भारतीय संघ. परिशिष्ट XI : बहिष्कृत … चे कार्य

APPENDIX—XI ACTIVITIES OF THE BAHISHKRIT HITAKARINI SABHA AT BOMBAY

I “BAHISHKRIT HITAKARINI SABHA Survey of Work Done The annual general meeting of the Bahishkrit Hitakarini Sabha which is a Society for the uplift of the Depressed Classes, was held at its head office in the Damodar Thackersey Hall, Parel, Bombay, on 18th instant. The report of the work for the year 1925 disclosed that the work of the Sabha was threefold. In the matter of the education of the Depressed Classes the Sabha has been conducting a Hostel near Sholapur for 15 Students of the Depressed Classes taking secondary education, at a total cost of Rs. 2,669-0-8. Accommodation in the hostel is entirely free. In the first year of its existence the Sabha could not do much for the cultural and economic uplift of the Depressed Classes. However, the Sabha helped the Mahars of the villages in Nasik District to obtain redress of their grievances in Watandari matters. The financial statement for the year disclosed an income of Rs. 3,169-1-0 and expenditure of Rs. 2,938-13-6.

The Work Done The Sabha has opened a library and reading room for the Depressed Classes in the Improvement Trust Chawl, Byculla. It has also organised a hockey club for young men of the Depressed Classes near Parel. An important organisation of students of the Depressed Classes known as the Bahishkrit Vidyarthi Sammelan has been organised by the Sabha. It is a kind of Depressed Classes Students’ Brotherhood and it is conducting a Marathi monthly styled Vidya Vilas to which students of the Depressed Classes contribute articles. In the economic sphere, the Sabha has organised three co-operative credit societies for the Depressed Classes. The cost of the programme for the year 1926 is expected to reach Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 30,000.—A. P.

P. S. G.’s Office notes on a memorial from the Depressed Classes Institute. P. P. Case No. 34/6 of 1926 are put up below :— Attention is specially invited to the portion marked A. in H. E.’s reply to the deputation at slip D.

(Sd.) M.C.B.

There are two requests made in this letter— (1) That the Institute should be consulted by Government in all matters affecting the Depressed Classes in view of its being the central organisation.

(2) That H. E. may be pleased to become an Honorary patron of the Institute.

These requests may perhaps be referred to the Chief Secretary for his advice.

(Sd.) J. C. K.

1st July”1 II “Below U. O. R. No.

Dated the 26th July 1926 read on 27th instant from the General Department.

C.I.D.

27th July 1926 (1) Is the constitution of the Sabha laid down ? If so put up a copy.

(2) How many of the office bearers belong to the Depressed Classes ?

(3) What is the subscription and membership ?

(4) Please see the library at Clarke Road and report on the quantity and type of literature provided and to what extent it is being used by the Depressed Classes. Is it open to all or only to members of the Sabha ?

(5) Has the Sabha carried out any of its programme for the current year ?

(Sd.)”2 1: The Bombay Chronicle, 29th April 1926.

2: Source Material Vol. 1, P. 10.

III

“Sir, With reference to the attached U.O.R. No. dated 26th July 1926 from the General Department and the D. C. P.’s instructions thereon, I beg to report as follows :—

1. The constitution of the Bahishkrit Hitkarani Sabha has been laid down in a printed booklet. Copy of which is attached.

2. The President and the six Vice-Presidents (flagged at B in the Annual Report) do not belong to the Depressed Classes. The Council of Management with Dr. Ambedkar as Chairman, consists of Depressed Classes.

3. Subscription is :— A Class of those paying Rs. 25 per year or more. B Class of those paying Rs. 10 per year or more. C Class of those paying Rs. 5 per year or more. D Class of those paying Rs. 3 per year or more. E Class of those paying Re. 1 per year or more. The membership mostly of the E Class is numbered at about

200. There are about 10 Associate Members who had paid Rs. 200 for the welfare of the Depressed Classes. They belong to the contractors’ class but not the Depressed Class.

4. The Library at Clarke Road was opened about 4 months ago in a small room rented at Rs. 7-3-0 on the second floor of a chawl of the Bombay Improvement Trust at Clarke Road. It was a very dirty room with one broken bench, one broken cupboard containing no books, one table and one chair. On the table there were a few rags of old newspapers in a distorted condition. They had about 64 books, mostly Marathi books; some of them were issued to members and the others were kept in the two trunks belonging to the Social Service League.

The Social Service League has supplied 200 books kept in steel trunks each containing about 100 books. The library consists of books which are mostly social and religious but there are also some books in Marathi on Swaraj (political). About 10 to 12 members of the Depressed Classes come to the Library room on an average daily. It is open to all but others than the Depressed Classes do not

generally come to a place inhabited by the Depressed Classes. In short if any outsider were to visit the Library room, he will not notice that the room in question is being used for library purpose without being told so.

5. No noteworthy programme of work has been carried out. A student writes out a small paper and it is circulated to other students in manuscript.

The Bahishkrit Hitkarani Sabha was registered on 1st April 1926. The P. Ps. re. the Sabha on record are put up.

D.C. P., S.B.

(Sd.)” 1 9th August 1926, “Returned with compliments.

2. This Sabha was the subject of my No. H-3447 of 9th March 1926 to the Private Secretary to His Excellency the Governor when it applied for permission to present an address to Lord Irwin on arrival.

3. A copy of the “rules of constitution” is attached. The membership of the Sabha is roughly 200 of whom all except about 10 belong to the E class. The so-called library is a room on the second floor of an Improvement Trust Chawl in Clarke Road. The books are mostly supplied by the Social Service League. A few papers are also supplied and the daily attendance averages 10 or 12. It is open to anyone but used almost exclusively by members of the Depressed Classes. The Sabha has practically no other activity to its credit.

4. Thus, though entirely free from objection, it cannot claim to be a representative institution. At the same time there is no other institution better qualified to represent the Depressed Classes and there would be no objection to consulting it if the point of view of the Depressed Classes on some subject were required.

5. Of the office-bearers all those on the Council of Management are members of the Depressed Classes.

(Sd.)

Commissioner of Police.” 2 zz 1: Source Material Vol. 1, Pp. 10-11.

2: U. O. R. No. H-3447, dated 11th August 1926.