z:\ ambedkar\vol-02\vol2-09.indd MK SJ+DK 21-9-2013 688
688 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
Sir Michael O’dwyer : The King’s Government must be carried on upon the best methods by which you could do it.
†3564. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : My Lord Chairman, before Sir Michael O’dwyer leaves, may I point out one fact ? Sir Michael, in answer to a question put by Mr. Butler, made the point that the Simon Commission made the recommendation with regard to the Transfer of Law and Order ; it is Volume II of the Simon Commission Report, paragraph 369. This is the paragraph you had in mind, was it not, “In writing this Report we have made no allusion to the events of the last few months in India” ?
Sir Michael O’dwyer : Yes, that is it.
3564A. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : But I should like to point out to you that most of us understood by the events referred to here, the events of the NonCo-operation Movement by Gandhi and certainly not the communal riots that took place in India, such as at Cawnpore.
Viscount Burnham : I said that had reference to the communal riots. I understood it in the sense I mentioned, that they did not refer to the Civil Disobedience Campaign, or to the communal riots which were the result of them.
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Mr. F. E. James, Mr. W. W. K. Page, Mr. T. Gavin-Jones, Mr. G. E. Cuffe, Mr. L. A. Roffey, Sir William McKercher and Mr. F. W. Hockenhnll
‡3882. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : Just one or two questions. I want to ask Mr. James one question first. Does your Association accept the declaration that was made by Lord Irwin during his viceroyalty, on the 29th October
1929, which said that, according to the view of His Majesty’s Government then in office, the logical evolution of India’s political constitution was Dominion status ? Does your Association accept that declaration ?
Mr. F. E. James : I do not believe that that particular statement of Lord Irwin is contained in the White Paper.
- Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : Not, it is not ?
Mr. F. E. James : And my Memorandum deals with the proposals of the White Paper, but I do remember that at the time of that statement the Association made a pronouncement, and I would refer the gentleman to the newspaper files on which that pronouncement will be found.
- Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : Would you give us a summary of that pronouncement ?
Mr. F. E. James : I would not trust my memory to do that just now.
- Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : Let me put my point somewhat differently.
†Minutes of Evidence, Vol. II-A, 29th June 1933, p. 424.
‡ Ibid., 4th July 1933, pp. 476-77.