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I AM FIGHTING FOR RIGHTS OF SCHEDULED CASTES TELEGRAM TO PRIME MINISTER ATLEE-LONDON
The Cabinet Mission had recommended inadequate representation of Scheduled Castes in the interim Government for India. Dr. B. R. Ambedker sent a telegram to Mr. Atlee then Prime Minister of the Great Britain : Editors.
At time of last year’s Simla Conference Viceroy on my protest and with consent of Home Government promised increase Scheduled Castes’s representation in Interim Government to two seats in Council of fourteen stop I had demanded three stop Compromise I accepted two stop. New proposals interim Government announced yesterday give Scheduled Castes only one seat stop. This gross breach of solemn promise given after due deliberation stop. One seat most unfair stop Mission is treating sixty million Untouchables as being equal to four millions Sikhs, three million Christians in matter of representation stop Scheduled Caste nominee does not represent Scheduled Castes, is elected entirely by Hindu Votes and is creature of Congress stop Representation to Scheduled Castes Congressman is no representation to Scheduled Castes stop. It is representation to Congress stop Cabinet Mission heaping upon Scheduled Castes one wrong after another, bent on sacrificing them with view appease Congress and desrtoying their independent position in public life of country stop. Please intervene and redress wrong by directing Mission to give Scheduled Castes two seats to be filled by nominees of Federation which Mission knows alone represents Scheduled Castes stop Scheduled Castes insist on two seats or none stop. To avoid misunderstanding of my motive I like to state that I have no desire to be in Interim Government and will stand out stop I am fighting for rights of Scheduled Castes stop. Hope there is some sense of justice left in British Government—Dr. Ambedkar
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Dated 17-6-1946. 22, Prithviraj Road, New Delhi.
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1 . Quoted, Khairmode, Vol. 8, P. 73 and LP&j. and LP& j/10/50: Pp 81-8 and Atlee Papers, University College, Oxford.