सूची

AMBEDKAR, DR. B. R.

Memorandum to Minority SubCommittee of R.T.C., Text 41-52. Interview with Gandhi (footnote), 56. Fight against Gandhi’s Attempt at R.T.C. to bypass Depressed Classes, 58-62.

On Gandhi’s Claim to represent Depressed Classes, 64-65.

Agreement with Mr. Gandhi—PoonaPact, 88-89. Statement on Temple Entry Bill, 108113 Association with Harijan Sevak Sangh, 113 Proposals for conducting antiUntouchability League on right lines, 134-140 Supplementary Memorandum on Political Safeguards for Depressed Classes, 58 ; Text, 304-306 Statement on Gandhi’s Fast, 311-317 Objections to Cripps’ Proposals, 336-343 APTHEKAR, HERBERT On Negroes in Civil War, 173-174 Betrayal of Negroes, 176 ASAF ALI On Congress Resolution on Depressed Classes, 2-3 BANNERJEE, SURENDRANATH Congress and Social Reform, 9-10 BANNEBJEE, W. C.

Congress and Social Reform, 8-9 BESANT, ANNIE On Admission of Depressed Class boys to common school, 3-7 BIRLA, G. D.

Statements on programme and objects of Anti-Untouchability League, 126-129, 140-141 CHANDAVARKAR, SIR NARAYAN Meeting of Depressed Classes under his chairmanship, 14-15, 17-18. CONGRESS, INDIAN NATIONAL Resolution and Speeches on removal of disabilities of Depressed Classes, 1-3 Addresses of Presidents re attitude to social reforms, 7-10 Genesis of Resolution on Depressed Classes, 14-18 Absence of action on resolution, 18 Bardoli social amelioration programme, 19-20 Fate of programme re Untouchables, 21-22 Reasons for abandoning responsibility for welfare of Untouchables, 23-24 Part in elections to seats reserved for Untouchables, 93-94.

Policy of exclusion of Untouchables from Cabinets, 97-98 Principles in selecting candidates for elections, 100-101, 222 Prevents Untouchable Congressmen from ventilating grievances, 101102 Examination of its claim to be majority party, 146-149, 201.

Examination of its claim to represent Untouchables (tables 10-16), 155161 Sanctions it forged, 166 Fight for freedom or power, 167, 169, 177-178 Fallacies in denying separate political entity of Untouchables, 185-189 Fighting for whose freedom, 201-202, 204, 231, 236, 238 Gandhi on its financial resources, 208 Outrageous use of despised communities to ridicule elections, 210-211 Promises to servile classes of social amelioration in Swaraj, 212 Puts Brahmin and Bania in power in 1937 elections, 217-224 Connection between—and governing classes, 233-234 CRIPPS, SIR STAFFORD His proposals (text), 334-336; See also Ambedkar DEMOCRACY Grote on the essentials of, 202-203 Causes of the failure of, 203 Errors in views of western writers on, 203 Realistic approach to, 204 And Gandhism, 283-285 DEPRESSED CLASSES Reaction to Montford scheme, 14-16, 17 Scheme of political safeguards for the protection of , 41-52 Gandhi’s explanation of Congress attitude to, 56-57 Gandhi’s claim to be their representative, 64-65 Gandhi’s reaction to recognition of separate political entity of, 68-69, 70-71 Communal decision regarding, 80-82 Benefits from Poona Pact and from Communal Award to, 90-91 INDEX

WHAT CONGRESS AND GANDHI HAVE DONE TO THE UNTOUCHABLES : INDEX

Lossin elections under Poona Pact, 95 Non-representation in Provincial cabinets, 95-97 Difficulties in contests with Congress, 162-165 Non-participation in the ‘ fight for freedom,’ 167-168 Their conception of freedom, 168-170 Constitutional safeguards condition precedent to co-operation with Congress, 170, 171-173 Fight for freedom of negro slaves, lesson thereof, 173-177 Suspicions about Congress fight for freedom without communal settlement, 178 Want Congress to put to test British promise, 179-180 Real issue of controversy with Congress, 181, 232 Are they Hindus ? 183-189 Their own view of their own problem, 189-191 —and social divisions in Europe—a difference, 191-194 Is Untouchabilty vanishing ? 194-196, 198 Slavery versus their economic tutelage, 196-197 —and Indian press, 200 Reasons for not challenging Congress propaganda, 200 View of governing classes’ ridicule of communal reservation, 228-230 Do they need safeguards, 232-233 Mahad and Nasik Satyagraha, 247 Reasons for safeguards demanded at R.T.C., 248-249 Reasons for regarding Gandhi neither earnest, honest and- sincere nor friend and ally, 254, 257, 260 Lot under rule of Gandhism, 293-294, 296-297 Minorities Pact, 307 Pronouncements of British Government recognising their separate entity, 323-331 Political demands, 346-353 Constituencies, seats and voting strength Province by Province, 356366 [vide also Election] DKSAI, BHULABHAI Support. to Congress resolution on Depressed Classes, 2 DICEY, A. V.

