defeated by those very individuals whom he had granted the right to vote based on the principle of equality.
When I read Dr. Ambedkar ' s book The Problem of the Rupee and his articles related to Federation and States ' Rights, I couldn ' t help but admire Ambedkar ' s originality and unique scholarship as an economist. He gained national recognition for his speeches at the first Round Table Conference. It became clear that he was a great politician. The British government had selected him for the Round Table Conference, believing he would oppose the national demand for Swaraj, unlike other Brahmin leaders, but Dr. Ambedkar opposed this notion, not because he wanted to preserve the centuries-old dominance of the affluent and upper classes but because he saw it as a cause of the continuous oppression and despair among the lower classes.
Through his historic speeches at the Round Table Conference, we all became convinced of his views. We met often in London, and I found that our thoughts, reflections on history, and political understanding were remarkably similar. We felt that a socialist approach was the best for India, ensuring equal rights and social and political privileges for all without discrimination. He believed that perhaps Gandhi Ji would oppose the emancipation and social progress of the Dalits, as his faith was rooted in Sanatan Dharma. I argued that despite many of Gandhi Ji ' s statements repeating traditional social beliefs, he was, in fact, a social revolutionary and would not hesitate to challenge many ancient beliefs and faiths if they hindered the social freedom of the common people. Dr. Ambedkar did not agree with me, but we continued meeting and gradually gained mutual trust.
Dr. Ambedkar ' s criticism of Gandhi Ji ' s campaign for the upliftment of Dalits( referred to as Harijans or Panchamas at that time) was passionate and harsh. He vehemently opposed Gandhi Ji ' s insistence on joint electorates for Hindus and Dalits. During Gandhi Ji ' s fast in Pune, opposing the Ramsay MacDonald Award for separate electorates for the scheduled castes, his
April 2025 | Dalit Andolan Patrika 27