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I SHALL STAND FOR PRINCIPLE AND WILL FIGHT ALONE FOR IT
Ahmedabad, October 22.1938.
“I do not believe any progress has been made by the Congress Ministry of Bombay by bringing in the Trade Disputes and Tenancy Bills. We have fundamental differences with the Congress for years. We are not fighting for offices in the province, but we fight for our rights.”
Thus observed Dr. Ambedkar who came here this morning in an interview with the pressman.
Continuing, he said “if I join hands with the Congress today, I can have what I like, but our case is entirely different. I do not care if the whole of my community differs from me and join the Congress, but I shall stand for principle and will fight alone for it.”
Referring to Mr. Jinnah, he said, “Mr. Jinnah is totally carrying the Muslims on the wrong path. I do not understand what differences he has with the Congress. If the League really stands for the interests of the Minorities, I welcome Mr. Jinnah to join hands with other sections who differ from the Congress, and make a united front of all these sections against the Congress. The Muslim League, to my mind, is fighting for elections and ministry.
Mr. Jinnah on one side is fighting with the Congress, while on the other side he intends to come to a pact with the Congress, which is entirely meaningless. Appeal to him to learn a lesson from the Poona pact.” [1]
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1 The Bombay Chronicle : dated 22nd October 1938.