z:\ ambedkar\vol-02\vol2-06.indd MK SJ+YS 21-9-2013/YS-8-11-2013 435
SAFEGUARDS FOR DEPRESSED CLASSES 435
Reserved for Marathas and allied castes
No. of Constituencies seats
42 Thar and Parkar District .. .. 2
43 Nawabshah District .. .. .. 2
44 Upper Sind Frontier .. .. .. 2
Total .. 30
III. SPECIAL
45 Labour Unions .. .. .. 4
46 University .. .. .. .. 2
47 Europeans .. .. .. .. 4
48 Millowners .. .. .. .. 1
49 Commerce .. .. .. .. 1
50 Agriculture .. .. .. .. 1
51 Inamdars and Jaghirdars .. .. 2
52 Officials .. .. .. 9
Total for Special .. 24
Grand Total .. 140
which should be the total strength of the Council.
Reserved for Depressed classes
- In either case the demand of the Sabha is for 22 representatives of the Depressed classes in a Council composed of 140 members. The Sabha desires to state emphatically that this much representation to the Depressed classes in a Council of 140 is only just. The Sabha is aware that some people are likely to call such a demand as a very large one. Such a view must however be deemed to be the result of prejudice against the Depressed classes. It cannot be said to be founded upon any definite reason. The Sabha thinks that an exact idea as to the population of the Depressed classes would be a sufficient corrective to views of this sort. For, it must be admitted that population is a measure by which to evaluate the representation that is to be granted to any community. The computation of the exact strength of the Depressed classes is therefore a matter of considerable importance. The Depressed classes of the Bombay Presidency have already suffered an injustice at the hands of the Southborough Committee in 1919. That Committee gave in its Report a grossly wrong figure* as to the exact -strength of the Depressed classes in the Bombay Presidency—a figure which was absolutely unwarranted by the Census of 1911. So small was the strength of the Depressed classes shown by the Southborough Committee that even the paltry suggestion of the Government of India to give two representatives to the Depressed classes in the Bombay Legislative Council failed to have any effect. Similar attempt is now being made in responsible quarters to whittle down the population of the Depressed classes. For instance,
*The figure given by the Southborough Committee and adopted by the Government of India in the Table given above was 577,516. According to the authority relied upon by the Southborough Committee the population of the Depressed classes in the Bombay Presidency in
1911 was 2,145,208.