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ALLIANCES WITH OTHER PARTIES WHOSE OBJECTIVES ARE NOT OPPOSED TO THOSE OF FEDERATION
Patna, November 7, 1951. (PIT)
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Leader of the Scheduled Castes Federation, told the Press Trust of India in an interview today that his party would seek to fight the elections not only in alliance with the Socialist Party but any other party whose objectives did not run counter to those of the Federation.
Dr. B. R. Ambedkar had a talk with Mr. Jay Prakash Narayan, the Socialist leader, today for about an hour. The talks are believed to have centred round the question of an election alliance.
Dr. B. R. Ambedkar said that his party would not in any case align with the Communist Party “for the plain reason that I do not believe in Communism,”
Asked if he would prevent his party from aligning with the Communist Party simply because he was personally opposed to Communism, Dr. Ambedkar said : “I am not going to be a slave to my party so long as I and my party agree, we work together else we go our own way. I do not live on politics and I do not propose to live on politics.”
Dr. B. R. Ambedkar added, however, that on the question of Communists there was no difference of opinion between him and his party.
More Time
Dr. Ambedkar said that he had along been opposed to the holding of the elections hastily. In his opinion at least one year’s time should have been given to the people between the passing of the People’s Representation Act and the actual holding of elections to enable them to prepare themselves.
If he had time he would have exerted himself for forming a single party opposed to the Congress on Unitary or Federal basis. The provincial branches of the Federation, Dr. Ambedkar said, had been left free to enter into election alliances with other parties whose objectives were not opposed to those of Federation.
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The Chronicle, dated 8th November 1951.