Limitations on sovereignty of Independent States, 213-214 ELECTIONS Primary elections under Poona Pact, 91-92 Congress Parliamentary Board’s principles in selecting candidates for 100-101, 222 Congress strength in Provincial Assemblies and Councils according to 1936—(Tables, 6-7), 147 Abstract of votes cast for Congress and non-Congress parties (Table, 8), 148 Disabilities of non-Congress candidates in, 149 Explanation of Indian electoral system, 150-155 Examination of the returns of, 156-161 Joint electorate versus separate electorate, 191 Classification of Congress members of Provincial Assemblies by castes and occupations (tables), 219-220 Composition of cabinets in Congress provinces (table), 221 Classification of Parliamentary secretaries in Congress provinces (table), 223 Particulars re—to seats reserved for Scheduled castes Province by Province, 366-368 FISCHER, Louis Congress finances, 208, 209 FOREIGNER Attitude to Congress, 167 Charge against Untouchables and its falsity, 167 Reasons of support for Congress, 199,201-202 Basic considerations of Indian politics he must know, 231-234 Three groups, 234 Indifference of foreign radicals to Indian Depressed Classes, 235-238 GANDHI, M. K.

Transformation of Congress policy, 19, 166-167 Bardoli programme, 19-20, 243-244 Profession and practice re abolition of Untouphability, 36-39 As representative to R.T.C., 55-56 Attitude to Untouchables in Federal Structure Committee, 56-57 Attempt to bypass Untouchables by pact with Muslims, 58-67, 71-74 Reaction to Minorities Pact, 68-69 Opposition to claims for political safeguards to Untouchables, 70-71, 249, 269-270, 272-273 Threat to revive Civil Disobedience movement and arrest, 77 Letter to Secretary of State opposing claims of Untouchables, 77-79 Attempt to get Communal Award revised—letter to Prime Minister and reply, 82-87 Protest by fast, 87-88, 259

DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES

Determination to exclude Untouchables from cabinets, 98-100 His Depressed Class welfare activity, 104-107 Opposition to Untouchables entering Hindu temples before 1932, 107 Reasons for support to Temple-entry movement, 107 Unrealised threat of fast re Guru-vayur temple satyagraha, 115-117, 250 Temple Entry Bill, a touchstone of his sincerity, 117-125, 250 Establishment of Harijan Sevak Sangh, 126, 250 Collection of funds for Harijan Sevak Sangh, 129 Justification of exclusion of Untouchables from management of Harijan Sevak Sangh, 142 Content with Provincial autonomy at R.T.C. (footnote), 179 On Congress resources, 208 Propaganda about him to beguile Untouchables, 239-240 First realisation of sin of Untouchability, 240-241 A Biographical note, 242-243,244-245 Opportunity to advance anti-Untouchability campaign lost, 246 Condemns satyagraha by Untouchables to establish rights, 247-248 Fourteen questions on his antiUntouchability activities, 251-254 Examination of earnestness, honesty and sincerity of attitude to Untouchables, 254-258, 260 Admits Depressed Classes to be minority, 257-258 Was the fast heroic ? 259-260 Failure of anti-Untoucliability campaign, 261-262 Kavitha incident, 264-265 Attitude to Untouchables contrasted with Lincoln’s to Negro question, 271-272 What is Gandhism, 274-275 Views on Caste system and their examination, 275-277, 286-289 Upholding of Varna system, 277-278, 289-290 Opposition to machinery and modern civilisation, 278-279 Elimination of class war and strikes, 279-281 Views on relationship between landlords and tenants, 281 Nothing new in Gandhian analysis of economic ills, 282-283 Anti-Democratic nature of Gandhism, 283-285 Idea of trusteeship by the rich, 286-291 Idealisation of poverty and degrading professions, 291-293 Scope of his programme for removal of Untouchability, 294-295 Gandhism same as orthodox Hinduism, 295-296 As God on earth, 296 Correspondence with Lord Wavell, 343-346 Statement on Wavell Plan, 382-383 GOVERNING CLASSES Their anti-democratic role, 208-209—of India, 204 Attitude of the people to Brahmins, 205-206 In Malabar (footnoted), 205 Preponderance of Brahmins in gazetted posts (table), 206, 207 Alliance of Brahmin with Bania, 206, 208 Congressmen of—conscious of their destiny to rule, 208-209 Philosophy of Brahmanism, 215 Brahmin support to social wrongs and evils, 216 Bania, the parasitic governing class, 216-217 —in India and in other countries—a comparison, 225-226, 232-233 —in India ridicule Communal reservation, 226-229 How they obtained, power in India, 230-231 Why in vanguard of Congress movement, 233-234 HAMMOND COMMITTEE Its task, 91 Hindu contention before, 92-93 HARIJAN SEVAK SANGH Establishment of, 126 Aims and programme, 127, 250 Proposed annual budget, 127-130 Summary of its activities, 129-131 Its board, 133 Causes of hostility of Untouchables to, 131-132, Why Ambedkar retired from the Board, 133-140 Departure from the original aims, 140, 143-144 Discrimination against Mahar community, 144 Languishing institution, 251 The evil results of, 266-269 HINDUS Evidence before Franchise Committee on Depressed Class population, 75-77 Demand for compulsory distributive vote for Depressed Classes, 91-93 Confirm Poona Pact, 103 A communal majority, 169-172

