176 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
- On the question of provision for adequate representation in the Legislature, Executive and Services, the Working Committee condemns out-right the offer of token representation often made to the Scheduled Castes and expresses its strong opposition to the grant of weightage to other minorities which cannot but deprive the Scheduled Castes of their due share. The Working Committee wishes to emphasize the fact that the Scheduled Castes form the third important element in the national life of India and that they will not be satisfied unless they are given substantial representation in accordance with their need and their numbers.
The Working Committee would be happy if it could convey to the Mission the horror the Scheduled Castes feel at the mere thought of Police and Revenue Services, manned as they are entirely by Caste Hindus, who are oppressing, tyrannising and discriminating against, the Scheduled Castes even when they are working under the British Government, deriving further support for their acts of tyranny and oppression from a Legislature and an Executive dominated by Caste Hindus. Unless provision is made for, a substantial representation of the Scheduled Castes in the Legislature, Executive and Public Services, there can be no safety to the Scheduled Castes, surrounded as they will be by an indifferent Legislature, a Pro-Hindu Executive and an anti-Scheduled Caste Policy.
- As to the provision for separate settlements, it is the considered opinion of the Working Committee that : (a) The existing village system has the effect of making the Scheduled Castes in the villages slaves of the Caste Hindus. And if notwithstanding that the Penal Code does not recognize slavery, the Scheduled Castes in every village all over India are in fact the slaves of the Hindus, it is because of the village system. Indeed, a more effective method of enforcing slavery upon the Untouchables could not have been devised.
(b) The existing village system under which everyone knows who is a touchable and who is an Untouchable, has the effect of making Untouchability permanent. Indeed, a more effective method of making Untouchability permanent could not have been found.