Vol. 17, Part III · pages 201–205

43 GUARD THE INTERESTS OF THE DEPRESSED CLASSES “Under the auspices of the Ahmednagar District Depressed Class Sewa Sangh, a public meeting was held in the Kamgar Maidan on January 15th 1938, under the Chairmanship of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, to congratulate Mr. Prabhakar Janardan Roham, M.L.A., on his election to the Bombay Legislative Assembly. Mr. Roham was presented with an address and a purse of Rs. 201 at the said meeting. About 500 persons attended. Dr. Ambedkar, Bhawoosaheb Gaikwad and Shinde Master addressed the gathering in Marathi. They stated that Mr. Roham was successful in getting himself elected to the Assembly on the ticket of the Independent Labour Party, due to the solid support of the Depressed Classes of the Ahmednagar District and now expected him to guard the interests of the Depressed Classes. In conclusion, they thanked the audience for their attendance at the meeting. The meeting commenced at about 10.30 p.m. and concluded peacefully at about 11.30 p.m.” 1 zz 1 : Source material Vol. I, P. 163.

44 TRADE UNIONS MUST ENTER POLITICS TO PROTECT THEIR INTERESTS A Conference of all the ‘Untouchable’ workers of the ‘Great Indian Peninsula’ (GIP) Railways was held at Manmad on 12th & 13th February 1938. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar consented to be the Chair person for this Conference and accordingly an informative handbill was circulated among all the branches of GIP Railways. This Conference was planned to discuss the problems faced by the ‘Untouchable’ workers in the Railways due to the practice of Untouchability. It was also planned to discuss the pitiable condition of these Untouchables and their families’, in spite of the Railway being one of the richest and strongest organizations in India. To make this Conference a success, the workers from Manmad, Bhusawal, Kalyan, Igatpuri, Nandgaon, Dound, Solapur, Thane and Mumbai had discussed this issue with Dr. B. R. Ambedkar previously. To this, there was positive response from Delhi, Allahabad, Lucknow, Kanpur, Jabalpur, Raipur etc. An appeal was made to make this Conference a grand success. Shri R. R. Pawar, who was well known amongst the ‘Untouchable’ Railway workers, was the general secretary of this Conference. It appears from the correspondence between Dr. B. R. Ambedkar and Shri R.R. Pawar, General Secretary, ‘Dalit Workers Confer ence’, Manmad, that due to unavoidable circumstances Dr. B. R. Ambedkar was unable to attend the Conference on 29th & 30th January 1938 and instead, he himself suggested 12th & 13th February 1938 (Saturday and Sunday) for this Conference. This correspon dence was included in the handbill of the Conference. A huge pandal was erected for this Conference on the open land of Mr. Ibrahim Tajbhai Sheth, just near the Manmad Railway Station and was named as ‘Dalit-Kamagar (workers) Nagar’.

174 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES Dr. B.R. Ambedkar made a halt at Manmad on both these days. During this period he visited Satana and Kazisangavi. A “Youth Conference” was arranged on Saturday February 12th for which Dr. B. R. Ambedkar was Chairperson.* The future programmes of ‘Independent Labour Party’ and its vigorous implementation in all the areas were discussed in this Conference. Similar to the Youth Conference, ‘Untouchable Women’s Conference’ was planned on Sunday 13th February at 3 p.m. under the chairmanship of Mrs. Mainabai Shamrao Bhole, a worker from Pune. Mrs. Venubai Ravikant Jadhav was elected as Chairperson of the Reception Committee for this Conference. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar addressed those women about the movement and guided them. Various entertainment programmes were held on both these days. A band from Chalisgaon was specially called for this Conference. Loudspeakers were arranged in the pandal. Mr. R. R. Pawar, Mr. Bankar, Mr. Ahire, Mr. Khare, Mr. Sansare, Mr. Patil, Mr. Sarode, Mr. More, Mr. Pagare, Mr. Telure etc. worked hard to make this Conference a grand success. On this occasion, separate offices for ‘Janta’ weekly and ‘Independent Labour Party’ were established in the Conference premises to collect the annual membership for ‘Janta’ and member ship fees of ‘Independent Labour Party’ along with information about these movements. The Conference The Conference was successfully held on 12th & 13th February 1938. ‘Dalit Kamgar Nagar’ was well decorated. Seating arrangement for about twenty thousand delegates was made. A separate dais was prepared for the President and other workers. The photographs of various workers along with a large portrait of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar decorated with flowers were *The speech delivered in the Youth Conference is on page 193—Editors.

