9
CONGRESS ATTEMPTS TO BYPASS UNTOUCHABLES
One of the most important days in the history of Indian politics was the 12th November 1930, the day on which late Majesty King George the 5th, formally inaugurated the Indian Round Table Conference. From the view point of the Indians it was an important incident; for the first time it recognised the right of Indians to be consulted in framing the constitution of their country. For the Untouchables it was a landmark in their history. They too were for the first time recognised to be represented separately by two delegates, the late Mr. Shrinivasan and my humble self. The Indian National Congress was the only body which did not take part in this Conference. The work of the Conference was distributed in nine committees, one of them being the Minorities Committee.
The Act of 1919 which emphasised necessity of protection of the Depressed Classes, actually did nothing. It was just a theoretical assertion. I, therefore, submitted a memorandum in which I pleaded for the following : (1) Equal citizenship for the Depressed Classes,
(2) Free enjoyment of equal right,
(3) Protection against Discrimination,
(4) Sufficient political power for the Depressed Classes to influence the legislative and executive action for the purpose of securing their welfare, which included (a) right to adequate representation in the Legislature, and
(b) right to elect their own men,
(i) by adult suffrage, and by
(ii) separate electorate for the first ten years, and there after by joint electrorates with reserved seats,
(5) Adequate representation in the services. It was emphasized to establish a Public Service Commission in all the provinces whose duties would be :
(a) to recruit the services in such a manner as to secure due and adequate representation of all the communities, and