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WE CANNOT ALLOW OUR GRIEVANCES TO CONTINUE
A big meeting was held on 30th May 1937 under the auspices of the Independant Labour Party at the Kamgar Maidan Parel, in Bombay. This meeting was specially arranged to congratulate the representatives who were elected in the election of Executive Council. Dr. P. J. Solanki had presided over the meeting. There were about 15 thousand people assembled for this meeting out of which there were about
1200 women. Various units of Samta Sainik Dal were specially summoned for the arrangement of this meeting. [1]
“In this meeting Dr. B. R. Ambedkar reiterated his views and expressed his firm determination to work the new constitution for what it was worth in the best interests of the Depressed Classes. Appealing to the Congress Party to play the game and end the deadlock, he sounded a note of warning to the Congress Party and said: “We cannot allow our grievances to continue till the so-called Congress fight against imperialism is over.” In the course of his speech he condemned the attitude taken by Congress leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru, who put up menials as candidates to contest the seats with chosen men from the Depressed Classes. He referred to Nehru’s servant by name Hari as a case in point. Answering the question why he did not join the interim Ministry, he said that it was no use accepting office in a Ministry which commanded no majority in the Assembly and which was not likely to last long.” [2]
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1 : Janata, dated 12th June 1937.
2 : Keer, P 293.