270 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
by their ancestors who had the superhuman vision of all eternity and supernatural power for making infinite provision for future ages. This deep ingrained ethnocentrism has prevented a reconstruction of Hindu Society and stood in the way of a revision of vested rights for the common good. A farce of a conference for the removal of untouchability was enacted in March 1918 in Bombay. Doctor Kurtakoti, the Shankaracharya of Karvir fame, though promised to attend, left for Northern India just a day or two before the conference met, on some urgent business. Mr. Tilak is credited with a short speech at the conference which has for the good luck of Mr. Tilak remained unreported. But this was only lip sympathy shown to hoodwink the untouchables for when the draft of the proclamation removing untouchabilily was presented to Mr. Tilak, it is known on creditable evidence that he refused to honour it with his signature.
- Here is disclosed a patent disharmony within a nation and therefore a proper field for the application of the principle of self-determination. If the advanced classes are clamouring for its application to India and if the powers that be have sanctioned it, however partially, to ward off the future stunting and dwarfing of the Indian people, may not the untouchables with justice claim its benefit in their own interest ? Admitting the necessity of self-determination for the untouchables communal representation cannot be withheld from them, for communal representation and self-determination are but two different phrases which express the same notion.
Supplementary Written Statement of Mr. Bhimrao R. Ambedkar
The object of this supplement is primarily, to show how the scheme of representation which I have recommended for the untouchables of the Bombay Presidency in my previous statement can be fitted into the scheme of representation proposed by the Government of Bombay for the composition of the Legislative Council.
First I wish to propose certain changes in number of seats assigned by the Government to the various main constituencies. The several changes proposed are indicated in the following table :
Distribution of Seats among By Govt. By me
(1) Zamindars and Jahagirdas of Sind . . . 1 1
(2) Sardars of Gujarat . . . . . . 1 1
(3) Sardars of Deccan . . . . . . 1 1
(4) Bombay University . . . . . . 2 2
(5) Europeans . . . . . . 4 4
(6) Sindh Hindus . . . . . . 3 4
(7) Mohammedans . . . . . . 18 10
(8) Six cities . . . . . . 18 .17
(9) Twenty-six Districts of the Presidency . . . 52 60 Total . . . 100 100
- As regards the method of election proposed for I, II, III, IV & V of the above constituencies, I agree with the Government.