172 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
Resolution of the Working Committee of the All-India Scheduled Castes Federation passed at its meeting held in Delhi on 2nd April 1946
Part I
General
- The Working Committee of the All-India Scheduled Castes Federation at its meetings held in Delhi on 2nd April
1946, having given its best consideration to the question of helping the Cabinet Mission to achieve the purpose which it has in view, namely, to make India a self-governing country :
Resolves to place before the Mission its considered views on the problem of how best to achieve the said purpose in a manner which will not merely grant freedom to the Hindu majority but will also free the minority communities and Scheduled Castes in particular from the tyranny of the majority community, which not being political is not liable to be altered and which being communal is a majority fixed for ever.
- The Working Committee, cannot refrain from repudiating the insinuation made against the Scheduled Castes that they have been putting a veto on the political advancement of India. In the opinion of the working Committee there can be no doubt that responsibility for holding up political advancement of India lies entirely upon the majority community which has arrogantly and unjustifiably claimed to itself the right to determine what safeguards the minority communities and in particular the Scheduled Castes should have and has never cared, indeed has always avoided to produce its blue print of the safeguards for the minority communities and for the Scheduled Castes. All that the Scheduled Castes have done is to insist - and will not hesitate to do so in future - firstly, upon the inclusion of proper safeguards in the Constitution itself for the protection of their rights and liberties and secondly, upon the acceptance by the majority of their right to determine the nature and character of the safeguards they want.