REACTIONS ON.....................CONVERSION 479
This question of conversion or the communal migration as a move of the political chess board does not disturb us much in South India. We are content to work under the Poona Pact, partly as a separate electorate and partly with a joint electorate preserving our status with the Hindus both religiously and politically. I would therefore be no party even to the political manipulations which are proposed in your letter. I would urge the Hindu Mahasabha to address itself to the task of making easy for the Depressed Classes to stay within Hinduism and Hindu Society instead of arranging for the ticket for entering them to some far off destination. As the question you raise is likely to rouse a lot of discussion. I reserve to myself the right to publish my reply when the occasion arises.
III
Rajah Backed
Mr. C. Rajagopalchari writing to Rao Bahadur Rajah said :—
“I have your note and enclosures. I read through the Correspondence. I would not be too strong language to call the whole thing a diabolical proposal. I am glad, you have sent the correspondence to Mahatmaji. I am glad, you have replied in the terms you have done and summarily rejected the Idea.” [1]
IV
RAJBHOJ REPLIES TO DR. AMBEDKAR
Poona Pact Benefits not for Runaways from Hinduism
“The Poona Pact does not make any provision for converts from Hinduism, and even if some of the Harijan community embraced Sikhism or any other religion in a body, it is not within the power of the Poona Pact signatories to retain for those converts any of the advantages secured under it,” says Mr. P. N. Rajbhoj, Harijan leader and Secretary of the All India Depressed Classes league, in a statement on Dr. Moonje’s plan. Mr. Rajbhoj adds that the Poona Pact was specially intended to give the utmost concession to
1 : The Bombay Chronicle, dated 8th August 1936.