Vol. 2 · pages 471–475

452 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES Item No. 6 (From the Times of India dated 1-4-28 and 10-2-28) TYRANNY OF HINDUS RULES FOR BALAIS Mode of life laid down Last May high caste Hindus, viz., Kalotas, Rajputs, and Brahmins including the patels and patwaris of villages Kanaria, Bicholee Hafsi, Bicholi Mardana, and of about 15 other villages in the Indore district informed the Balais of their respective villages that if they wished to live among them, they must conform to the following rules :—1. Balais must not wear gold lace bordered pugrees ; 2. They must not wear dhoties with coloured or fancy borders ; 3. They must convey intimation of the death of any Hindu to relatives of deceased—no matter how far away these relatives may be living ; 4. In all Hindu marriages, the Balais must play music before the processions, and during the marriages ; 5. The Balai women must not wear gold or silver ornaments ; they must not wear fancy gowns, or jackets ; 6. Balai women must attend all cases of confinement of Hindu women ; 7. The Balais must render services without demanding remuneration, and must accept whatever a Hindu is pleased to give ; 8. If the Balais do not agree to abide by these terms, they must clear out of the villages. BALAIS REFUSE COMPLIANCE The Balais refused to comply ; and the Hindu element proceeded against them. Balais were not allowed to get water from the village wells; they were not allowed to let go their cattle to graze. Balais were prohibited from passing through land owned by a Hindu ; so that if the field of a Balai was surrounded by fields owned by Hindus, the Balai could have no access to his own field. The Hindus also let their cattle graze down the fields of Balais. The Balais submitted petitions to the Darbar against these persecutions ; but as they could get no timely relief, and the oppression continued hundreds of Balais, with their wives and children, were obliged to abandon their homes in which their ancestors lived for generations, and migrate to adjoining States, viz., to villages in Dhar, Dewas, Bagli, Bhopal, Gwalior, and other States. COMPULSORY AGREEMENT Only a few days ago the Hindus of Reoti village barely 7 miles to North of Indore City ordered the Balais to sign a stamped agreement in accordance with the rules framed against the Balais by the Hindus of other villages. The Balais refused to comply. It is alleged that some of them were beaten by the Hindus ; and one Balai was fastened to a post, and was told that he would be let go on agreeing to sign the agreement. He signed the agreement; and was released. Some Balais from this village ran up to the Prime Minister, the next day, i.e., on the 20th December, and made a complaint about the ill-treatment they have received from the Hindu villagers of Reoti. They were sent to the Subha of the District. This Officer, with the help of the Police, made inquiries at the village, and recommended that action be taken against

453SAFEGUARDS FOR DEPRESSED CLASSES the Hindus under Sections 342 and 147 and against the Balais under Section 147, Indian Penal Code. BALAIS LEAVE VILLAGES CASTE TYRANNY IGNORANCE OF LAW, A HANDICAP There has been no improvement in the treatment of the Balais by the Hindu residents of certain villages. Balais, it has already been reported, have been ill-treated by the higher caste Hindus. From the Depalpur Pergana alone, Indore District a large number of Balais have had to leave their homes and find shelter in adjoining States. The villages from which Balais have been forced to clear out are Badoli, Ahirkheral, Piploda, Moof-khera, Pamalpur, Karoda, Chatwada, Newri Pan, Sanauda, Ajnoti, Khatedi, and Sanavda. Pamalpur village has been altogether deserted, and not a Balai, man, woman, or child, is to be found there. Nanda Balai, a resident of one of the above villages, it is alleged, was severely beaten by the Hindus of the village. In one village, the report goes, the Hindus burnt down all the dwellings of the Balais but the offenders have not yet been traced. Balais are ignorant village folk, who are ignorant of legal procedure and think that if a petition is sent to the Sirkar all that is required will be done for them. They have not the knowledge, or the means and practice to pursue a complaint to its end ; and, as they, it is said in some cases, failed to attend or produce witnesses in support of their allegations, the Magistrate had no alternative but to dismiss their complaint. Item No. 7 (From the Bombay Chronicle 25th February 1928) ORTHODOXY RUN MAD ALLEGED BARBAROUS TREATMENT OF “UNTOUCHABLES” CRIME OF BEING MAHARS Mr. Keshavaji Ranchhodji Vaghela from Ahmedabad has informed Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, President, Bahishkrit Hitkarini Sabha as follows : One Bapoorao Laxman and his brother Kaurao have been residents of Ahmedabad during the last six years. They used to mix with some people from the Deccan belonging to Maratha caste, Kaurao’s two sons viz. Damoo and Laxuman used to take part in the Bhajan parties of the Marathas. The latter, however, recently came to know that the brothers Damoo and Laxuman were Mahars by caste and in order to ascertain this, two Mahars employed on the Parcel Train between Surat and Ahmedabad were specially called to identify Damoo and Laxuman. After it was ascertained that Damoo and Laxuman were Mahars they were called at a Bhajan party at Kalupur, Bhanderi Pole, at midnight on the 11th instant. Asked as to what caste they belonged to, Damoo and Laxuman replied that they were Somvanshis. This reply enraged the Marathas who freely abused them for having defiled their persons and places. The Mahar brothers were also assaulted by the Marathas. One of the brothers had a gold ring on his person. It was forcibly taken

