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424 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
races, which is wholly maintained at the cost of public funds, whether provincial, municipal or local, (2) that the establishment of special schools or classes for children of low castes be liberally encouraged in places where there are a sufficient number of such children to form separate schools or classes and where the schools already maintained from public funds do not sufficiently provide for their education. As a matter of fact the recommendations made by the Commission for the Mahomedans were far more necessary in the interests of the Backward classes than in the interests of the Mahomedans. For even the Hunter Commission, presided as it was by a chairman of pronounced sympathies for the Mahomedans, had to admit that “the inquiries made in 1871-73 went to prove that except in the matter of the higher education there had been a tendency to exaggerate the backwardness of the Mahomedans.” Notwithstanding this the only recommendations made by the Hunter Commission were the two mentioned above. Even these two recommendations made by the Commission regarding the Depressed classes were not calculated to do much good. They were bound to be futile. The reaffirmation of the principle even if it be for the fifth time was useless. For under the proviso inserted by the Commission the enforcement was to be avoided in practice. Similarly the opening of the separate schools for the Depressed classes was hardly possible which again was bound to be sterile. Separate schools involving additional expense could hardly be acceptable to a Government to which primary education was a task. Besides the proviso that such schools should be opened where Backward classes were in large numbers was sufficient to negative the recommendations simply because in rural parts the Backward classes can seldom be found to be living in one locality in large numbers.
- It is difficult to understand why the Hunter Commission paid such
a scan attention to the educational needs of the Backward classes. If it
felt necessary to be generous towards the Mahomedans, it should have at
least seen that it was just to the Backward classes who were far behind
the Mahomedans in education, wealth and social status. Once the Hunter
Commission had thrown the Depressed classes into the background they
remained there and the Government never paid any attention to them.
As an example of this neglect, attention may be drawn to the Resolution
of the Government of India in the Department of Education dated Delhi
the 21st February 1913. It was one of the most important resolutions ever
issued by the Government of India in which they decided “to assist local
Government by means of large grants from imperial revenues as funds
became available, to extend comprehensive systems of education in the
several provinces “. In that Resolution they were particular to point out to
the Provincial Government the educational needs of “ Domiciled community”
and the Mahomedan community. But they had not a word to say in the
whole Resolution about the Backward classes. The Bombay Government
readily accepted the suggestion and appointed in 1913 a Mahomedan
on Education Committee to make recommendations for the promotion of