GANDHI...............RETIRE 301
led the country to its present unfortunate position of having to divide the country. Mr. Gandhi’s politics had resulted in that tragedy. “Instead of getting Swaraj and discussing that solitary question,” Dr. Ambedkar declared, “We at the end of the journey have been presented with totally different problems, which probably Gokhale and Ranade would never have permitted to arise.”
“The people of India”, continued Dr. Ambedkar, “have placed blind faith in Mr. Gandhi and the Congress High Command. They have completely lost critical faculty and they have never the courage to tell Mr. Gandhi where he is wrong.”
Referring to the Congress rejection of the Cripps’ proposals, Dr. Ambedkar said that whatever might be said about the proposals, in so far as the future was concerned, the Cripps proposals gave the Congress cent per cent what it wanted. The proposals gave it the constituent assembly to decide the form of constitution and also gave it the choice to have Dominion Status or Independence. In regard to the immediate Government, the proposals were as large as they could be in the circumstances dictated by the war. The only thing that was reserved was defence and the rest was transferred.
“Even a tyro in politics,” Dr. Ambedkar said, “would have realised that 15 men on one side and the Defence Member on the other would have been a most unequal battle for the Defence Member to fight. Apart from that, any sensible man would have cared more for the proposals that related to the future than the proposals that related to the present. If the future proposals gave complete authority to the nation, then no sensible man could have rejected them because something was lacking in them which related to the immediate present”. He emphasised that defence was the only means to attain freedom.
Appealing to the Scheduled Castes people to join the All-India Scheduled Castes Federation, Dr. Ambedkar said that placed as they were, they had to organise themselves to protect their own interests. They should prepare themselves to fight their battle for political rights when the new constitution for India was