248 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
the political disenfranchisement of the very people in whose interests it was made. What we are asking for is that the deliberate opinion of one community should not be nullified by that of another community. In the primary elections, wherever held in the country no Congressman won against the Federation candidate. But in the general elections the candidates selected by the community were rejected and ‘stooges’ and ‘tools’ of another party came on top because of Caste “ Hindu Votes.” Dr. Ambedkar demanded that any arrangements made for the political protection of the community must be “full-proof and knave-proof.”
Dr. Ambedkar appealed to those who had the interests of the masses in their heart to join the Scheduled Castes in their Satyagraha campaign. Independence might not necessarily mean freedom and liberty for all. The power might pass in the hands of a small junta who might subject the masses to a greater harassment than they had experienced before. “We are prepared” Dr. Ambedkar declared, “to carry on the struggle whether help comes or not to the bitterest end on moral plane. If moral resources are exhausted, then we shall resort to other methods. The liberty of a people is greater than the sanctity of the means employed to achieve it.” [1]
Dr. Ambedkar exhorted his men to carry on the struggle to the bitter end. The Congress Harijan leaders, who always reaped the fruit of Ambedkar’s labour and struggle, spoke against Ambedkar’s agitation and supported those who always opposed Harijans’ demands. It was like barking at one’s own benefactor.
Gandhi, referring to this Satyagraha, wrote in Harijan that there was a parody of Satyagraha in the show staged by Ambedkar; and if the means were non-violent the cause was certainly vague.
The Satyagraha movement went on unabated for a fortnight, and its pressure forced the Government to abrogate their Poona Assembly Session. The Congress leaders felt the need for a rapprochement with Ambedkar. So S. K. Patil, Chief of the Bombay Provincial Congress Committee saw Dr. Ambedkar at the Siddharth College : and they both, accompained by N. M. Joshi, met Sardar Patel on July 27. The talks continued for an hour or so in
1 : Jai Bheem : 16th September, 1946.