454 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
in drafting the Constitution. There could be no greater lie than this, he said, and added that he was prepared to prove by documentary evidence how his colleagues on the Drafting Committee had showed little interest in the drafting of the Constitution. They rarely attended the meetings of the Committee and the whole burden, therefore, fell on him and the Secretary of the Committee.
He detailed a long list of instances to show the indifferent attitude of Congress to the grievances of the Scheduled Castes and he said that even the foreign British Government was more sympathetic and generous to them and sincerely worked for their amelioration.
Dr. Ambedkar referred to the recent electoral alliance of the Socialist Party and the Federation and called upon Scheduled Castes voters to cast their votes for Socialist and Federation candidates. He was confident that his community would stand solidly behind the alliance and return the candidates put up by the two parties to the legislatures.
The alliance, he said, had been entered into a spirit of ‘give and take’ and they must abide by it. However, the Federation would not give up its separate political entity.
Dr. Ambedkar was presented with a purse containing collection made from the sale of tickets at the meeting. The amount was not announced.” [1]
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1 : The Times of India, dated 23rd November 1951.