6
MOBILISE AGAINST FEDERATION TURNING POINT IN HISTORY OF NATION
Bombay, July 20, 1938.
“Federation is an issue on which all the progressive elements in the country should concentrate their strength, irrespective of party differences, so that the future of the country may not be endangered”
“This is a crucial moment and it demands the highest sacrifice from all,” observed Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, Leader of the Independent Labour Party of Bombay, in the course of a statement to the “United Press,” on the present controversy relating to Federation and the attitude of his party to it.
Congress and Federation
“At the present moment” continued Dr. Ambedkar, “the political issue of the highest national importance in this country is the acceptance or nonacceptance of the Federal Plan as embodied in the Government of India Act, 1935. The representatives of the British Government are straining every nerve to introduce Federation at the earliest possible date. Apparently the whole country is opposed to that part of the Government of India Act which relates to Federation. There are, however, different shades in the opposition and even the Congress Party which is committed to the rejection of the Federal Plan seems to be divided as regards the attitude the Congress should adopt in practice towards Federation. There are reasons to believe that most of the older leaders are not after all so uncompromising in their opposition as the wording of the resolutions passed on the subject from the Congress platform may lead some people to suppose and that to a few of them the introduction of Federation would be positively welcome.
“Further, on the strength of the past experience in such matters the fear may rightly be entertained that the older leaders of the party