WHAT CONGRESS AND GANDHI HAVE DONE TO THE UNTOUCHABLES : INDEX

Are Depressed Classes—? 183-189 Adaptability of their religion, 195-196 Economic gains from Untouchability 196-197 Gandhism and their religion, 295-296 IYER, RAMA On Congress Resolution on Depressed Classes, 2 MINORITIES —Pact, genesis of, 67-68 —Pact text, 307-311 —and weightage, Montford Report on, 332 Report of the Indian Statutory Committee on ,333-334 Communal Distribution of Population in Provinces and States (tables), 354-355 NAOROJI, DADABHAI On Congress attitude to social reform, 7-8 NATESAN On Congress Resolution re Depressed Classes, 1 NEHRU, PANDIT JAWAHARLAL Conscious of his Brahmin origin (footnote), 208-209 NEHRU, PANDIT MOTILAL See Shradhanand PANDIT, VIJAYALAXMI Pride in Brahmin origin (footnote), 209 PARANJPE, DB. R. P.

Parody ridiculing demands of servile classes for communal reservations (footnote), 226-229 PATEL, VALLABHBHAI Contempt for low castes, 209 POONA PACT Text, 88-89 Comparison of gains from, with those from Communal Award, 90-91 Origin of, 249 PRIME MINISTER, 67 Instructions to Franchise Committee, 75-76 Communal Decision, 80-82 Reply to Mr. Gandhi re Depressed Classes, 83-86 RAJAH, DIWAN BAHADUR M. C. Support to Temple Entry Bill, 113-114 RANGA IYER On fate of his Temple Entry Bill, 120124, ROUND TABLE CONFERENCE Inauguration of, 40 Attempt of Minority Sub-Committee to solve communal question, 41 Extracts from report of Minority SubCommittee, 52-54 Federal Structure Committee on representations of Untouchables to legislatures, 54 Congress attitude to, 55 Extracts from proceedings of Minorities Committee re Depressed Classes, 58-67 Communal Decision, 80-82 See also Ambedkar SHRADHANAND, SWAMI Correspondence with Nehru on Bardoli programme for Untouchables, 299303 SHBINIVASAN, RAO BAHADUB R. On Temple entry, 113 Supplementary memorandum on political safeguards for Depressed Classes, 304-306 SOCIAL CONFERENCE, INDIAN NATIONAL Origin of, 11 Opposition to, 12-13 Untouchable support to, 190 SOCIAL REFORM PARTY Formation of, 12 Sub-Committees of, 12-13 Social Reform versus Political Reform, 12-14 TEMPLE ENTBY Reports of, 104-106 Ambedkar on the Bill for, 108-113 Rao Bahadur R. Shrinivasan on, 113 Results of the campaign for, 114-115 Guruvayur Temple satyagraha, 115117 Bill for, 117-125 Nasik satyagraha, 247 THAKKER, A. V.

