ROLE OF ......................... INDIAN DEMOCRACY 105
The Indian Daily Mail, in its issue dated 21st July 1931, congratulating the Doctor upon his nomination to the Federal Structure Committee, paid a glowing tribute to Dr. Ambedkar.
It said : “I congratulate Dr. Ambedkar upon his invitation. Dr. Ambedkar made a tremendous impression at the Round Table Conference and his speech at the opening session was one of the finest bits of oratory delivered during the whole Conference. His final attitude to the Sankey report was that of ’ one who does not approve but also who does not object. ‘ He pointed out that he had a mandate to see that no responsible Government was established unless it was at the same time, accompanied by a truly representative Government. He voiced a fear that the proposed form of Government would be one of the massses by the classes, and his protest found much echoing sympathy in the Labour and Liberal Party of Great Britain. On the other hand Dr. Ambedkar will not play the old fashioned minority game. He is a patriot and is vitally interested in securing self-government. In the future discussions, which will centre round the franchise of the senate and” the Federal Assembly, this brilliant representative of the Depressed Classes is certain to play a most important part.” [1] .
The Sunday Chronicle in its issue dated 26th July
- under the initials A.T.T., appreciating the services of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar as a true nationalist, said ; “One of the delegates nominated to the Federal Structure Committee is my friend Dr. Ambedkar. When he was in London last year attending the R.T.C. I saw a good deal of him. At heart a true nationalist he had to put up a stem fight against the persuasive coquetry of the British diehards who are anxious to win him over to their side and at the same time his task was made more difficult by his anxiety to retain his brother delegate Rao Bahadur Srinivasan within the Nationalist fold. At the Chesterfield Gardens, time and again, he complained that Sir Tej Bahadur was giving more to the Princes in the process of give and take. But he admitted that Sir Tej had to manouvre through a very difficult situation.” [2] .
1 : Reprinted, Ganvir, Ambedkar-Gandhi : Teen Mulakhati, (Marathi) Pp.6-7.
2 : Ibid. Pp. 7-8.