Vol. 17, Part III · pages 271–275

74 IF DEMOCRACY DIES IT WILL BE OUR DOOM The President-elect of the All-India Depressed Classes Conference, Third Sesson, Rao Bahadur N. Sivaraj, M. L. A, (Central) and Dr. B. R. Ambedkar arrived at Nagpur at 9 a.m. on 18th July 1942. They were received at the Railway Station by the chairman and the members of the Reception Committee. Almost all the members of the Reception Committee and the delegates were also present on the platform and accorded a hearty welcome to the President-elect and Dr. B. R. Ambedkar amidst deafening cries of “Ambedkar Zindabad” (long live Ambedkar). The President-elect and Dr. Ambedkar were profusely garlanded. A procession was then formed and the honoured guests were conducted to the lawn in front of the Railway Station where over fifty thousand people had gathered for the Darshan (Glimpse) of Dr. Ambedkar and the President-elect. Their appearance on the lawn was greeted with applause and deafening cheers of “Ambedkar ki jai” (victory to Ambedkar). Along the lawn a Guard-of-Honour was provided by five thousand uniforfned Sainiks of the Provincial Samata Sainik Dal. The band of the Sainik Dal played appropriate tunes. After inspecting the guard-of-honour, the President-elect and Dr. B. R. Ambedkar were taken in a procession to the Conference Pandal, preceded by a mile long squad of the Samata Sainik Dal, aided by their bands and followed by thousands of the visitors and delegates to the Conference. The procession is one that would be long remembered by the public of Nagpur as the like of it had not been seen before. Triumphal Arches were erected en route, and were named as “Ambedkar Gate”, “Hardas Gate”, “Kalloo Ahirey Gate”, “Ramabai Ambedkar Gate”, etc. In front of the Mohan Park Hotel where the President-elect and Dr. Ambedkar alongwith other delegates were accommodated, the Sainiks formed themselves into lines on both sides of the road and formed an arch of lathis through which the Honoured Leader passed.

243IF DEMOCRACY....................OUR DOOM The three Conferences that were held in Nagpur from July the 18th to the July 20, 1942, namely- (1) The All-India Depressed Classes Conference, presided over by Rao Bahadur N. Shiva Raj B.A., B.L., M.L.A. (Central); (2) The Depressed Classes Women’s Conference, presided over by Mrs. Dongre of Amraoti; and (3) The Samata Sainik Dal Conference, presided over by Mr. Gopal Singh, M. B. E., M. L. A. (Punjab). The All-India Depressed Classes Conference was remarkable for three things. It was remarkable because of the record attendance of men and women. There were not less than 75,000 people present at the session, and there were not less than 20,000 women. In addition to this, this was a Conference which was fully representative of the Depressed Classes of almost all the Provinces of India. The second thing for which this Conference will remain memorable is the Resolutions that were passed at this Conference. These Resolutions contained for the first time a clear and positive enunciation of the political demands of the Depressed Classes. Nobody who reads them can have any doubt as to what the political demands of the Untouchables are. As some newspaper reporters have said, the Resolutions passed by this Conference constitute the Pakistan of the Depressed Classes, both in the nature of the demands that were made and also by the definiteness in which they were worded. The third thing for which this Conference will remain memorable is the Resolution passed by the Conference to establish an All-India Organization to be called the All-India Scheduled Castes Federation. In this Organization which will act as the one single mouth-piece of the Depressed Classes of India, and the Conference has taken a definite decision that all other petty and provincial Organizations shall be merged in this one single Organization which will have its provincial branches in the different Provinces of India.

