74. 18/19-7- If Democracy dies it will be Our 1942 Doom - Page 271

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IF DEMOCRACY DIES IT WILL BE OUR DOOM

The President-elect of the All-India Depressed Classes Conference, Third Sesson, Rao Bahadur N. Sivaraj, M. L. A, (Central) and Dr. B. R. Ambedkar arrived at Nagpur at 9 a.m. on 18th July 1942. They were received at the Railway Station by the chairman and the members of the Reception Committee. Almost all the members of the Reception Committee and the delegates were also present on the platform and accorded a hearty welcome to the President-elect and Dr. B. R. Ambedkar amidst deafening cries of “Ambedkar Zindabad” (long live Ambedkar). The President-elect and Dr. Ambedkar were profusely garlanded. A procession was then formed and the honoured guests were conducted to the lawn in front of the Railway Station where over fifty thousand people had gathered for the Darshan (Glimpse) of Dr. Ambedkar and the President-elect. Their appearance on the lawn was greeted with applause and deafening cheers of “Ambedkar ki jai” (victory to Ambedkar). Along the lawn a Guard-of-Honour was provided by five thousand uniforfned Sainiks of the Provincial Samata Sainik Dal. The band of the Sainik Dal played appropriate tunes. After inspecting the guard-of-honour, the President-elect and Dr. B. R. Ambedkar were taken in a procession to the Conference Pandal, preceded by a mile long squad of the Samata Sainik Dal, aided by their bands and followed by thousands of the visitors and delegates to the Conference. The procession is one that would be long remembered by the public of Nagpur as the like of it had not been seen before.

Triumphal Arches were erected en route, and were named as “Ambedkar Gate”, “Hardas Gate”, “Kalloo Ahirey Gate”, “Ramabai Ambedkar Gate”, etc. In front of the Mohan Park Hotel where the President-elect and Dr. Ambedkar alongwith other delegates were accommodated, the Sainiks formed themselves into lines on both sides of the road and formed an arch of lathis through which the Honoured Leader passed.