z:\ ambedkar\vol-02\vol2-06.indd MK SJ+YS 21-9-2013/YS-8-11-2013 486
486 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
refused even to touch the patient when he was suffering from pneumonia. The doctor would hand over the thermometer to a Mahomedan who does not know how to hold the thermometer and the Mahomedan would hand over the thermometer to the patient. This is a fact and it has happened.
- What is important, I think, as I said before and I may repeat it, is to get a true picture. The thing may happen occasionally. I want to know whether what you are describing is quite an exceptional thing due to some particular doctor’s objection or whether you think it is an everyday happening ?
Dr. Solanki: Doctors who are orthodox do it.
- The difficulty about this thing is that the objection that is taken by the medical man is an objection based on his own religious views ?
Dr. Solanki: Yes.
- Rao Bahadur Rajah: Have these facts been brought to the notice of the authorities concerned ?
Dr. Ambedkar: Yes.
- What was the action they took ?
Dr. Ambedkar: The reply the Minister gave was that we had belter depend on persuasion; that was the word he used.
Chairman: Would you do this for us, Rao Bahadur ? One hears of different aspects of this and I want to know the facts. What is the position about the depressed class children in the ordinary public schools in this province ? Would you ask the witness about that for me ?
- Rao Bahadur Rajah: Will you kindly enlighten us as to the attitude of the schoolmasters or the Education Department or the managers of schools towards the children of the depressed classes ?
Dr. Ambedkar: There is a circular issued by Dr. Paranjpye when he was Minister of Education in this Presidency to the effect that children of depressed classes should be admitted in all schools. But our experience is that circular has not been carried out at all. It is true that in the report of the Director of Public Instruction it is stated that that circular has been carried into effect; but I beg to differ from that view. It is not a correct statement of facts as they exist today. There is an incident here at Poona which took place only a few days ago, at Deoo, where the children of the depressed classes were refused admission and when they insisted on it the village proclaimed social boycott against the depressed classes.
- Chairman : The memorandum refers to that report ?
Dr. Ambedkar: Yes, that is not a correct statement of facts as I said. I beg to differ from that
- Rao Bahadur Rajah: I understood from Mr. Griffith that in his view there are reasons why the depressed classes could not be taken into the police department as the duties of the police involved house searches and arrests. Supposing, for the sake of argument, that is true, would there be similar objection to the recruitment of the depressed class members to other subordinate and provincial services ?