Vol. 17, Part III · pages 266–270

237YOUR SALVATION..................OWN HANDS out for his avatar (incarnation) to redeem them from the slouch of despondency. That has made the Hindu community helpless in face of calamity. I don’t want you to follow such a ruinous teaching. I don’t want you to be dependent on any single personality for your salvation. Your salvation must lie in your own hands, through your own efforts.” 1 “In conclusion, Dr. Ambedkar uttered a note of warning to the British Government as well as the Hindus. The British Government, he said, ought to remember that at the time of the transference of power, the Depressed Classes should be given adequate guarantees. If they did not, the Depressed Classes would fight the British with every means in their power. If the Hindus gave adequate guarantees to the Depressed Classes, they would fight their battles shoulder to shoulder with them. Otherwise there would be no compromise with them. The Jubilee Committee organised for the purpose of celebrating Dr. B. R. Ambedkar’s 50th birthday presented him this evening with a purse of Rs. 580 at a Mammoth Meeting of his followers, at Kamagar Maidan. Mr. M. V. Donde, Municipal Corporator presided.” 2 zz 1: Bombay Sentinel (Bombay), dated 28th April 1942. 2: The Bombay Chronical, dated 27th April 1942.

71 THE DOORS OF MY HOUSE WOULD ALWAYS REMAIN OPEN TO FRIENDS As per proclamation issued on July 2, 1942, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar was included in the Executive Council of Viceroy of India. “Dr. B. R. Ambedkar immediately left for Delhi on July 5, 1942 to attend a meeting of the National Defence Council and returned to Bombay on July 11. On his return, Dr. Ambedkar attended a dinner given by his friends and admirers at the Radio Club, Bombay. Speaking on the occasion, Acharya M. V. Donde referred to the years of patient labour through which they stood by him, and hoped that the leader would end the slavery of his people and succeed in ameliorating the conditions of the labouring masses of India. In reply, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar said that, He was born of the poor, was brought up among them, lived among them, had slept like them on the damp floor covered with sack-cloth, and shared the sorrow of his people. He promised to remain absolutely unchanged in his attitude to his friends and to the rest of the world, and added that the doors of his house in New Delhi would always remain open to his friends.” 1 zz 1: Keer, Pp. 347-349.

72 STRUGGLE OF LOWEST STRATA OF SOCIETY IS BOUND TO HELP ALL SECTIONS OF WORKING CLASS “On 12th July 1942, the Independent Labour Party and the Bombay Municipal Labour Union held a meeting to congratulate their leader, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar. He told the labourers that although the main task before the Executive was the defence of the country, much of what he would accomplish would depend upon the colleagues in the Council. At another meeting held at R. M. Bhatt High School, Bombay, by the peasants of Konkan Districts and States. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar declared that, he would never surrender in the battle, he would have to wage for protecting and advancing the interests of the working classes in India ; but added that he would not at the same time threaten his colleagues in the Cabinet with his resignation at every point of minor difference. Replying to a charge that a separate organisation for the Depressed Classes was prejudicial to the interests and solidarity of the Labour Classes in general, he observed that the struggle which comprised the lowest strata of society was bound to help in the amelioration of all other sections of the working class because when the bottom-most stone in a structure was shifted from its place, those above it were bound to be shaken out of their positions. He pointed out that the Caste Hindu labourers had not outgrown their prejudice against the Depressed Class labourers. Anantrao Chitre, who presided over the function, urged Dr. Ambedkar to extend the field of his influence and activity of labour movement so as to include the non-Depressed Class labouring classes and assume the leadership of the entire toiling masses of India.” 1 zz 1: Keer, P. 349.

73 IF THE BOTTOM-MOST STONE IS SHIFTED THOSE ABOVE ARE TO BE SHAKEN Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, in the course of his reply to the congratulatory speeches made in a meeting of the peasants and Depressed Classes members from Ratnagiri and Kolaba Districts held last night* in the Bhatt High School, Bombay, said, “I assure you that I shall not surrender in the battle, I will have to wage for protecting and advancing the interests of the working class in India in the Executive Council. You may depend on me as regards that, I also want to make it clear that I shall not be so childish as to keep my resignation ready in my pocket and flourish it in the face of my colleagues at every point of minor differences.” “I am anxious that the Depressed Classes movement should make a common front with the working classes of other communities,” continued Dr. Ambedkar. “With that object in view I clung to the Non-Brahmin Party for full ten years in the hope that sooner or later it would rise to the full height of its great mission of struggling for the freedom of the toiling masses of the great non-Brahmin community. That party had in it the germs of the great principle of democracy. Its leaders unfortunately did not realise their duties and responsibilities and allowed the party to be smashed to bits under the double influence of Government and Congress patronage. Even now I would welcome if they did something in the matter. I do not at all insist that the Non-Brahmin labouring masses should join our party. Let them have their own party if they so desire; but we can certainly make a common front against the exploiting classes in our common struggle against the Brahmins, the capitalists, landlords and other exploiting classes. By breaking up the party the Non-Brahmins have committed a political suicide. 1 : The Bombay Sentinel, dated 14th July 1942. * As per B. S. A., dated 16th July 1942 and the Bombay Chronicle, dated 21st July 1942 the meeting was held on 15th July 1942. The date ‘14th’ of the Bombay Sentinel in the source material might have been wrongly reprinted— Editors.

241IF THE................BE SHAKEN As far as I am concerned I do not desire to follow such a suicidal policy. The Depressed Classes will continue to have their own political organisation. Some people complain that the organisation of a separate party of the Depressed Classes harms the interests of working classes in general. It does not do anything of the kind. On the contrary our struggle composed of the lowest strata of labour is bound to help in the amelioration of all other sections of the working class. If the bottom-most stone in a structure is shifted from its place those above it are bound to be shaken out of their position. On the other hand a labour organisation only of Caste Hindus is not bound to be helpful to the Hindus. On the contrary, if not rightly guided, it might even be harmful to the Depressed Classes. A Caste Hindu organisation may not recognise the rights of Depressed Classes labour. It may even trample on their rights as has happened in so many cases in the past. One illustration will suffice to prove my contention. In 1929 there was a prolonged strike in the Bombay textile mills. During the strike I approached the strike leaders to do something to remove the Caste Hindu ban on Depressed Classes men working in certain departments of mills. The labour leaders took no action on my suggestion for months together except to pass a harmless resolution and to forward it to the Fawcett Committee which again did nothing in the matter. On the other hand, the movement for the abolition of Khoti was launched by us. It was a movement launched in the interests of the Depressed Classes primarily but it was automatically helpful to Caste Hindu workers on Khoti lands. Such instances can be multiplied “ad infinitum.” All that I wish to emphasise is that our sectional movement is in no way harmful to other sections. Moreover, we are ever ready to make common cause with other sections of labour. Mr. A. V. Chitre in his presidential remarks urged upon Dr. Ambedkar necessity for expanding the field of activity of the labour movement under his control so as to include the NonDepressed Classes. He said that he “wanted to see Dr. Ambedkar not merely as the leader of the Depressed Classes but of the entire toiling masses of India ”. Among the other speakers were Messrs Surendranath Tipnis, Narayan Nagu Patil, Devrao Naik, Wadvalkar and Gaikwad. zz