320 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
evidently forgot that he was arguing for the perpetual enslavement of the Untouchables by the Hindus. Mr. Gandhi’s argument in short was “don’t ask for freedom, because it will enrage your master and he will illtreat you”. If such an argument had been advanced by any one else he would have been told that he was purile and insincere.
Having failed to demolish the justice of the claim of the Untouchables Mr. Gandhi decided to isolate the representatives of the Depressed Classes, to see that they got no support from any other quarter, Gandhi planned to break a possible compact between the Depressed Classes and the Muslims. A part of the plan was to win over the Musalmans to his side and for that purpose he offered to enter into a pact with them. A copy of this pact which was circulated among the Muslim delegates came into my hands and I reproduce the same here. (This text is reproduced below from Dr. Ambedkar’s “What Congress and Gandhi have done to the Untouchables”, pp. 72-73 which is not typed in the MS.— Ed.)
“DRAFT OF GANDHI-MUSLIM PACT [1]
Muslim Delegation to the Round Table Conference [2]
Tel. : V ICTORIA 2360 Q UEEN ’ S H OUSE,
Telegrams “COURTLIKE” LONDON 57, S T . JAMES’ COURT, B UCKINGHAM G ATE, L ONDON, S. w. l
6th October 1931.
The following proposals were discussed by Mr. Gandhi and the Muslim Delegation at 10 p.m. last night. They are divided into two parts—The proposals made by the Muslims for safeguarding their rights and the proposals made by Mr. Gandhi regarding the Congress policy. They are given herewith as approved by Mr. Gandhi, and placed for submission to the Muslim Delegation for their opinion.
MUSLIM PROPOSALS MR. GANDHI’S PROPOSALS
- In the Punjab and Bengal bare majority of one per cent. of Musalmans but the question of whether it should be by means of joint electorates and reservation of
51 per cent. of the whole house should be referred to the Musalman voters before the new constitution comes into force and their verdict should be accepted.
- That the Franchise should be on the basis of adult suffrage.
2. No special reservations to any other community save Sikhs and Hindu Minorities. (Italics are not in the original).
1 This document was printed by me in my Thoughts on Pakistan as Appendix in 1939. It was the first time it saw the light of the day. Its genuineness has never been questioned. I was able to get a copy from a Hindu Delegate to the Round Table Conference who was privileged by the Muslim League to share the secret.
2 ‘This shows that the document was typed on the stationery of the Muslim League Delegation.’