175TRADE UNIONS............INTERESTS arranged. Special arrangements for women, members of Reception Committee and special invitees were made. On Saturday evening Dr. B. R. Ambedkar was welcomed in ‘Dalit Kamgar Nagar’ with the band and loud cheers of ‘long live Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’, ‘workers victory’ etc. till he occupied the dais. Initially few songs were sung by young boys and girls. Mr. Shankarrao Salve took lot of efforts for the success of this programme. Mr. P. N. Bankar read his welcome speech. Mr. Ramchandra Pawar welcomed the delegates and invitees. He read, on this occasion, the various messages, specially sent by Subhedar Vishram Gangaram Sawadkar and Bhai Anantrao Chitre from Mahad. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar was elected as Chairperson for the Conference, on Satuarday 12th February 1938. His election as a Chairperson was acclaimed by loud clapping by the audience. After occupying the chairperson’s place and after getting garlanded. Dr. Ambedkar gave an introductory speech. On the second day, Sunday, 13th February 1938, regular work of the Conference was resumed with some delay. Inspite of the heat of the sun in the ‘Dalit Kamgar Nagar’, huge crowd had assembled to listen to the speech of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar. He rose to speak in the midst of the overwhelming clappings of the people....... 1 In his speech Dr. Ambedkar said, “Friends ! This is a Conference of the Depressed Classes who are working as Railwaymen on the G.I.P.* Railway. The Depressed Classes have heretofore met in many a conferences in this Province as well as in other Provinces of India and on many occasions. In a certain sense this is not the first Conference. But in another sense it is the first of its kind. The Depressed Classes have hitherto agitated principally for the removal of social grievances. They have not taken up the work of the removal of their economic grievances. This is the first time when they 1 : Janta, dated 8 may; 25th December 1937 and 22nd January, 5th February 1938. *Great Indian Peninsula Railway

176 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES are meeting to consider their economic grievances. Hitherto they were meeting as Pariahs. Now you are meeting as workers. I am not prepared to say that we have been wrong in concentrating our efforts in emphasizing social grievances. Whatever other people may say there are grievances under the load of which our very manhood is crushed out. Nor can it be said that our agitation has borne no fruit. It is true that we have not succeeded in the removal of Untouchability. It is true that we have not succeeded in securing some of the most elementary rights to which all human beings are entitled. But it is also true that our agitation has succeeded in so far as we have obtained possession of political power. Who has power has liberty is an observation which no one can gainsay. Power is the only means whereby one can secure liberty and free himself from all obstacles and political power has a potency which if it is not as great as religious or economic power is quite real and effective as far as it goes. I am sorry that the political power which the Depressed Classes have got under the new constitution has been frittered away by the machinations of our enemies and by the selfishness of needy and profligate adventurers from among our selves. Power behind which there is no organization, power behind which there is no consciousness is no power. I hope one day, not before very long the Depressed Classes will become organized, will become conscious of the power they have got and will begin to put it to wise and effective use in order to secure their social emancipation. Although I am not prepared to say that our efforts have been misdirected I confess that we have too long neglected to lay the same emphasis on the economic problems with which we are faced as we do on social problems and I am therefore glad that we have met today more as workers than as Untouchables. It is a new departure and I congratulate those who have given us this opportunity of discussing them. There are however some people who have read into this move a sinister motive and have criticised me for being a party to this Conference. I would not have cared for this criticism had it not been that this criticism comes from labour leaders. The gravamen of their charge seems to be that by holding this Conference of the Depressed Class Workers we are dividing the ranks of labour.