WHAT CONGRESS AND GANDHI HAVE DONE TO THE UNTOUCHABLES : A FALSE CHARGE 167
himself. Even he uses it for a term. These are the four weapons which the Congress forged to give sanction to its demand for India’s freedom.
Having forged the sanctions, the Congress has gone on to give demonstrations of the use of these sanctions. Between 1920 and 1942, the country has witnessed demonstrations staged by Congressmen of one form or the other of these sanctions. The din and dust they raised filled the air and drew crowds to witness them. They have come to be described as “Fight for Freedom.” What has been the use of such sanctions is a subject which demands serious consideration. But this is not the place for it. One must remain content with the observation that the old Congress could not have done worse. The use of sanctions has really been a tragedy. Swaraj is as far as it has been, but the reckless use of sanctions has made partition of India starker, surer and nearer. While it is not possible to discuss the gains resulting from the use of sanctions, the fact must be mentioned that this “Fight for Freedom” has been carried on mostly by the Hindus. It is only once that the Musalmans took part in it and that was during the shortlived Khilafat agitation. They soon got out of it. The other communities, particularly the Untouchables, never took part in it. A few stray individuals may have joined it for personal gain. But the community as such has stood out. This was particularly noticeable in the last campaign of the “Fight for Freedom,” which followed the ‘Quit India’ resolution passed by the Congress in August 1942.
This is a glaring fact especially to a foreigner who comes to India and witnesses how more than half the population non-co-operates with the Congress in this “Fight for Freedom.” Quite naturally he feels stupefied by this strange phenomenon. He asks : Why are the Muslims, Christians and Untouchables not participating in the “Fight for Freedom ?” and turns to the Congress for an explanation. The Congress has a readymade answer. It is that the Untouchables are the tools of British Imperialism and that is why they do not join the “Fight for Freedom.” The echo of this charge was heard from the mouth of many foreigners whom one came across during the war. What is most disconcerting is the experience that most of these foreigners seemed to have accepted the allegation as being true. The simplicity and plausibility of the argument could be the only reason which can account for