58 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
Subbarayan’s Bill, since the Bill did not condemn Untouchablility as a sin. It only said that if a referendum favoured the temple entry, temples should be thrown open to the Depressed Classes, but said nothing of their right to worship the deity in the temples.
He told Gandhi that the Depressed Classes did not want to be Shudras in the order of the caste system and added that he honestly could not call himself a Hindu. Why, he asked, he should be proud of that religion which condemned him to a de-graded position. If that system was to continue, he had no use of the benefits of the temple entry.
Gandhi said that according to him the caste system was not a bad system. He continued : “Let the touchable Hindus have an opportunity to expiate their sins and purify Hinduism. Do not be indifferent to this question. Sanatanists and Government would take advantage of this. If this reformation takes place, the Untouchables would rise in society.”
Dr. Ambedkar differed from Gandhi. He was convinced that if the Untouchables made progress in the economic, educational and political fields, temple entry would follow automatically.” [1]
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1 : Keer, Pp. 226-227