282 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
Dr. Ambedkar said he was quite surprised to find that some of Mr. Gandhi’s friends in London were critical of his attitude towards the Scheduled Castes. “In their opinion even if the Untouchables were Hindus, that in itself is not an objection to giving them separate electorates”, he said. Mr. Attlee’s knowledge of Indian situation impressed Dr. Ambedkar who thought that the Prime Minister was aware that the Scheduled Castes “needed to be looked after.”
He also thought that “Mr. Churchill was very keen and desirous of seeing that the Scheduled Castes were protected* in any Constitution that might be framed.” [1]
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- See appendix - VII.
1 : The Bombay Chronicle, dated 9th November 1946.