176 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
are meeting to consider their economic grievances. Hitherto they were meeting as Pariahs. Now you are meeting as workers. I am not prepared to say that we have been wrong in concentrating our efforts in emphasizing social grievances. Whatever other people may say there are grievances under the load of which our very manhood is crushed out. Nor can it be said that our agitation has borne no fruit. It is true that we have not succeeded in the removal of Untouchability. It is true that we have not succeeded in securing some of the most elementary rights to which all human beings are entitled. But it is also true that our agitation has succeeded in so far as we have obtained possession of political power. Who has power has liberty is an observation which no one can gainsay. Power is the only means whereby one can secure liberty and free himself from all obstacles and political power has a potency which if it is not as great as religious or economic power is quite real and effective as far as it goes. I am sorry that the political power which the Depressed Classes have got under the new constitution has been frittered away by the machinations of our enemies and by the selfishness of needy and profligate adventurers from among our selves. Power behind which there is no organization, power behind which there is no consciousness is no power. I hope one day, not before very long the Depressed Classes will become organized, will become conscious of the power they have got and will begin to put it to wise and effective use in order to secure their social emancipation.
Although I am not prepared to say that our efforts have been misdirected I confess that we have too long neglected to lay the same emphasis on the economic problems with which we are faced as we do on social problems and I am therefore glad that we have met today more as workers than as Untouchables. It is a new departure and I congratulate those who have given us this opportunity of discussing them.
There are however some people who have read into this move a sinister motive and have criticised me for being a party to this Conference. I would not have cared for this criticism had it not been that this criticism comes from labour leaders. The gravamen of their charge seems to be that by holding this Conference of the Depressed Class Workers we are dividing the ranks of labour.