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DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
devised a scheme to isolate the Untouchables. For this Mr. Gandhi planned to buy out the Musalmans by giving to the Musalmans their fourteen demands, which Mr. Gandhi was not in the beginning prepared to agree. When he found the Musalmans were lending their support to the Untouchables Mr. Gandhi agreed to them their fourteen points on condition that they withdrew their support from the Untouchables. The agreement was actually drafted. The text of it is given below:—
“DRAFT OF GANDHI-MUSLIM PACT [1]
M USLIM D ELEGATION TO THE R OUND T ABLE C ONFERENCE [2]
Tel.: V ICTORIA 2360 Q UEEN ’ S H OUSE, Telegrams: “C OURTLIKE ” L ONDON 57, S T . J AMES ’ C OURT, B UCKINGHAM G ATE L ONDON, S.W. 1
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.
No special reservations to any other community save Sikhs and Hindu Minorities. ( Italics are not in the original )
The Congress demands:
A. Complete Independence.
This document was printed by me in my Thoughts on Pakistan as an 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 .
This shows that the document was typed on the stationery of the Muslim League Delegation.