IF DEMOCRACY....................OUR DOOM 265
interests of the Scheduled Castes. Resolutions II, III & IV lay down the provisions absolutely necessary in the future Constitution for the political, economic and social welfare of the Scheduled Castes. We have no faith in the high sounding promises of the caste Hindus. How can one trust persons, who went against the Poona Pact before its ink was dry ? It will be the blackest day in the history of the world, if the destinies of the millions of the Depressed Classes of India were to be entrusted to such communities as are thirsting to stop the progress so far made by the Scheduled Castes. These resolutions are our Magna Charta and each member of the Depressed Classes must be prepared even to make the extreme sacrifice to achieve the objects laid down in it. Even now our people in the villages are treated no better than slaves, but when our destinies will be handed over into the hands of the caste Hindus, we can picture and imagine what our fate will be. It is, therefore, the duty of every individual of our community to support these resolutions. With these few words, I strongly commend these resolutions for your acceptance.
Rao Bahadur N. Shivraj asked Mr. Rai Saheb Shamlal of Allahabad to second the Resolution.
Rai Saheb Shamlal said,
Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen,
It gives me great pleasure to second the resolution moved by my friend, Mr. B. K. Gaikwad of Nasik. I have been a social worker of the Depressed Classes for nearly three decades. It has been our greatest drawback in not having a chartered programme of our ultimate aims and objects. This drawback will now be removed by the Resolution just moved. When the Cripps Proposals were disclosed at Delhi, Dr. Ambedkar lost no time in inviting to Delhi leaders of the Scheduled Castes from all over India. After we met there, we unanimously decided on the rejection of the proposals which were entirely one sided and were calculated to cause immense harm to all the Depressed Classes. It is unnecessary for me to inflict a long speech in telling you what are our drawbacks and what disabilities we are suffering from. Each one of us suffers these daily and mentioning them here will be considered redundant. The