association. It was published in the newspapers that a meeting of the working committee of this Association was held at Delhi on the 21st and 22nd of February last to consider the question of Joint or Separate Electorates and the number of seats proposed for the Depressed Classes under the new constitution and as no decision was arrived at, it was agreed by the Working Committee of this Association that the conference of the leading members of the Depressed Classes should be held at Nagpur to consider the question. It was hoped that a leader’s conference would be called before any definite step was taken, but for reasons known to themselves, the All-India Depressed classes Association has abandoned the idea of calling such a conference. Under these circumstances it has been mere necessity to mobilize the public opinion of the Depressed Classes so that not only such tactics may be defeated before they do the mischief they are intended to cause and secondly to allow public opinions of their own on these vital issues. I, therefore, hope that in view of the importance of this session, you will make it convenient to attend the same. Yours faithfully, Hardas L. N. President, Reception Committee.” 1 1 : Janata, dated 9th April 1932.

78 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES “ Dr. B. R. Ambedkar returned from Simla to Bombay on 4th May 1932. Immediately, on 6th May 1932, he left Bombay by Calcutta Mail to attend the All-India Depressed Classes Congress at Kamptee near Nagpur. The Congress had been postponed to this date to suit Dr. Ambedkar’s convenience. On his way he was greeted throughout that night by enthusiastic crowds of Untouchables at all the railway stations from Kasara to Nagpur. The train steamed in at nine in the morning, on 7th May 1932, and Nagpur station echoed with cries of ‘Long Live Dr. Ambedkar’. A rousing reception was accorded to Dr. Ambedkar on the platform by a vast crowd of 5,000 people. Tularam Sakhare M. L. C. received Dr. Ambedkar and other leaders on the platform. The City Magistrate and the Police Superintendent were present at the station for the maintenance of peace and order. The Congress pandal was decorated and was huge enough to accommodate 15,000 persons. The dais was a very big rostrum. As most of the Depressed Class leaders from the four corners of India had gathered to take a vital decision, the atmosphere was charged with tense feeling and excitement. It was very surprising that such a vast gathering of the Depressed Class delegates should assemble despite their poverty. Another significant fact about the Depressed Classes Congress was that it was held at a place which was supposed to be the stronghold of Dr. Moonje, and the supporters of the Rajah-Moonje Pact. In order to have a complete picture of the situation, it may be recalled here that immediately after the announcement of the Rajah-Moonje Pact in one of his letters to Gavai who was the General Secretary of the All-India Depressed Classes Association, Dr. Ambedkar had, under great provocation given him a threat of “breach between us and war amongst ourselves” if his organization advocated the system of joint electorates and reserved seats. It was reported then that Gavai had made a protest to Lord Lothian against this intimidation ! On the evening of 7th May the proceedings of the Congress commenced. About two hundred messages, supporting the demand for separate electorates as adumbrated in the Minorities Pact, repudiating the Rajah-Moonje Pact and wishing this

79UNTOUCHABLES...............POWER Congress success, were read out. The General Secretary of the Buddha Mahasabha sent a message of good wishes and asked the Depressed Classes to embrace Buddhism. Dr. Ambedkar’s Party was then well organized and it maintained rigid discipline. Poor Rajbhoj and his supporters had no such organised backing. Hardas L. N., the Chairman, then traced the history of the Depressed Classes Congress and, emphasizing the need for unity among the Depressed Classes, remarked : “With separate electorate we will swim or sink.” In a two-hour address Muniswami Pillay, defining the aspirations of the Depressed Classes, expressed dissatisfaction at the conduct of the Government, especially for not taking a sufficient number of delegates and asked Government to invite at least two more delegates from the Depressed Classes. The next day the open session commenced. The Depressed Classes Congress adopted twelve resolutions. It declared that its considered opinion was that the Minorities Pact contained the irreducible minimum demands of the Depressed Classes. It repudiated the Rajah-Moonje Pact as, according to its delegates, it was detrimental to the interests of the Depressed Classes; and it appreciated the magnificent services of Dr. Ambedkar and Rao Bahadur Srinivasan they had rendered at the Round Table Conference.” 1 While addressing the Conference Dr. Ambedkar said, “It is very necessary that the political reins should come in the hands of Untouchables. For that, all of us should unite and secure a political status. Untouchability in India will not be eradicated so long as the Untouchables do not control the political strings.” 2 “The Congress of the Depressed Classes thus concluded by declaring that it stood by Dr. Ambedkar and the Minorities Pact.” 3 zz 1 : Keer, Pp. 199-200. 2 : Janata, dated 14th May 1932. 3 : Keer, P. 200.

