370 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
to the students. I do not suppose, although he may mention to them the violent methods that the communists adopt in order to achieve their object that anybody would hold that merely because he delivered a lecture to the students he was guilty of any offence. There was no “clear and present danger” and I have no doubt about it that our judges also would uphold the same line of reasoning. Therefore, as I said, I do not understand why our friends are abiding so much by certain catch phrases and certain decisions of the courts in the United States.
I will now deal with the question of confining “incitement” in violence and I want my friends, Dr. Shyama Prasad Mookerjee and also Pandit Kunzru to pay some attention to what I am saying—and I will take some very particular cases. First of all, I would like to know whether they are in a position to give a precise definition of the meaning of the word “violence”. What is “violence” ? Is it to be confined merely to physical violence ?
Dr. S. P. Mookerjee: Violent words are excluded.
Dr. Ambedkar: I am not talking of violent words. Have they been able to give us any precise definition which would enable the legislature and the court to know that this is violence and this is not violence ? I cannot find any.
Shri Kamath: Put it as “as defined by law”.
Dr. Ambedkar: It is only postponing the trouble. Some day when we make the law we shall have to give the definition of “violence”.
I come now to specific instances. Supposing, for instance, there is trouble—I am giving some concrete cases which have happened—and there is trouble between the Scheduled Castes and caste Hindus in a particular village and the caste Hindus conspire together to proclaim a social boycott on the Scheduled Castes, preventing them from obtaining any kind of supplies, preventing them from going into the fields, preventing them from going into the jungles to collect fuel, then I want to know from Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee and Pandit Kunzru whether they want this, as an offence, to be regarded by the State as such or not.