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IF THE BOTTOM-MOST STONE IS SHIFTED THOSE ABOVE ARE TO BE SHAKEN
Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, in the course of his reply to the congratulatory speeches made in a meeting of the peasants and Depressed Classes members from Ratnagiri and Kolaba Districts held last night* in the Bhatt High School, Bombay, said,
“I assure you that I shall not surrender in the battle, I will have to wage for protecting and advancing the interests of the working class in India in the Executive Council. You may depend on me as regards that, I also want to make it clear that I shall not be so childish as to keep my resignation ready in my pocket and flourish it in the face of my colleagues at every point of minor differences.”
“I am anxious that the Depressed Classes movement should make a common front with the working classes of other communities,” continued Dr. Ambedkar.
“With that object in view I clung to the Non-Brahmin Party for full ten years in the hope that sooner or later it would rise to the full height of its great mission of struggling for the freedom of the toiling masses of the great non-Brahmin community.
That party had in it the germs of the great principle of democracy. Its leaders unfortunately did not realise their duties and responsibilities and allowed the party to be smashed to bits under the double influence of Government and Congress patronage.
Even now I would welcome if they did something in the matter. I do not at all insist that the Non-Brahmin labouring masses should join our party. Let them have their own party if they so desire; but we can certainly make a common front against the exploiting classes in our common struggle against the Brahmins, the capitalists, landlords and other exploiting classes. By breaking up the party the Non-Brahmins have committed a political suicide.
1 : The Bombay Sentinel, dated 14th July 1942.
- As per B. S. A., dated 16th July 1942 and the Bombay Chronicle, dated
21st July 1942 the meeting was held on 15th July 1942. The date ‘14th’ of the Bombay Sentinel in the source material might have been wrongly reprinted— Editors.