268 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
United Provinces : Rai Saheb Shamlal
Rai Saheb Ramsahai
Dr. Nandlal Jaiswal
Mr. Badriprasad Balmiki
Babu Tilakchand
Ladies and gentlemen, the resolution which I commend for your acceptance will, I am sure, appeal to all and may be safely expected to have your unanimous support. None needs being told that union is strength. These are the days of collective pressure and unless we put forth our whole strength under one organization we cannot expect to survive the onslaughts from other greater communities. We all know that the caste Hindus are very strongly organised under the Congress, and the Muslims under their League. Knowing these facts, if we do not combine under one Federation, our opponents will take advantage of the disunity amongst us and play one faction against another. Thus, while we shall be fully occupied with petty quarrels amongst ourselves, the world will be told that there is no such thing as separate entity of the Depressed Classes. We would have no opportunity left for giving fight to our opponents and thus the disunity amongst ourselves will be the cause of our downfall. One can very well imagine the worst dissabilities awaiting for us, should we be surrendered to the good will of the caste Hindus ?
This resolution demands that all provincial organizations should merge into and work under one Central Organization. In times of war political parties in the belligerent nations forget their existence and work together to face the common enemy. We must take lesson in time for our fight is no less than a war of our existence. I am sure every one of us would prefer to die than live like a slave. Why not, then, follow the old adage that ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. Unite now before it is too late and prevent the ills that stare you in the face. After the ills take charge of you it will be too late to cure. It is possible that some amongst us may fear the loss of