244 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES Viewed in the light of the work accomplished by this Conference, there can be no doubt that this Conference opens out a new vision for the Depressed Classes and gives a new direction to the movement of the Untouchables. In this record of proceedings the Reception Committee also decided to include the proceedings of the two other Conferences that were held in the same pandal and as part of this main political Conference, and they too will excite interest and enthusiasm in the Untouchables all over India when they realise how the Volunteer Organization and the Women’s Organization have been progressively making their influence felt to strengthen the life of the Untouchables both in social as well as in political matters. ALL - INDIA DEPRESSED CLASSES CONFERENCE HELD AT NAGPUR on July 18 and 19, 1942 First day’s proceedings The Third Session of the All-India Depressed Classes Conference commenced at 3-30 p. m. on July 18, 1942 in a specially erected, spacious Pandal in the Mohan Park at Nagpur under the Presidentship of Rao Bahadur N. Sivaraj, M. L. A. (Central). Delegates from all over India and over sixty thousand visitors, including distinguished visitors, and about twenty thousand lady visitors were present. The large number of lady visitors was spectacular feature of the Conference. The President-elect and Dr. B. R. Ambedkar were conducted by the Chairman of the Reception Committee to their seats. After the President-elect, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar and other delegates took their seats, the proceedings commenced with the singing of welcome songs. After the singing of welcome songs, Mr. G. T. Meshram, Chairman of the Reception Committee delivered his address.

245IF DEMOCRACY....................OUR DOOM H. L. Kosare after reading the report on behalf of the General Secretary said, “We have received messages of sympathy from all over India. It will take long time to read them all. I, therefore, only read the names of those from whom the messages have been received.” Bengal : - 1. Mr. U. N. Edbor, M. A. B. L., M. L. A. 2. Mr. A. Maji, M. L. A. 3. Mr. B. B. Mandal, B. L., M. L. A. 4. Hon’ble Mr. N. Barman, Minister. Madras : - 1. Rao Saheb V. J. Munniswami Pillay, M. L. A. 2. Mr. E. Kannan, M. L. A. 3. Mr. R. Veerian, Coimbatore 4 Swami Sahajananda, M. L. A. Chidamberam. Bombay : - 1. Mr. S. N. Mane, Barrister-at-Law, Belgaum. 2. Poona Depressed Class College Students. 3. Mr. Sawant, M. L. A. Satara District. 4. Balbhim Sangh, Dhulia. 5. Samatawadi Dalit Mandal, Dhulia. 6. Mr. S. M. Dikhale, Poona. 7. Mr. R. S. Salunke, Bhor State Dalit Praja. 8. Mr. R. G. Khandale, Daund. 9. Mr. T. S. Dhutre, Thana. 10. Rajha-Bombay. 11. The South Indian Adi Dravid Youth League. 12. The Tirunelvadi Dist. 5 B Adi Dravida Conference.

246 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES 13. Mr. M. G. Parmer, B. A., D. P. A., F. R. C. S., Bijapur ( N. G. ) 14. Mr. Ramajibhai Bhanabhai, Ahmedabad. 15. Mr. Somabhai Sunderji, Ahmedabad. 16. Mr. Sadhu Premdas, Ahmedabad. 17. Mr. Atmaram Ichyaram Solanki, Ahmedabad. 18. Mr. S. P. Chavan, Meghwal Independent League (Bombay) Punjab :- 1. Mr. Bhagat Hansraj, M. L. A. 2. Mr. Sukhlal, Lahore. 3. Mr. R. L. Bhonodia, Lahore. U. P. :- 1. Mr. Ramchandra, Allahabad. 2. Rai Bahadur Homiprasad Tamta, Almora 3. Mr. Radhelal Vyas, Bareilly. 4. Mr. Gangaram G. Dhanuk, Itawa. Hyderabad :- 1. Mr. B. S. More, Aurangabad. Mr. G. T. Meshram said, Mr. D. G. Jadhav, B.A., LL.B., M.L.A., Jalgaon, East Khandesh (Bombay) will now propose that our President-elect to take the chair. Accordingly D. G. Jadhav, R. L. Biswas, B.A., B.L., M.L.A., (Bengal), Rai Sahib Shamlal, Ex-M.L.C. (Allahabad, U.P.); K. H. Shendre, B.A., L.L.B., Nagpur, (Central Provinces); Gopal Singh, M.B.E., M.L.A; Parliamentary Secretary to the Punjab government, Kurmiah, B.A., B.L., M.L.A., (Madras, Andhra); A. D. Roy. M.L.C., (Bengal) and P.N. Rajbhoj, Poona (Bombay) proposed, seconded and supported the resolution. Thereafter G. T. Meshram