206 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
anarchy. But he thought the argument went beyond its scope if it sought to justify the establisment of Central Government for All-India. In his opinion the creation of autonomous provinces did not require the creation of Central Govenment for the whole of India; all that was necessary was that Central Government for British India shall be federal in form. Why was it necessary to bring in the States he asked? Government of India Act, 1935, he pointed out, established two distinct Federations-a Federation of British India Provinces along with an All-India Federation. There was no difference between their legislative and financial powers or in their individual organisation. There was only one vital difference.
While there was British India Federation only there was no responsibility at the center- there is to be no resposibility at the centre so long as there was no All-India Federation. That meant that the entry of the States was a condition precedent for the grant of responisbility to British India why was the entry of the States so essential ? he asked. His answer was, “To put it bluntly, the motive is to use the Princes to support Imperial Interests and curb the rising tide of the Democracy in British India.” He saw no other explanation, Dr. Ambedkar remarked. “What a price has been paid for the entry of the Federation?”
Not only British India has not been able to secure responsibility at the center commensurate with the sacrifice it has made for making Federation easy for the Princes, but it has lost its claim for Dominion Status in its own right and independently of the Princes.
Of the two parts of the Federation, British India is the progressive part and the States form the unprogressive part. That the progressive part should be tied upto the chariot of the unprogressive and the path and destiny should be made dependent on the unprogressive part constitutes the most tragic side of Federation.
Dr. Ambedkar lastly considered Federation from different points of view, from the point of view of the Princes, the Hindus and the Muslims. The interest of the Princes. . . . . . according to the Doctor were two-fold. They wanted to escape Paramountcy and they did not want to subject. . . . . .themselves too much to the authority of the Federation.