Statements on the programme and objects of Anti-Untouchability League, 126-129, 140-141 Attempt to punish Mahar community for anti-Congress sentiments, 144145 TILAK, B. G.

Conscious of being a Brahmin, 208 Advice to low. castes not to aspire to power, 209 TILAK MEMORIAL SWARAJ FUND Objects of starting, 19 Total receipts (table), 25 Grants from, 26-32 Distribution (tables), 32-33 Analysis of grants from and management of 32-33, 34-35 Grants from for Untouchable uplift work, 35-36 TYABJI, HON. B.

On Congress attitude to question of Social Reform, 8 WAVELL, LORD Correspondence with Mr. Gandhi, 343-346 His Plan, 376-379 Broadcast speech on the Plan, 379-382

(या पानावर मजकूर नाही — ते कोरे किंवा चित्राचे पान असू शकते.)

MR. GANDHI AND THE EMANCIPATION OF THE UNTOUCHABLES

(या पानावर मजकूर नाही — ते कोरे किंवा चित्राचे पान असू शकते.)

MR. GANDHI AND THE EMANCIPATION OF THE UNTOUCHABLES

„ Thackar & Co.’s First Edition : December 1943 „ Government of Maharashtra’s Reprint: 1990

Mr. GANDHI AND THE EMANCIPATION OF THE UNTOUCHABLES By

The Hon’ble Dr. B. R. AMBEDKAR M. A., Ph. D., D. Sc, Barrister-At-Law Member, Governor-General’s Executive Council.

(या पानावर मजकूर नाही — ते कोरे किंवा चित्राचे पान असू शकते.)

TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE PREFACE … … … … … ... 397 CHAPTER I- TOTAL POPULATION OF THE UNTOUCHABLES

… 399 CHAPTER II- THE IMPORTANCE OF THE UNTOUCHABLES … 401 CHAPTER III- THE POLITICAL DEMANDS OF THE UNTOUCHABLES ... 403 CHAPTER IV- HINDU OPPOSITION … ... 407 CHAPTER V- JOINT V/S SEPARATE ELECTORATES 412 CHAPTER VI - THE EXECUTIVE … … ... 415 CHAPTER VII - PUBLIC SERVICES … … ... 417 CHAPTER VIII - SEPARATE SETTLEMENTS ... 419 CHAPTER IX - CASTE AND CONSTITUTION ... 423 CHAPTER X - SOME QUESTIONS TO THE HINDUS AND THEIR FRIENDS 425 INDEX

(या पानावर मजकूर नाही — ते कोरे किंवा चित्राचे पान असू शकते.)

PREFACE

In response to the invitation of the Chairman of the Indian section of the Institute of Pacific Relations, I wrote in August last year a Paper on the Problem of the Untouchables of India for the Session of the Conference which was due to be held on December 1942 at Mont’ Tramblant in Quebec in Canada. The Paper is printed in the proceedings of the Conference. Ever since it became known that I had written such a Paper, the leaders of the Untouchables and Americans interested in their problem have been pressing me to issue it separately in the form of a book and make it available to the general public. It was not possible to refuse the demand. At the same time I could not without breach of etiquette publish the paper until the proceedings of the Conference were made public. I am now told by the Secretary of the Pacific Relations Conference that the proceedings have been made public and there can be no objection to the publication of my Paper if I desired it. This will explain why the Paper is published nearly 10 months after it was written.

Except for a few verbal alterations the Paper is printed as it was presented to the Conference. The Paper will speak for itself. There is only one thing I would like to add. It is generally agreed among the thoughtful part of humanity that there are three problems which the Peace Conference is expected to tackle. They are (1) Imperialism, (2) Racialism, (3) Antisemitism and (4) Free Traffic in that merchandise of death popularly called munitions. There is no doubt these are the plague glands in which nation’s cruelty to nation and man’s inhumanity to man have their origin. There is no doubt that these problems must be tackled if a new and a better world is to emerge from the ashes of this terrible and devastating war. What my fear is that the problem of the Untouchables may be forgotten as it has been so far. That would indeed be a calamity. For the ills which the Untouchables are sufferings if they are not as much advertised as those of the Jews, are not less real. Nor are the means and the methods of suppression

DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES

used by the Hindus against the Untouchables less effective because they are less bloody than the ways which the Nazis have adopted against the Jews. The Anti-semitism of the Nazis against the Jews is in no way different in ideology and in effect from the Sanatanism of the Hindus against the Untouchables. The world owes a duty to the Untouchables as it does to all suppressed people to break their shackles and to set them free. I accepted the invitation to write this Paper because I felt that it was the best opportunity to draw the attention of the world to this problem in comparison to which the problem of the Slaves, the Negroes and the Jews is nothing. I hope the publication of this Paper will serve as a notice to the Peace Conference that this problem will be on the Board of Causes which it will have to hear and decide and also to the Hindus that they will have to answer for it before the bar of the world.

