238 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
Referring to the attitude of Harijans towards the Harijan Sevak Sangh, Dr. Ambedkar declared : “The Harijan Sevak Sangh is not likely to advance the cause of the abolition of Untouchability. That Sangh is merely a wing of the Congress.”
Dr. Ambedkar, continuing, said: “Democracy is not suitable to India and popular Government will not do for her. India wants a dictator, a Kemal Pasha or a Mussolini. I had hoped that Mr. Gandhi would attain the position of dictator, but I am disappointed. My complaint is not that Mr. Gandhi is a dictator, but that he is not. I feel the greatest respect for Kemal Pasha, it is he that has made Turkey into a powerful nation. If there are any people with whose religious sentiments and practices it is extremely risky to interfere, they are the Muslims. But Kemal Pasha has done it with success. Without a leader of the stamp of Kemal Pasha, there will be no salvation for India. But in the circumstances, it is impossible to get such a dictator in social and religious matters and hence I despair of the future of India.”
Younger Generation
Referring to the attitude of the younger generation and the Harijans Dr. Ambedkar is said to have declared: “I am not hopeful of the younger generation which seems to be more predisposed to pleasure seeking and not possessing much of idealism and is not likely to produce men of ideals, principles and actions like Ranade, Tilak or Gokhale. This also fills me with despair.
“In brief, being born in the Untouchable community, I deem it my first duty to strive for its interest and my duty to India as a whole is secondary. I have strong religious sentiment according to my own conception of religion, but I have no faith in Hinduism and I hate hypocrisy. I have therefore, decided to renounce Hinduism, but I do not intend to do so immediately as I want to carry my community with me. The Harijan army is not marching today and it is watching and waiting for a suitable opportunity. In the meanwhile, the ‘touchables’ may go on making their efforts on the lines chalked out by you.” [1]
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1 : The Times of India, dated 30th November 1935.