430 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
treatment of the High Caste Hindus was very degrading. They had no means of livelihood and were always at the mercy of these High Caste people. Thus, they had no alternative but to join the British army and earn their livelihood. I do not want to impress upon you that what has happened was good but I want to emphasise something else. I want to point out that even the people whom we helped to establish their power in India have treated our people in such a way. Our people died in the army for the sake of these Britishers. But what they got in return ? Who were benefitted ? In spite of the fact that the Scheduled Caste, people helped the Britishers, Brahmins and other High Castes people derived full benefit out of it. The Britishers educated their children and gave all financial assistance to them whereas our people were not paid any attention. This resulted in the well-being of these High Castes at the expense of the poor Scheduled Castes who remained as before. This is the reason why up-til-now there are no wellto-do Scheduled Castes families; why their children are not educated and why they are generally backward. Consequently, the important posts in the Army, Police and other department of administration are in the hands of these High Caste people at present. The British people should have done something for the betterment of our people but they did not do anything for us. In 1857 when there was mutiny what were the causes of that ? Because the Britishers failed to do anything for our people, our people in the army had to revolt against them. When the mutiny was subdued, and it was found that our people in the army had revolted against the Britishers, they stopped recruiting our people in the army any further. Instead Hindus and Rajputs were recruited in the army. Thus the main source of income of our people lost. In 1947 when the British people left India, our conditions remained the same as were before they came to India. At the time of transfer of power to Indians, Britishers handed over all power to the High Caste people. We did not get anything. We were left at the mercy of these brutes.
From this you can well understand the way in which other people treated the Scheduled Castes. This is the reason, we have remained so backward up-to-now. I want to ask now one question, whether you still want to remain backward and work as slaves in the hands of these high caste people ? When