15. Civil Liberties of Indians

CIVIL LIBERTIES OF INDIANS

“It is interesting that for him Untouchability and exploitation were a violation of civil liberties, not in the conventional sense, but because of the breach of the dignity of whole communities. His reply to the Secretary of the Civil Liberties Union, Dr. K. B. Menon, way back in June 1937, makes meaningful reading ;

Bhimrao R. Ambedkar ‘Rajgriha’

M.A., Ph.D.,D.Sc, Dadar, Bombay - 14 Barrister-at-Law. 8th June 1937 Dear Mr. Menon, I am in receipt of your letter No. 998 of the 19th of May 1937 and also your post card asking me to sign the manifesto, on behalf of the Indian Civil Liberties Union to be read as a message from India at the conference on civil liberties in India to be held in London. I did not know of your letter till I came to Bombay on the 25th May, and hence could not reply to it earlier.

I have read the manifesto and I am sorry I cannot subscribe to it. You have condemned the Frontier Policy of the Government of India. I do not see how it can be a matter of Civil Liberties of Indians. On the other hand, you make no mention of the systematic tyranny and oppression practised by Caste Hindus against the Untouchables, which is undoubtedly a matter of Civil Liberties of Indians.

Yours Sincerely, B. R. Ambedkar.” 1 zz 1 Justice V. R. Krishna Iyer, Exordium P. VII.