16
ACT AND UTILISE THE POWER COMING INTO YOUR HANDS
Dr. B. R. Ambedkar addressed a meeting on Sunday, 9th October 1932 at 10-30 p.m. on the ground of Improvement Trust Chawl on Belasis Road, Bombay. Mr. Bapusaheb Sahastrabuddhe, one of the main worker of Social Service League presided over the meeting. Shri S. N. Shivatarkar was also present. [1]
Dr. Ambedkar in his speech vividly described to his people how hard they had made their struggle for existence by hankering after ideas about the unseen happiness in the other world rather than concentrating their minds on the material forces in this world.
In a heart-rending appeal he said “because people neglected the material needs of life and grew indifferent to the knowledge that enabled them to secure them, the country remained backward and her progress came to a standstill. “The appearance of Tulsi leaves around your neck,” he continued, “will not relieve you from the clutches of the money lenders. Because you sing songs of Rama, you will not get a concession in rent from the landlords. You will not get salaries at the end of the month because you make pilgrimages every year to Pandharpur. Because the major part of the society is absorbed in these worthless mysteries of life, superstitions and mysticism, the intelligent and self-centred people get ample scope and opportunities to carry out their anti-social designs. “I, therefore, appeal to you,” he concluded, “to act and utilise what little political power is coming into your hands. If you are indifferent and do not try to use it properly, your worries will have no end. Fear lurks in my mind that the slavery which we are fighting out may overtake us again. Will this awakening of ours be short-lived? ” [2]
��
1 : Janata, dated 15th October 1932.
2 : Keer, P. 213.