Dr. Ambedkar has expressed his views on this subject in his book, What Congress & Gandhi have done on the Untouchables, wherein he says,
“Here was an opportunity for Mr. Gandhi to advance his Anti-Untouchability campaign. He could have proposed that if a Hindu wishes to enroll himself as a member of the Congress he should prove that he does not observe Untouchability and that the employment of an Untouchable in his household should be adduced in support of his claim in this behalf and that no other evidence would be allowed to be tendered. Such a proposal could not have been impracticable for almost every Hindu, certainly those who call themselves high Caste Hindus, keeps more than one servant in his household. If Mr. Gandhi could make the Hindu accept spinning and boycott as franchise for membership of the Congress, he could also make acceptable the employment of an Untouchable in a Hindu household a franchise for membership of the Congress. But Mr. Gandhi did not do it.
After 1924 till 1930 there is a complete blank. Mr. Gandhi does not appear to have taken any active steps for the removal of Untouchability or got himself interested in any activity beneficial to the Untouchables during his period. While Mr. Gandhi was inactive the Untouchables had started a movement called the Satyagraha movement. The object of the movement was to establish their right to take water from public wells and to enter public temples. The Satyagraha at the Chawdar Tank situated in Mahad, a town in the Kolaba District of the Bombay Presidency, was organised to establish the right of the Untouchables to take water from public watering places. The Satyagraha at the Kala Ram Temple situated in Nasik, a town in the Nasik district of the Bombay Presidency, was organised to establish the right of the Untouchables to enter Hindu temples. There were many minor Satyagrahas. These were, however, the two principal ones over which the efforts of the Untouchables and their opponents, the Caste Hindus, were concentrated.
The din and noise caused by them were heard all over India. Thousands of men and women from the Untouchables took part in these Satyagrahas. Both men and women belonging to the Untouchables were insulted and beaten by the Hindus. Many were injured and some were imprisoned by the Government on the grounds of causing breach of the peace. This Satyagraha movement went on for full six years when it was ended in 1935 at a Conference held in Yeola in Nasik District in which the Untouchables because of the adamantine attitude of the Hindus in refusing ‘to give them equal social rights resolved to go out of the Hindu fold. This Satyagraha movement was no doubt independent of the Congress. it was organised by the Untouchables, led by the Untouchables and financed by the Untouchables. Yet the Untouchables were not without hope of getting the moral support of Mr. Gandhi. Indeed, they had very good ground for getting it. For the weapon of Satyagraha — the essence of which is to melt the heart of the opponent by suffering — was the weapon which was forged by Mr. Gandhi, and who had led the Congress to practise it against the British Government for winning Swaraj. Naturally the Untouchables expected full support from Mr. Gandhi to their Satyagraha against the Hindus the object of which was to establish their right to take water from public wells and to enter public Hindu temple. Mr. Gandhi, however, did not give his support to Satyagraha. Not only did he not give his support, but he also condemned it in strong terms.
In this connection reference may be made to two novel weapons for redressing human wrongs. Mr. Gandhi claims exclusive credit for forging and perfecting them. First Satyagraha. Mr. Gandhi has put into action this weapon of Satyagraha many a times against the British Government for the removal of political wrongs. But Mr. Gandhi has never used the weapon of Satyagraha against Hindus to get them throw open wells and temples to the Untouchables. Fasting is another weapon of Mr. Gandhi. (To be continued)
