55. 2-7-1939 मी एखाद्या विशिष्ट घटकासाठी नव्हे, तर संपूर्ण समाजाच्या हितासाठी काम केले

I WORKED FOR BENEFIT OF WHOLE COMMUNITY NOT FOR A PARTICULAR SECTION

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar addressing a meeting of the Rohidas Sikshan Samaj held at the R. M. Bhat High School, Parel, Bombay on Sunday the 2nd July 1939 said, “That he favoured the abolition of sub-castes among the Depressed Classes and honestly worked to that end. He further said that the question of marriage was not one that could be settled by force. It was not that a Mahar girl, he observed, and a Chamar boy or a Mang boy should be married perforce as if by waving a magic wand. It was upto them to encourage those men who showed courage to perform such marriages. Referring to the political problem, he said that the Congress leaders were shrewdly bringing about a rift among the Depressed Classes by encouraging some Depressed Class leaders against his Party. He appealed to them not to fall prey to the Congress false propaganda. Congress leaders were cajoling the Harijan leaders, he added, because he was not there in the Congress camp. He stated that it was a fact that the I.L.P.drew its major following from the Mahars. But it was, he explained, not his fault that the Mahars had a majority in the Depressed Classes.* In his concluding remarks, however, he stated that to get rid of those sectional feelings the only way out was to embrace another religion.” 1 However there were additional dimentions in the speech of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar which were covered by ‘The Times of India’. The dimentions were as under : Editors. “It was regrettable that there should be difference of opinion among the different sections of the Depressed Classes but the work that he did, was not meant for a particular section but for the benefit of the whole community. He never favoured sectional or sectarian ideas or policy in his uplift work. Dr. Ambedkar added that the Chamar community who kept aloof from the Independent Labour Party was under the impression that

*The Janata, dated 8th July 1939.

1 : Keer, Pp 323-324.

the Congress would improve its lot, but it was mistaken in its faith. He appealed for unity among the different sections. The president Mr. M.V. Donde, said that the scholarships now offered by Government to the community were inadequate and they should be given more encouragement. Resolutions to the effect that every district should have a free boarding school for the community and appealing to Government to allow the boys and girls who failed in the recent examinations to appear again for examinations in three months were passed.

The following members were elected office bearers : Mr. K. R. Pavekar (President), Mr. B. J. Devrukar and Mr. B. G. Wagmare (Secretaries) and 40 committee members.”1 zz 1 : The Times of India, dated 5th July 1939.