13 I WOULD NOT BUDGE AN INCH FROM MY RIGHTEOUS CAUSE “Poona, April 28, 1932. At the invitation of the All-India Anti-Untouchability League, with its headquarters at Poona, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, the representative of the Depressed Classes at the Round Table Conference, at present serving on the Franchise Committee, will come to Poona early in May to accept an address in appreciation of his work, from the League. At the same time he will be presented with an address from the Depressed Classes of the Poona District. A local reception committee under the Chairmanship of Subhedar R. S. Ghatge, has the preparations in hand”. 1 “After the Kamptee Congress, Dr. Ambedkar visited Poona, Sholapur and Nipani, where he addressed meetings of the Depressed Classes. Of these visits, the visit to Poona was very important. He reached Poona in the evening of May 21,1932. There he was taken out in procession. The huge procession went on raising anti-orthodox slogans and reached the open space at the Ahalyashram. There he was given an address of welcome* under the presidentship of A. B. Latthe. Latthe revealed to the audience how in London British statesmen and high officials secretly inquired of him whether or not Dr. Ambedkar belonged to the Revolutionary Party of India. Latthe added that it was quite disgraceful on the part of the so-called nationalist press to depict a great man like Dr. Ambedkar as a traitor. Latthe, who, it is said, had once offered Dr. Ambedkar the principalship of the Arts College at Kolhapur, recalled an occasion when he had asked Dr. Ambedkar about his success as a lawyer. He told the audience that Dr. Ambedkar’s reply was that according to him success in life meant success in raising the Depressed Classes to the status of human beings. Latthe concluded by declaring that since 1 : The Times of India, dated 30th April 1932. *The address was presented by ‘The Pune District-Depressed Class’ in Marathi language, on which names of 322 men and 42 women were printed—Editors.

81I WOULD..........RIGHTEOUS CAUSE Dr. Ambedkar was striving for the amelioration of the downtrodden humanity in India, his services to India were in themselves a great contribution to India and to the world as well.* Replying to the address, Dr. Ambedkar said : “At present I am the most hated man in Hindu India. I am represented as a traitor, I am denounced as an enemy of the Hindus, I am cursed as a destroyer of Hinduism, and branded as the greatest enemy of the country. But believe me when I say that, when after some days the dust settles down and a review of the proceedings of the Round Table Conference is dispassionately taken by future historians, the future generations of the Hindus will acclaim my services to the nation. If they do not recognise, well I would not care for their disapprobation. My great satisfaction,” he concluded with a serene face, “is that the Depressed Classes have implicit faith in my work and undivided devotion to the mission for which I stand. It is my solemn vow to die in the service and cause of those down-trodden people among whom I was born, I was brought up and I am living. I would not budge an inch from my righteous cause, or care for the violent and disparaging criticism by my detractors.” 1 However, there were additional dimensions in the speech of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar which were reported by the Bombay Chronicle. The dimenstions were as under :—Editors. Replying Dr. Ambedkar said that he did not want temples, or wells or intercaste dinners but Government service, food, clothing, education and other opportunities. Besides caste systems, there were other distinctions, such as “Guna Bheda” for education which political reforms needed. He for this reason changed his opinion and was now convinced that political reform should precede social reform. He also stressed the necessity of the community, having Separate Electorates for the time being even though leaders like Rao Bahadur Raja and Gavai now advocated the Joint Electorates.”2 zz * Janata, dated 25th June 1932. 1 : Keer, Pp. 201-202. 2 : The Bombay Chronicle, dated 23rd May 1932.