878 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
liberation followed by freedom. But the point is this—and it worries me considerably. You are, by this kind of a peace, doing nothing more but feeding the giant every time the giant opens his jaw and wants something to eat. When you are feeding the giant regularly and constantly, the question that I should ask myself is this. Is it not conceivable that this giant may one day turn to us and say: “I have now consumed everything that there was to be consumed : you are the only person that remains, and I want to consume you”.
Shri H. P. Saksena: Then we will consume the giant.
Dr. B. R, Ambedkar: Let us not boost ourselves too much. We have not been tried as yet in an international bout and when we are tried in an international bout I think it will be found out whether we can face the situation ourselves. But the point that I was making is this. This principle of feeding the giant seems to me a most obnoxious principle and how, for instance as I said can we expect to be relieved ? Will the Russians show any gratitude because the Indian Prime Minister and the Indian Parliament have supported the partition of Indo-China or supported the partition of Korea, and will they not turn to us ? I think this is a question which the Indians should bear in mind and not forget or overlook.
Now the other question, namely, co-existence. This coexistence to my mind is an astounding principle unless it is very strictly limited. The question is : Can communism and free democracy work together ? Can they live together ? Is it possible to hope that there will not be a conflict between them ? The theory, at any rate, seems to me utterly absurd, for communism is like a forest fire; it goes on burning and consuming anything and everything that comes in its way. It is quite possible that countries which are far distant from the centre of communism may feel safe that the forest fire may be extinguished before it reaches them or it may be that the fire may never reach them. But what about the countries which are living in the vicinity of this forest fire ? Can you expect that human habitation and this forest fire can long live together ? I have seen comments from Canadian statesmen and from European statesmen congratulating the policy of