252 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
not a commodity to be bartered. My reply is that it is not fair on the part of Gandhi to give expression to this kind of view at this distant date. At the time of the Poona Pact, Mr. Gandhi himself accepted the principle of give and take. Gone are the days when those who are struggling for achieving the basic human rights to satisfy their hunger and ordinary basic needs like bread and water could be hood-winked to live, merely for attaining spiritual peace.
Gandhi says that the Untouchables are bartering away their religion, but he must bear in mind that the conversion movement has not been launched with any selfish motive or for any personal benefit. According to Gandhi, ‘Hindus should do (repentance) prayschit themselves and voluntarily endeavour to eradicate Untouchability. Untouchables themselves need not do anything for the removal of Untouchability and their own upliftment. The Untouchables should simply sit with folded hands and pray, ‘O’ ! Lord, grant the Hindus wisdom, and courage, and light, so that they may be forgiven for their evil deeds. Let their sins be forgiven and grant them the knowledge and strength to reform their society.’ This is the pious advice of Gandhiji to the Untouchables. These pious platitudes can do no good to anybody, nor can they solve any problems. No sane person can ever agree to such a proposal. This sounds more like the advice tendered by an idiot to the people living in an area effected by a plague epidemic. “Brothers, halt and listen to me ! Do not be afraid of the disease. The Municipal Committee members will have to repent one day for the dereliction of duty on their part; some plan will surely be chalked out for the eradication of the plague. Meanwhile, you must wait and see. Do not be in a hurry to leave home and hearth.” Whatever wisdom you find in this advice, the same kind of advice has been tendered by Gandhi to the Untouchables in his statements.
Shri Rajagopalachari, it seems, has another fit of anger. This aged house-holder has developed a kind of indigestion owing to excessive use of acidic explitives which he is in the habit of coining. He has labelled this conversion movement as ‘satanic.’
If the Untouchables have been seriously thinking of embracing Sikhism, the followers of Hinduism should think for themselves and decide whether this step on the part of the Untouchables is