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WE MUST WORK IN INDIA FOR CREATING CO-OPERATIVE SPIRIT AMONG ALL PARTIES
“London, October 22, 1946. (Reuter)
In the course of an interview to Reuter’s Correspondent on the Indian constitutional situation, Dr. Ambedkar said :
“It is quite definite that they are not friends, they are not even allies.” He added, “We know people who are allies though not friends, but the Muslim League and the Congress Party have gone into the Provisional Government as adversaries. What can we expect ? One can hardly call that a coalition. It is really, in a sense, Government of one country by two nations”
Dr. Ambedkar said that this was not the time for party Government in India. “We are practically in the midst of a Civil war”, he asserted. “You may not like to call it a civil war, but that is the spirit behind it. At this time there should be a real coalition Government consisting of all parties at the Centre just as you in Britain had during the war.
I think the coming ten years are so critical in the destiny of India that unless all parties work together we will not be able to put the country any way you like.”
“We must remember that we shall have to create such a feeling in India,” continued Dr. Ambedkar.
“Hereafter, there will be no such thing in India as section
93 of the Government of India Act of 1935. Section 93 was really a Constitutional brake upon anarchy, however, much it was hated by the people.” Dr. Ambedkar said and added : “There will be no British troops. It is in the light of these circumstances that we must work in India for the purpose of creating that co-operative spirit among all parties and people that alone can help us in future.”
Dr. Ambedkar confessed himself unhappy both about the present and the future. “After all,” he asked, “What had we achieved and what is it that the future has in prospect?— two nations dividing the country geographically into three fragments.”
“Which way does hope lie?” I asked Dr. Ambedkar.