454 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES away from him and sold for Rs. 11. Out of this amount Rs. 6 was paid to the Mahars who had been called from Surat to identify the brothers. Damoo and Laxuman entreated the Marathas to allow them to return to their homes, the latter refused to do so unless a fine Rs. 500 was paid. On the Mahar brothers pleading their inability to pay such a heavy sum, one of the Marathas suggested that the Mahar brothers should be fined only Rs. 125. But then one of the Marathas opposed the proposal for fine saying that they should not be satisfied with fine, but should punish the Mahars severely for their crime of concealing their caste. Having decided upon the course, the Mahar brothers were detained and at about 9 O’clock in the morning they were subjected to barbarous indignities. Their mustaches in the left side and eyebrows on the right side were shaved, their bodies besmeared with soot mixed in oil and also with dirt, garlands made of old shoes were put around their necks, and one of them was asked to hold a broom in his hand and the other to hold a placard on which it was written that the punishment was meted out to the culprits for venturing to touch high caste people. The Mahar brothers were taken in procession consisting of about 75 people, a drum being beaten in the front. A complaint has been lodged with the Police by the said two Mahar brothers. The accused in their statement have admitted that Damoo and Laxuman were treated in the alleged manner, but pleaded that, the complainants had willingly agreed to undergo the punishment. Obviously Damoo and Laxuman were helpless when they were abused, assaulted and threatened with severe punishment and actually subjected to barbarous indignities. This case has created a great sensation among the people belonging to the so-called untouchables castes and efforts are being made to give proper legal aid to the complainants. Item No. 8 (Bombay Legislative Council Debates 1927, Vol. XX) (Part XVI, p. 1373) Police : Enlistment of Mahars Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: Will Government be pleased to state whether there is any rule prohibiting the enlistment of the Depressed classes in the police constabulary force of the Presidency ? The Honourable Mr. J. E. B. Hotson : There is no such rule. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: Will the Honourable Member please inform me why the Commissioner of Police for the city of Bombay refuses to appoint depressed class members in the police constabulary if there is no restriction ? The Honourable Mr. J. E. B. Hotson : This opens up a very large subject, I can only say that there are practical difficulties which are known to every member of this House, and which stand in the way of the more extensive enlistment of these classes in the police. There is no prohibition against it. N.B.—The practical difficulties referred to by Mr. Hotson are evidently difficulties arising out of untouchability.

455SAFEGUARDS FOR DEPRESSED CLASSES Item No. 9 (Bombay Legislative Council Debates 1928, Vol. XXII) (Part II, pp. 96-97) Clerks in Government Service Mr. R. S. Asarale: Will Government be pleased to state the total number in the clerical ranks in the offices of the various departments of [Government] ? The Honourable Sir Chunilal Mehta: A statement giving the requisite information is placed on the Council Table : Marathas and allied castes Muhammadans Depressed classes Advanced Hindus Parsis Christians and Jews Others Total I The Secretariat. 31 11 .. 268 38 81 11 440 II P. W. D. 6 .. .. 64 8 10 3 91 III Collector of Bombay 3 8 .. 28 .. 4 1 44 IV Commissioner of Excise. 1 .. .. 12 5 .. .. 18 V Small Causes Court. 9 7 .. 58 1 5 8 97 VI High Court. 4 15 .. 125 22 23 9 198 VII Bombay Police Courts. 7 4 .. 32 .. 4 .. 47 VIII Commissioner of Police, Bombay. 7 .. 59 .. 4 87 Item No. 10 (From the Times of India 30th May 1928) THROUGH INDIAN EYES “CHAMARDAS AND MAHARDAS” How sincere the political lions are when they roar about the disabilities and hardships of the Untouchables, was clearly brought out at the Maharashtra Conference when the question of the removal of untouchability was adroitly shelved. Among the half dozen or so of protestants against this trick were men belonging to the Swarajya. One of them wrote in that paper an outspoken article, exposing the general Hindu outlook on the thorny problem,

456 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES which throws much light on what the Maharashtra Conference did. “While speaking to me the other day,” says the writer about the Samata Sangha (Social Equality Society) of Poona, “a friend of mine said : ‘Because people like you join them, these Chambhardas and Mahardas (contemptible Chamars and Mahars) become insolent’ ……. . From this utterance one can realise what a terrible hatred of the Untouchable classes still exists among the upper classes.” RESOLUTIONS AND ACTS The sad reformer continues : “Mahatmaji issued a proclamation that untouchability was a blot on Hindu dharma; Swamy Shraddhanand and Lala Lajpatrai have said all along that we shall never be able to win Swaraj if untouchability is not removed from Hindu Society ; during the last seven years resolutions for its removal are being adopted by the Congress; but what is the actual result of all these activities ? Utterances like the one given above are still coming out of the mouths of highly educated persons ! We pass resolutions in the Congress and the Hindu Sabha advocating temple entry of Untouchables and urging that public tanks, wells, etc., should be thrown open to them. But when the time for putting them into practice comes, we contemn the Untouchables, nay, we assault them and then proceed legally against them and send them to jail.” Item No. 11 RESOLUTIONS PASSED AT THE DEPRESSED CLASSES CONFERENCE HELD AT DAPOLI (District Ratnagiri) 1. (a) This Conference express indignation at the campaign of persecution carried on by the so-called high caste Hindus in this district against the depressed classes for the refusal on the latter’s part to eat the meat of dead animals. (b) This Conference is extremely grieved to find that the Police officers and Magistrates in the district systematically abuse the depressed class people instead of giving them protection against the tyranny and injustice to which they are being subjected by the so-called high caste Hindus through impounding the cattle of the former, committing assaults on them and making it impossible for them to obtain the necessaries of life in the bazars by observing a strict social bycott against them. (c) This Conference appeals to the Government to take steps for having the usual baluta remuneration paid to the Watandar Mahars who have been deprived of the same by the high caste Hindu villagers owing to the former’s refusal to eat the carrion and carry dead animals, beg alms and do other unclean things. 2. (a) Having come to know that in a number of villages it is the Police Patel who countenances the campaign of persecution against the depressed class people, this Conference requests the Government to take proper steps against such Police Patels.