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194 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
in saying this—whether this is no consideration which ought to prevail. My learned friend has quoted in the course of this debate a speech delivered by the Prime Minister of Orissa where he has stated that he was very glad that all the limbs have been brought together. I wonder what my honourable friend would say if I stated to him that it is not quite so important to bring limbs together as to provide food for them. This is a question which has to be considered. Sir, I do say and I say that with, all the emphasis, it is a most heart-rendering thing in this country to see these people cut up into small bodies with revenue no more than that of an ordinary local board. The separation of the Province might satisfy the ambitions of a few people who want to figure as the heads of the Province but what about the rest of the population who need to be fed, who need to be clothed, who need to be housed ? None of us can tolerate this kind of thing. I do say that with all emphasis. Sir, after all, what are these districts ? Two of these districts are famine-stricken. The whole of Bijapur is a famine-stricken district The whole of Bellary also I am told is famine-stricken. What revenue does he expect to get from the famine-stricken area ? Merely by separating from the Bombay Presidency is that going to be a milch cow ?
Then there is another question to which I advert and it is this : I being a member of a minority, I am bound to consider these things from the standpoint of the minority. I am very glad that several members who spoke in favour of the resolution did give us an assurance that the interests of the Muhammadans and the interests of the Harijans will be looked after. But I do want to say this, that along with dismemberment of these Provincial areas there is going to be a dismemberment of the minorities. I cannot forget the fact that in the Karnatak we have only two seats. I am sure that those members of the Scheduled Classes who come from the Karnatak must be feeling that their strength lies in the fact that there are 13 members from other parts of the Presidency to look after them. What is to happen to them ? I am sure, for instance, the Muhammadan community has got about
8 seats from the Karnatak.
Sir Ali Mahomed Khan Dehlavi: Only four.
Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: Very well. I won’t argue as I am rather pressed for time. But we cannot allow this kind of dismemberment. It is very good for the members of the majority community to say that they will be generous and they will be kind. We cannot depend upon their generosity and upon their kindness. We want rights and rights cannot be given in a generous way. To a community which after all on a purely population basis forms only a microscopic minority, even supposing they were prepared to give weightage, what weightage could they give to a population which is about a few lakhs ? This is one of the points on which I oppose this resolution. This dismemberment I am not prepared to accept Our strength lies in a polyglot administration. I do not want to say, but I have my fears that if Karnatak is created as a separate Province, it would be a Province of all the Lingayats against everybody else. I am not mincing matters, but if, for instance, there