22, Prithviraj Road New Delhi B. R. AMBEDKAR 1st September 1943.

CHAPTER I TOTAL POPULATION OF THE UNTOUCHABLES

THE Decennial Census in India was at one time a very simple and innocent operation which interested only the Malthusians. None else took interest in it. Today the Census is a matter of a first rate concern to everybody. Not only the professional politician but the general public in India regards it as a matter of very grave concern. This is so because Politics in India has become a matter of numbers. It is numbers which give political advantage, to one community over another which does not happen anywhere else in the world. The result is that the Census in India is deliberately cooked for securing political advantages which numbers give. In this cooking of the Census the Hindus, the Muslims and the Sikhs have played their part as the chief chefs of the kitchen. The Untouchables and the Christians, who are also interested in their numbers, have no hand in the cooking of the Census, for the simple reason that they have no place in the administrative services of the country which deal with the operations of the Census. On the other hand the Untouchables are the people who are quartered, cooked and served by the Hindus, Muslims and the Sikhs at every Decennial Census. This has happened particularly in the last Census of 1940. The Untouchables of certain parts of the Punjab were subjected to systematic tyranny and oppression by the Sikhs. The object was to compel them to declare in the Census returns that they are Sikhs even though they are not. This reduced the number of the Untouchables and swelled the number of the Sikhs. The Hindus on their part carried on a campaign that nobody should declare his or her caste in the Census return. A particular appeal was made to me Untouchables. It was suggested to them that it is the name of the Caste that proclaims to the world that they are Untouchables and if they did not declare their caste name but merely said that they were Hindus, they would be treated just like

DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES

other Hindus and nobody would know that they were really Untouchables. The Untouchables fell a victim to this stratagem and decided not to declare themselves as Untouchables in the Census return but to call themselves merely as Hindus. The result was obvious. It reduced the number of Untouchables, and swelled the ranks of the Hindus. To what extent the cooking of the Census has taken place it is difficult to say. But there can be no doubt that the degree to which cooking was resorted to was considerable. The Census has been cooked all over. But it is the Untouchables who have suffered most from the cooking of the Census. That being so, the Census figure regarding the total population of the Untouchables in British India cannot be accepted as giving a correct total. But one cannot be far wrong if it was said that the present number of the Untouchables in British India is round about 60 million people. zz

CHAPTER II THE IMPORTANCE OF THE UNTOUCHABLES

MOST parts of the world have had their type of what Ward calls the lowly. The Romans had their slaves, the Spartans their helots, the British their villeins, the Americans their Negroes and the Germans their Jews. So the Hindus have their Untouchables. But none of these can be said to have been called upon to face a fate which is worse than the fate which pursues the Untoucables. Slavery, serfdom, villeinage have all vanished. But Untouchability still exists and bids fair to last as long as Hinduism will last. The Untouchable is worse off than a Jew. The sufferings of the Jew are of his own creation. Not so are the sufferings of the Untouchables. They are the result of a cold calculating Hinduism which is not less sure in its effect in producing misery than brute force is. The Jew is despised but is not denied opportunities to grow. The Untouchable is not merely despised but is denied all opportunities to rise. Yet nobody seems to take any notice of the Untouchables–some 60 millions of souls–much less espouse their cause.

If there is any cause of freedom in this Indian turmoil for independence it is the cause of the Untouchables. The cause of the Hindus and the cause of the Mussalmans is not the cause of freedom. Theirs is a Struggle for power as distinguished from freedom. Consequently it has always been a matter of surprise to me that no party and no organisation devoted to the cause of freedom has so far interested itself in the Untouchables. There is the American Weekly called “The Nation”. There is the British Weekly called “Statesman”. Both are powerful. Both are friends of India’s freedom. I would mention the American Labour and British Labour among organized bodies among the supporters of India’s freedom. So far as I know none of these have ever championed the cause of the Untouchables. Indeed what they have done is what no lover of freedom would do. They have just identified themselves with the Hindu body calling itself the Indian National Congress.