Global Journal of Human Social Science, C: Sociology and Culture, Volume 22 Issue 6

the Ramsay Macdonald letter it’s very clear statement that we haven’t done anything to aggravate the separation in fact we are trying to bridge it up, by trying to bring the two sections together in a common electoral roll. But Gandhi objection was that we should not get free independent representative, therefore he insists in the first place he said no representation ought to be given to us. That is how he came in the round table conferences. He said that I only recognize only three communities namely Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs you see. These are only three communities that will have a political representation in the constitution. But the Christians, or Anglo-Indians, the scheduled castes will have no place in the constitution, they must merge themselves in the general community that was the stand that he has taken. But all his friends I know were asking to him how foolish was his attitude, you see his own friends had a quarrel with him on this subject. That if you are prepared to give special representation to the Sikhs and special representation to the Muslims who are thousand times superior in strength and political and economic stamina. How can you deny it you see to the scheduled caste and the Christians? He all used to say that you don’t understand our problem, that all he was saying. Alexandria even who was great friends of his had a serious quarrel with him as he told me. That French woman who was his disciple I forget his name now you see. She also had a great quarrel with him, that we don’t understand this attitude, either you say that we won’t give anything to anybody, let there be just a common roll, that we can understand that. That is the democratic thing you see. But then to go on saying that you will give it to Muslims and you give it to the Sikhs but not the scheduled caste that seems absurd. He could not give any answer, he could not give any answer. We suggested this method. He also didn’t, in the first beginning, in the beginning when he wrote a letter, Ramsay Macdonald said that Scheduled Caste should have nothing, no representation you see. Then his own friends said to him, this is asking for too much you see that nobody would support you in this matter. Then Malviya and others came to me said well could you not help us solve this problem. I said well that I do not want to solve this problem by sacrificing what we have been able to get from the British Premier. Interviewer: So you went through? Babasaheb: (In lighter vein) as I said I had suggested an alternate formula, that formula was that I’m not prepared to give up the separate electorate. But I’m prepared you see to modify anything. You see in this way namely the candidates who would stand in the final election on behalf of scheduled castes should be first elected by the Scheduled Caste themselves, for the primary election, and they should elect four people, then the four then should stand in the general election you see, then let the best one come you see, so that we give some assurance, that you don’t put up your own nominees. You see then we will do get the people who will express our voice in the parliament, that Mr Gandhi had to accept, so he had to accept that. Of course, we had the benefit of it only in one election that is 1937’s polls you see. There you will see the federation swept the polls, Gandhi was not able to get a single candidate of his party to get elect. Interviewer: Then did he bargain very hard in the end of his part? Babasaheb: Oh of course He bargained, bargained, I said nothing to him, I’m prepared to save your life, provided you don’t make hard turn. You see I’m not going to save your life at the cost of lives of my people. You see this is to me, this is how much I laboured you see in all this, I know this very well. I’m not going to sacrifice this on whim, sacrifice our people’s interests just for the sake to satisfy you. It was just his whim you see. How come one-day common election alters the situation, simply can’t alter the situation. Interviewer: So rarely he was hit as …, he has worked entirely as politicians? Babasaheb: As a politician, He was never a Mahatma. I refused to call him Mahatma. You see, I never in my life called him Mahatma, he didn’t deserve that title, not even from the point of his morality you see.” (1955 BBC Radio Interview) VII. B uddhism and M arxism Babasaheb’s views on Communism were stated in two texts of 1956, “Buddha or Karl Marx” and “Buddhism and Communism”. [29 The Buddha and His Dhamma ] In 1955, he c reated the Bharatiya Bauddha Mahasabha, or the Buddhist Society of India and in 1956, he completed his final work, “ ”, which was published posthumously. [30] On 16 October 1956, he conver ted to Buddhism just weeks before h is death and his conversion glimmer ed a revitalization in interest in Buddhist philosophy in India and abroad. [31 VIII. L egacy ] Babasaheb’s legacy as a socio-political reformer had a deep effect on modern India. [32][33 29 https://mspace.lib.umanitoba.ca/bitstream/handle/1993/3135/Ambe dkar%20and%20the%20Indian%20Communists.pdf ] In post-Independence India, his socio-political th oug h t is respected and admired across the political and social gamut. His initiatives have made a deep impact on various spheres of life and transformed the way India today looks at socio-economic and educational activities. His reputation as a scholar led to his appointment as free India's first law minister, and chairman of the committee for drafting the Indian Constitution. He ardently believed in individual freedom, 30 Quack, Johannes (2011). Disenchanting India: Organized Rationalism and Criticism of Religion in India. Oxford University Press. p. 88. ISBN 978-0199812608 . OCLC 704120510 31 Naik, C.D (2003). "Buddhist Developments in East and West Since 1950 : An O utline of World B uddhis m and Am bedkarism Today in Nutshell". Thoughts and philosophy of Doctor B.R. Ambedkar (First ed.). New Delhi: Sarup & Sons. p. 12 . ISBN 81-7625-418-5 . OCLC 53950941 32 Joshi, Barbara R. (1986 ). “Untouchable! Voices of the Dalit Liberati on Movem ent”. Zed Books. pp. 11–14. ISBN 9780862324605 . Archived from the original on 29 July 2016 . 33 Keer, D. (1990). Dr. Ambedkar: Life and M ission . Popular Prakashan . p. 61 . ISBN 9788171542376 . Archived from the original on 30 July 2016. © 2022 Global Journals Volume XXII Issue VI Version I 5 ( ) Global Journal of Human Social Science - Year 2022 C Babasaheb: The Unsung Hero of India