REMOVE...............‘SMRITI’ RELIGION 237
About abjuring the Hindu religion, Dr. Ambedkar declared: “Personally, I have made up my mind to change my religion. I am not able to tell you today what other religion I will accept. But I do not intend to secure any personal gain by the change of religion. It is not a personal question and I desire to carry with me the whole Untouchable community at all events the majority of that community, I do not want it to be split up by some joining one religion or sect and other another. From the point of view of the interests to my community it is necessary that it should be united with and absorbed into some powerful and living community. It is my intention to make this movement for change of religion an all India one. If my community does not follow me then I will alone change my religion. This may take at least four or five years and you will have this period for doing what you can. Before the final decision is made we shall of course consider what success your efforts may have met with. I admit the work before you is tremendous. But if it cannot be accomplished except after a very long period we are not prepared to wait for such a length of time.”
New Sect
Referring to the offer made by Dr. Kurtakoti, regarding his creation of a new order and throwing it open to the Untouchables in common with others on equal footing and status, Dr. Ambedkar said : “I shall not undertake the responsibility of starting a new sect nor will I advise my community to join it. Let Dr. Kurtakoti start the sect if he so desires and let it spread among the ‘touchables’ and then we shall think over it. I cannot say today what the Harijans will think of it if it is established. Their attitude towards it will depend upon its numerical strength and upon the extent to which it will promote the uplift of the Harijan community. We shall consider whether to join it or not just as we may consider whether or not to join any other sect, but such a sect must be of a living religion
There are some difficulties in the way of our accepting Buddhism. I think that the Harijan community should be completely absorbed into some powerful community. It has decided not to join the Arya Samaj. We shall consider the question of joining the Sikh religion.