540 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
of India to any system of Government whose authority is directly denied by large and powerful elements in India’s national life. Nor could they be parties to the cocrsion of such elements into submission to such a Government.”
— Extract from the Statement by Lord Linlithgow on
8th August 1940.
“ Congress leaders……have built up a remarkable organization, the most efficient political machine in India…… if only they had succeeded. If the Congress could in fact speak, as it professes to speak, for all the main elements in India’s national life, then however advanced their demands, our problem would have been in many respect far easier than it is today. It is true that they are numerically the largest single party in British India, but their claim in virtue of that fact to speak for India is utterly denied by very important elements in India’s complex national life. These others assert their right to be regarded not as mere numerical minorities but as separate constituent factors in any future Indian policy. The foremost among these elements stands the great Muslim community. They will have nothing to do with a Constitution framed by a Constituent Assembly elected by a majority vote in geographical constituencies. They claim the right in any constitutional discussions to be regarded as an entity against the operations of a mere numerical majority. The same applies to the great body what are known as the Scheduled Castes who feel, in spite of Mr. Gandhi’s earnest endeavours on their behalf, that as a community, they stand outside the main body of the Hindu community which is represented by the Congress.”
— Extract from the speech by the Rt. Hon’ble Mr. L. S. Amery, Secretary of State for India, in the House of Commons on August 14, 1940.
(iv)
“ Without recapitulating all these reasons in detail, I should remind you that His Majesty’s Government at that time made it clear:—
(a) That their offer of unqualified freedom after the hostilities was made conditional upon the framing of a Constitution agreed by the main elements of India’s national life and the