Vol. 17, Part III · pages 236–240

207WHAT IS...................EVOLUTION ? In looking at the Federation the Princes kept two questions before them. . . . . . . . . How far would this Federation enable them to escape the tyranny of Paramountcy, and secondly, how far did the scheme take away their sovereignty of their powers of internal Government ? “They want to draw more under the former and to give less under the latter” said Dr. Ambedkar. In this connection Dr. Ambedkar asserted that there were other points of view besides those mentioned which must have their say. He pointed out that there was the point of view of the freeman, and of the poor man. The Federation did not seem to take any account of them and yet they were people who were most concerned. Dr. Ambedkar asserted, “This Federation if it comes into being will be a standing menace to freeman and an obstacle in the way of the poor man.” Concluding Dr. Ambedkar said the vastness of the subject was the reason for the length of his address. He was also persuaded not to cut matters short being reminded of the days when people of India were led by men like Ranade, Tilak, Agarkar, Gokhale, Dadabhoy, Pherozeshah Mehta, Surendranath Bannerji. . . . . . . . . If notable figures in Indian Political firmament. . . . . . .a group of well-clad and well-read politicians who relied on study and experience. Today their places were taken by. . . . . . . . . voice.” 1 zz 1 : The Bombay Chronicle, dated 31st January 1939.

53 GANDHI PREPARED TO ACCEPT FEDERATION IN WHATEVER FORM Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, leader of the Independent Labour Party while presiding over the Bijapur District Harijan Conference at Bijapur on 12th February 1939 said, “I connot understand Mr. Gandhi’s opposition to Mr. Bose on the issue of Federation. It can be construed in two ways : either Mr. Gandhi must have made up his mind to accept Federation unconditionally, or he must be diffident about his weapon of Ahimsa and Satyagraha. He seems to have prepared to accept Federation in whatever form.” He strongly criticised Federation which, he believed, would never improve matters, but on the other hand, would lead to chaos and worsen the situation in India. He said that he could prove to the hilt that there was no honesty left in the Congress, which was entirely in the hands of a clique. He was sure he would have secured a unique position in the Congress by flattering Mr. Gandhi, if he wished. He knew perfectly well that the present policy of the Congress would never lead them to Purna Swaraj, he had therefore no mind to join the Congress. He had started a separate party a few days before the last Assembly election and called it the Independent Labour Party. It had been gaining strength ever since. His main object in coming to Bijapur was to start a branch of his party there.” 1 zz 1 : The Times of India, dated 15th February 1939.

54 SAVE YOUR CHILDREN FROM HARROWING LIFE Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, leader of the Independent Labour Party, in the course of his speech at a meeting of the ‘Kuchrapatti’ workers held on Sunday evening the 26th February 1939 at Chembur, Bombay when a purse of Rs. 1001 was presented to him as a contribution of the workers for the fund for raising building for headquarters of the Party. Dr. Ambedkar said, The noteworthy change that has come about in the social and psychological outlook of the Depressed Classes during the past decade or so. Referring direct to the audience he said, “You are the people who are ordained by destiny to deal with the dirt and filth of the thirteen lakhs of the people of Bombay. Your whole life is spent in the midst of this squalor. But let everyone of these present here see to it that at least your children are saved from this harrowing life, that they are better educated than you are that they lead a more happy, comfortable and civilised life than you have been destined to do.” Dr. Ambedkar thanked all those who had contributed to the Building Fund of the Independent Labour Party and hoped that other working class centres would follow the lead given by Chembur and enable the Party to start the building work as soon as possible. Among the speakers who preceded Dr. Ambedkar were Mr. G. M. Jadhav, Principal Donde, Mr. Gaikwad, the Depressed Class representative from Nasik in the Bombay Legislative Assembly, Dr. Deorukhkar, Mr. D. V. Pradhan presided.1 zz 1 : The Bombay Chronicle, dated 28th February 1939.

55 I WORKED FOR BENEFIT OF WHOLE COMMUNITY NOT FOR A PARTICULAR SECTION Dr. B.R. Ambedkar addressing a meeting of the Rohidas Sikshan Samaj held at the R. M. Bhat High School, Parel, Bombay on Sunday the 2nd July 1939 said, “That he favoured the abolition of sub-castes among the Depressed Classes and honestly worked to that end. He further said that the question of marriage was not one that could be settled by force. It was not that a Mahar girl, he observed, and a Chamar boy or a Mang boy should be married perforce as if by waving a magic wand. It was upto them to encourage those men who showed courage to perform such marriages. Referring to the political problem, he said that the Congress leaders were shrewdly bringing about a rift among the Depressed Classes by encouraging some Depressed Class leaders against his Party. He appealed to them not to fall prey to the Congress false propaganda. Congress leaders were cajoling the Harijan leaders, he added, because he was not there in the Congress camp. He stated that it was a fact that the I.L.P.drew its major following from the Mahars. But it was, he explained, not his fault that the Mahars had a majority in the Depressed Classes.* In his concluding remarks, however, he stated that to get rid of those sectional feelings the only way out was to embrace another religion.” 1 However there were additional dimentions in the speech of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar which were covered by ‘The Times of India’. The dimentions were as under : Editors. “It was regrettable that there should be difference of opinion among the different sections of the Depressed Classes but the work that he did, was not meant for a particular section but for the benefit of the whole community. He never favoured sectional or sectarian ideas or policy in his uplift work. Dr. Ambedkar added that the Chamar community who kept aloof from the Independent Labour Party was under the impression that *The Janata, dated 8th July 1939. 1 : Keer, Pp 323-324.

211I WORKED.....................SECTION the Congress would improve its lot, but it was mistaken in its faith. He appealed for unity among the different sections. The president Mr. M.V. Donde, said that the scholarships now offered by Government to the community were inadequate and they should be given more encouragement. Resolutions to the effect that every district should have a free boarding school for the community and appealing to Government to allow the boys and girls who failed in the recent examinations to appear again for examinations in three months were passed. The following members were elected office bearers : Mr. K. R. Pavekar (President), Mr. B. J. Devrukar and Mr. B. G. Wagmare (Secretaries) and 40 committee members.”1 zz 1 : The Times of India, dated 5th July 1939.