THERE SHOULD...............TRIBES 355
I do not say that other causes are not equally noble. But knowing that life is short, one can serve only one cause and I have never aspired to do more than serve the Untouchables, who, as Mr. Thakkar says, are despised even by the Aboriginal Tribes. What is regrettable is that Mr. Thakkar should have formulated his criticisms on the basis of such extracts from my speech as have appeared in the papers. If he had cared to read the full text of my speech, he would have realised that far from excluding the cause of the Aboriginal Tribes, I had made what, according to my belief, I thought was a far better and a far effective proposal for their protection. There is no space available for setting out in detail this part of my proposal, and Mr. Thakkar would do well to consider my proposal, for the Aboriginal Tribes before rushing into the press to accuse me of partiality and small-mindedness.
The reason why I did not include the Aboriginal Tribes in the scheme of distribution of seats in the Legislature is not the result of my antipathy to them, but is entirely due to my belief that these Aboriginal Tribes do not as yet possess the political capacity which is necessary to exercise political power for one’s own good. I should like to ask Mr. Thakkar whether, during the course of his career as a professional social servant for these Aboriginal Tribes and others, he has done anything to raise their educational standard so that they may know their own conditions, have aspirations to rise to the level of the highest Hindu and be in a position to use political power as a means to that end ? It is, I think, the saddest commentary on the work of Mr. Thakkar that during these 20 years he should not have been able to produce a single graduate from the Aboriginal Tribes.
Secondly, I would like Mr. Thakkar to tell me why is it that he has suddenly thought of enhancing the representation of the Aborigines in the Legislature ? In the Government of India Act, 1935, the representation given to the Aboriginal Tribes is almost negligible as compared with their population. Did Mr. Thakkar ever raise his voice against this inequity perpetrated by the Government of India Act ? What has Mr. Thakkar to say against the proposals of the Sapru Committee ? Probably Mr. Thakkar has no such malice against them as he has against me.