ORGANISE.........................PROGRAMME 391
members to the legislature and capture political power. I shall have no objection if the Backward Classes form a separate front against higher castes. It is deplorable that the Scheduled Castes and the Backward Classes are not conscious of their power with the result that higher castes were dominating the administration.
You must orgainse yourself under one Leader, one Party and one Programme. You remove all caste distinctions and organise yourself under the aegis of the Federation.”
Dr. Ambedkar’s statement
A statement issued by Dr. B. R. Ambedkar in order to clarify and amplify certain matters included in the Lucknow speech is as follows :
“I have noticed a most distorted version of my speech delivered at the Conference of the Scheduled Castes Federation held at Lucknow on April 25 and I have also been pained to read in a local daily that I had made some ungracious remarks about my colleagues. I feel it necessary to clear the cloud and to state in outline what I said at Lucknow.
My speech was extempore, but I give below the points I made in my speech. They were all intended to meet the criticism that has been levelled against me by some of my own followers on various counts.
(1) Why I am silent ever since the departure of the Cabinet Mission ?
(2) Why I joined the Congress Government ?
(3) What I propose to do in future ?
In reply to (I) I said : The Scheduled Castes Federation demanded political safeguards—the most important of which was separate electorates. If the results of the primary elections were taken as the test, there was no doubt that the whole of the Scheduled Castes were behind this demand. Notwithstanding this, our demand was turned down by the Cabinet Mission. This was because of two reasons : (i) We were a weaker party as compared with the Muslims and the Sikhs and (ii) We were divided in our ranks which contained many fifth columnists.