36 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
should not lose under any circumstances their courage, patience and persevarance but carry on the struggle to the successful end in all humility by peaceful and non-violent means.
May God give the strength to my suffering brethren and wisdom to the cast Hindus.” [1]
Sub-Judge, Mahad, dissolved Mahad injunction—
Chawdar Tank-No Private Property Magistrate Regrets Grant of Injunction
“I cannot conclude this order without expressing my regret at the inconvenience and hardship caused to the defendants by the injunction granted by me, temporary though it was, and at having been instrumental in heaping one more wrong upon a community already labouring under the most cruel and unjust social wrongs. I dissolve the injunction issued by me”. So said the Sub-Judge while dissolving the injunction against Dr. Ambedkar and others.
It will be remembered that Dr. Ambedkar and others who went to offer Satyagraha at Mahad in the matter of taking water from the famous Chawdar tank were prevented from doing so by the injunction granted by Mr. G. V. Vaidya, SubJudge, Mahad, as applied for by Mr. Pandurang Raghunath Dharap and others, who claimed that the tank concerned was their private property. It is understood that Dr. Ambedkar and others, as also a number of caste Hindu people have decided to offer Satyagraha again. Probably they may restart the campaign on the first day of the Hindu New Year, i.e. about three weeks after, as the injunction against them has now been dissolved on the ground that the said tank is “Government municipal property.”
Why Injunction was granted
Delivering judgment of February 23rd the Sub-Judge observes. “The injunction had been granted on the prima facie presumption that the Chawdar Tank in suit was of the nature of private property. I have now to see whether on the evidence that is now produced for Defendants, that presumption stands or not. That presumption has, in my opinion, been strongly rebutted by the evidence now placed by the Defendants before me.”
1 : The Bombay Chronicle, dated 2nd March 1928.