466 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
reason why a separate legislation should now be enacted for them. Now that such a Bill has come before us, I welcome it, but, all the same, I wish to mention a couple of things in this connection. Firstly, out of the six seats in the House of the People allotted to Vindhya Pradesh, one third have been reserved for the untouchables—Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes. But unfortunately the people of Vindhya Pradesh are so illiterate and backward that only a limited number of such persons will be available as may be able to discharge their duties and represent their people properly in Parliament. Such is not the case with the Harijans alone; even Caste Hindus suffer from illiteracy. Shri Thakkar Bapa had once remarked that mass literacy should have preceded adult franchise. We did never raise any question in regard to education. While in Delhi new schools have been opened and arrangements made for their education and educational facilities extended to rural areas too, but no steps have been taken in this regard in Vindhya Pradesh. One of the speakers who spoke before me, Shri Sonavane, strongly supported this Bill. I also agree with him. May I ask whether in his speech he at all referred to the absence of any arrangements for the education of the people of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes? Today they are devoid of even the prime necessities and comforts of the modern life. In places like Kherua, a poor labourer is paid at the rate of only four annas per day, while contractors get contracts at nearly double the rate. The better course, therefore would have been that the hon. Members, who are supporters of the cause of Harijans should have personally visited those places, taken some positive steps to improve their conditions and approached the Education Department of the Government for providing them with educational facilities. As a matter of fact they are only keen about their own interests— that they should be elected here as their representatives—and do not care for the interest of the Harijans. Unless they do some material work for the uplift of the Harijans, I would not approve of mere idle talk as it can do no good to the country. We should promote education among our brethren—the people of the Scheduled Castes—whom we consider to be our own, so that after being elected to Parliament they may be