78 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
that he also was one of the revolutionary leaders of India. Some of the English statesmen confidentially asked A. B. Latthe whether Dr. Ambedkar belonged to the revolutionary camp. And this inquiry on the part of the British statesmen was not unexpected. It may be recalled how the British secret police had taken a full search of Dr. Ambedkar when he landed in Britain, in 1917 from America.
During the early period of the Conference, there was an attempt made by the Liberal leaders—Sapru, Sastri and Satalvad, to reach an agreement with the Muslim delegates on the communal question. The Hindu delegates held meetings at the residence of Sir Cowasji Jehangir under the Chairmanship of Sastri to discuss the possibility of a compromise with the Muslim delegates. Moonje and Jayakar expressed the view that such a settlement would be possible after the grant of Dominion Status. The Liberal leaders—Jayakar, Moonje and Ambedkar held parleys with the Nawab of Bhopal, the Aga Khan, Jinnah and others at the residence of the Nawab of Bhopal, but the talks broke down over the Muslim demand for separation of Sind which was solidly opposed by Moonje and Jayakar. Besides, the Muslim leaders were not prepared to grant the same proportion of reserved seats to the Hindus and Sikhs in Muslim majority Provinces as they asked for themselves in others Provinces.
After the general discussion in the plenary session, the Conference appointed nine sub committees and Dr. Ambedkar found himself a Member of almost all the important subcommittees except the Federal Structure Committee. He served on the Minorities Sub-Committee, the Provincial Sub-Committee and the Services Sub-Committee with the great luminaries from India and England. In the course of the discussion on the report of the Provincial Sub-Committee, Dr. Ambedkar supported Chintamani’s view that it was absolutely unnecessary and undesirable to have a Second Chamber in any province in India.
While the report of the Defence Committee was being discussed, Dr. Ambedkar pleaded that the recruitment to the Army should be upon to all Indians consistently with the considerations of efficiency and the possession of the necessary qualifications.