Vol. 17, Part III · pages 316–320

287I MAKE........................MEEKNESS Resolution No. 3 Next Session : The President moved the following resolution from the Chair. 3. That it is resolved that the venue of the Second AllIndia Samata Sainik Dal Conference be in the Punjab when the All-India Depressed Classes Conference is convened there. There is no opposition. I declare the resolution carried unanimously. I now request the Hon’ble Dr. B. R. Ambedkar to address the Conference. The Hon’ble Dr. Ambedkar was given rousing ovation when he rose to speak. Address by Dr. Ambedkar The following is the substance of Dr. Ambedkar’s speech to the Samata Sainik Dal : I am very glad to see this vast body of Volunteer Corps raised in the Province of C.P. This Volunteer Corps was first started in Bombay about the year 1926. The Samata Sainik Dal is an integral part of our general movement. Indeed it is its powerful instrument. The aims and objects of our movement have undergone a complete and a radical change. There was a time when our object was to obtain for our people a place of equality within the Hindu Society as a part and parcel of it. Today we stand for equality with the Hindus as a distinct and separate element in the National life of India. The aims and objects of the Samata Sainik Dal have also changed alongwith this change in the aims and objects of our movement. What led to formation of this Volunteer organization was the original object of our movement namely to foster the demand among the Depressed Classes for social equality with the Hindus. As its name implies, the organization was built up to bring about a reorganization of the Hindu society with a view to find for the Depressed Classes in the Hindu society a place of equality. Today its object is to obtain Social Equality with the Hindus by bringing about a complete separation

288 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES from the Hindus. We hope to achieve it by separation in religion. We have to go by stages. We had to begin our struggle with a demand for political equality by demanding political separation. This was most a difficult task, for the Depressed Classes could not find a safe and a secure platform from which to give vent to their political demands. There was a time when this was quite impossible. The Congress organization had become so dominant that in Bombay city they would not allow any other party to hold any political meeting. The Congress volunteers used to come and breakup such meetings. Nobody dared to hold a meeting. To meet this menace we decided to add to the orignial function of the Volunteer Crops a new duty namely to take part in politics and protect our platform from the turbulent and repressive activities of the Congress Volunteers. This proved a most efficacious method of dealing with the menace of the Congress Volunteers. I well remember the incident that took place in Bombay just about the time that I was going to the first Round Table Conference. The Congress held, in Bombay just near where I was living, a public meeting in the name of the Depressed Classes to condemn my going to the Round Table Conference and to declare that I was not true representative of the Depressed Classes. I told the organizers of the meeting that I did not mind any resolution being passed provided it was a meeting of the Depressed Classed and that their meeting was not the meeting of the Depressed Classes. They declined to desist from the line of action they had decided upon. In the evening the meeting was held. Our volunteers came in a body and to the utter discomfiture of the Congress Volunteers captured the meeting. The Congressmen had to run for their life leaving behind their chair, table and bell which was brought by our volunteers as a trophy. Our Volunteer Corps has been the strongest in Bombay. Nobody has ever dared to challenge our volunteers. If we have carried out our political activities without being molested by anybody it is because of the strength of our volunteer organization. We owe them a great debt of gratitude. You borrowed the idea from Bombay. But I see that you have left Bombay very much behind in the vastness of your organization. In this you excite my admiration. Bombay will

289I MAKE........................MEEKNESS have to bestir itself to come up to your level. I implicitly believe in the necessity for this volunteer organization. It must not only be maintained, but it should be started in every Province and it should be so expanded until it has embraced every young man from the Depressed Classes within its membership. There are people who object to such volunteer organizations. They are believers in Ahimsa and they object to these organizations and exhibitions of strength. I am myself a believer in Ahimsa. But I make a distinction between Ahimsa and meekness. Meekness is weakness, and weakness which is voluntarily imposed upon itself is not a virtue. In one of the Upnishadas there is a story of a lamb which went to God and lodged a complaint saying that he was the father of all the creatures and all the creatures were therefore brethren: but that notwithstanding this, every creature, said the lamb, was threatening its life forgetting all brotherly affection. How do you explain this ? asked the lamb to God. The reply God is alleged to have given is very instructive. God said you look so meek that even I am tempted to devour you. We have been very much like the lamb in the story and that is why every one has threatened to devour us. I am quite convinced that meekness in the sense of self-imposed weakness is not a virtue. I am a believer in Ahimsa, but in the sense defined by your great Saint Tukaram. Tukaram said and quite rightly that Ahimsa consisted of two things : (1) Love and Kindness towards all creatures, and (2) destruction of all evil-doers. The second part of this definition of Ahimsa is often lost sight of and it is because it is lost sight of that the doctrine of Ahimsa becomes so ridiculous. To destroy all evil-doers is the principal element in the doctrine of Ahimsa. Without that Ahimsa is an empty shell, only a beatitude. It ceases to be a positive duty. So long as we have no evil intention to do harm to anybody and so long as we have confined ourselves to destruction of all evil-doers, nobody can cavil at the acquisition and building up of strength. Shakti controlled by sheel is our ideal. You need not be afraid of any

290 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES criticism. Avoid doing wanton injury to anybody, exert to help every one who needs your help and you will be rendering great service to our people. Hitherto your activities have been mainly concerned with sustaining our political life. There are other fields to which you should extend your activities. In towns one often hears women being kidnapped by some rascals. In villages one often hears our people being tyrannized by the caste Hindus. These are cases in which you should exert yourselves. These are serious cases in which oraganizations like yours can only help. I am glad you have passed a resolution to hold an AllIndia Conference of all Depressed Classes Volunteers Corps. It is a happy idea which if it fructifies will result in great good. I wish you all success. I thank you and your President for allowing me to say these few words to you. Mr. S. V. Ramteke expressed the thanks. Thereafter the President declared the Session as dissolved. 1 zz 1. : Report of Depressed Classes Conference, Nagpur Session - July 1942.

78 I WILL STAND BY YOU “Bombay, Tuesday The Assurance that he would strive his utmost for bettering the standard of living of the working class in this country was given by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, member for labour, Government of India, speaking at a tea party given in his honour by the President and members of the National Seamen’s Union of India at the Taj Mahal Hotel on Tuesday the 21st July 1942 in the evening. Dr. Ambedkar said that the Government which he joined was principally constituted for the purpose of helping the war and it was not reconstituted Government in the sense it had a programme for the reconstruction of economic and social life of the country. Referring to the position of Indian Seamen, Dr. Ambedkar said that Indian Seamen were going to be one of the most important sections among India’s labour population. With an enormous sea coast, the greatest need of India was a navy and the position of Indian Seamen in India’s navy and Indian mercantile marine would be indeed great. Mr. A. H. Mirza and Khan Sahib M. E. Serang of the National Seamen’s Union, referred to some of the grievances of Indian Seamen such as the absence of any manningscale. fixing of the working hours on the board ships and also the lack of provision for compensation for Seamen in case of death by natural causes. They referred to the services rendered by Indian Seamen in this war that no less than 20,000 Indian Seamen were on the high seas and urged the ratification of the conclusions of the International Maritime Conference of 1936. Among those present at the party were Sir Sultan Chinoy, Mr. Oscar H. Brown, Chief Presidency Magistrate, Mr. R. Mathalone, Dr. and Mrs. J. A. Collaco, Dr. M. R. A. Baig, Sheriff of Bombay, and officials of the shipping Companies.” 1 zz 1. : The Bombay Chronicle, 22nd July 1942.