74 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
by himself responsible for the fulfilment or failure of a mission : so he asked them to continue the struggle. As for his own self, he said, after all, he was a human being and it was human to err. He might have been at times partial, but that should be excused he added.
“I am described as a traitor by Congressmen,” he observed, “because I opposed Gandhi. I am not at all perturbed by this charge. It is baseless, false and malicious. But it was a great shock to the world that Gandhi himself should have sponsored violent opposition to the breaking of your shackles. I am confident that the future generations of Hindus will appreciate my services when they study the history of the Round Table Conference.” He also disclosed how he happened to see Gandhi four or five times in London, how Gandhi went secretly to the Aga Khan with a copy of the Holy Koran in his hand and asked the Muslim leader to withdraw his support to the Depressed Classes, and how the Aga Khan had refused to do so. * Lastly, he appealed to his people not to deify him as he hated deification. At the conclusion of the meeting, he honoured the Nasik heroes who had been by then released from Jails.” [1]
“Dr. B. R. Ambedkar in thanking the audience said that he would not have been able to place before the R. T. C. the case of the Depressed Classes had he not been supported by the solidarity of the seven crores of the Untouchables. He referred to the difference of opinion existed between himself and a certain sections of the Depressed Classes and assured them that he did not stand for any particular section of the Depressed Classes but was prepared to accept any scheme safeguarding the interests of the whole community. He criticised the attitude of Mr. Gandhi in dealing with the minorities problem and said that he, while negotiating with the Depressed Classes, was at the same time secretly confabulating with the Mohammedans. He asked the audience not to place reliance on a leader but always depend on their own strength. He finally congratulated the Nasik temple entry Satyagrahis. ” [2]
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- : The Janata, 30th January 1932.
1 : Keer, Pp. 193-94.
2 : Bombay City S. B., January 30th 1932.