40 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
right would be wholly illegal.” That the so-called Higher Castes have absolutely no legal right to prevent any member of the public, from drawing water from a tank which is not private property and which they themselves must be fully aware is a Municipal Tank, would be admitted by any man; who is not blinded by caste prejudices. If the local Municipal authorities had any doubts in the matter the same has been set at rest by the resolution of the Bombay Legislative Council passed in September 1926, declaring that all Municipal Tanks, wells and Dharmashalas should be thrown open to all classes of public without any distinction. It is inconceivable that any section of the community, because of their own notions of personal “superiority” in point of caste, should be entitled to prevent any other section from benefiting from the amenities provided from public funds. Such a notion deserves to be knocked on the head, not only in the interests of the oppressed and suppressed classes, but also, and much more, in the interests of the so-called superior classes themselves. Such treatment of fellow beings besides being wholly inquitous and unjustifiable is bound to have very undesirable consequences for the “Higher” Castes, for sooner or later the oppressed classes must come by the rights, human, civic and political, so long unjustly denied to them and then their exacerbated feelings might lead them to turn the tables on their former oppressors.
The alienation of the sympathy of a section of the Depressed Classes towards the national movement ought also to be a sufficient warning against the perpetuation of the present deplorable conditions. Let us hope that when in a few days Dr. Ambedkar and his fellow castemen proceed to Mahad to assert their right to draw water from the public tank there, not only will there be no opposition, but a cordial welcome will await them from the “Caste” Hindus. Such a consummation would go a long way to heal the wounds cruelly infllicted on their fellowmen.” [1]
1 : The Indian National Herald, dated 6th March 1928.