246 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
as a separate political entity and rejecting the demands made by Dr. Ambedkar and Rao Bahadur N. Sivaraj for political safeguards. “The Federation is, therefore, bound” he says, “to take direct action against the British Government. They cannot also forget the mischievous part which the Congress has played in this sordid affair. The Federation is convinced that the Congress has misused its position as the majority party and the eagerness of the British to placate the Congress forced them to deny the Scheduled Castes the status of a separate political entity. What has been done by the Cabinate Mission to the Scheduled Castes is the direct result of the Congress Machination and the Federation is, therefore, bound to take action against the Congress as well.”
The Council of Action appointed in June to devise ways of launching a struggle will, Mr. Rajbhoj states, intimate the various Provincial components of the nature of the struggle each should embark upon. But in the meantime, the Bombay Provincial Scheduled Castes Federation has decided, he adds, to take the first step in the struggle by breaking the order of the District Magistrate Poona on July 15. Mr. Rajbhoj called upon all those who wish to participate in the movement to enrol themselves at the office of the Bombay Provincial Scheduled Castes Federation at Poona, where Mr. B. K. Gaikwad, President is in-charge. ” [1]
In another press interview published in ‘Jai Bheem’ dated
16th September 1946. Dr. Ambedkar pointed out other view of which some of the points have resemblance with the views in the preview interviews—Editors.
Babasaheb explains purpose of Satyagraha
Dr. B. R. Ambedkar demanded in a Press interview that the Congress should issue a blue print explaining how they were going to dispose of the destiny of the 60 million Scheduled Castes of the Country. The purpose of the Satyagraha launched by the Scheduled Castes Federation in Poona, he explained, was to get answer from the Congress to this question and ask the Congress to make an open declaration of their plan to protect the interests of the Scheduled Castes in the future constitution of India.
1 : Jai Bheem : August 13, 1946. Pp. 2-3.