370 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
(2) The organisation known as the M.E.O. has been of some use in helping the Scheduled Castes refugees who are anxious to evacuate. I, however, understand that the Pakistan Government is not permitting the M.E.O. to get into direct touch with the Scheduled Castes who want to evacuate. Consequently, the process of evacuating the Scheduled Castes is going very slowly, and in some places it is at a standstill. I am also told that the M.E.O. is going to be closed very soon. If this happens then the evacuation of the Scheduled Castes from Pakistan would be quite impossible.
(3) What is necessary to do is :—
(i) to ask the Pakistan Government not to place any obstacles in the way of the evacuation of the Scheduled Castes,
(ii) to allow the M.E.O. to get into direct touch with Scheduled Castes and wish to evacuate,
(iii) to maintain the M.E.O. till all the Scheduled Castes are evacuated.
(4) So far the Ministry of Relief and Rehabilitation has appointed only one officer from the Scheduled Castes to West Punjab. But other Provinces of Pakistan such as N. W. F. P., Sind and Bhawalpur are left over and for which no such officer has been appointed. The Ministry should be directed to make appointments to these areas forthwith to that special officers could tour the Pakistan area and find out the places where the Scheduled Castes are prevented by the Pakistan Government from coming over.
II
With regard to those Scheduled Castes who have come over from Pakistan to Eastern Punjab, they have also sent their complaints. They are far more numerous than those coming from persons who are impounded in Pakistan. I have their gist below :—
(i)
(1) The Scheduled Castes evacuees who have come to Eastern Punjab are not living in the refugees camps established by the