7. The Scheduled Castes Federation believes that the gulf between the higher classes and the lower classes in this country is already very great. This gulf has already crated a good deal of enmity between them. The murders, arsons and loot that were committed by members of the lower classes against members of the higher classes in 1948 in certain parts of India after the murder of Mr. Gandhi shows how deep rooted this enmity is.
The Scheduled Castes Federation is firmly of opinion that to remove the cause of this enmity is to give the lower classes the higher education and to open to them the door of services is the only solution of this problem. The artificial distinction between higher
classes and lower classes based on birth must come to an end soon. But it cannot come to an end except by raising the lower classes to the level of the higher classes in the matter of education.
B. The Problem of Poverty
8 (7) The economic condition of India has been described by the Planning Commission in very realistic terms: It says:-
(i) The population of the Indian Union (excluding Jammu and Kasmir) has increased from 235.5 million in 1901 to 356.9 million in 1951-an increase of about 52 per cent over the half century. The rate of increase for the first two decades was relatively low, but it has risen since then. Between 1921 and 1931, the increase was 11 per cent, for 1931-41, it
was 14.3 per cent, and for 1941-51, it was 13.4 per cent.
(ii) There has been very little change in the occupational structure, despite considerable development of industries. In 1911, about 71 per cent of the working population was engaged in agriculture. For 1948, the National Income Committee puts this figure at about 68.2 per cent. Agriculture affords employment for only a part of the year, so that a large proportion of the workers engaged in this occupation and more or less idle for the rest of the year. There is thus a great deal chronic under-employment in the country.
(iii) Sown area per person has shown a steady
tendency to decline. For British India, sown area per person went down from 0.88 acre in 1911-12 to 0.72 acre in 1941-42. For 1948, i.e. after partition, the estimated sown area per person in the Indian Union works out at 0.71 acre. Evidence as to the trend of yields per acre is not conclusive. From some of the published figures available, it would appear that in respect of certain food crops, at any rate, the trend has been downward. It is difficult to assess the over-all trend of productivity in agriculture, but the broad picture that emerges suggests conditions of stagnation in this respect.
8.The Problem of poverty is thus a double edged problem. From one point of view it is a problem of more production both in Agriculture and in Industry.
(To be continued)
Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Writings & Speeches, Vol.17, Part-1 (p.389-391) 2003, Rs. 125. Maharashtra Govt., Manager, Govt. Central Book Depot, Near Charni Road Railway Station, Netaji Subhash Road, Bombay – 400 004.
