From another point of view, it is a problem of controlling the excessive growth of population. Both sides are equally important. The Scheduled Castes Federation proposes to fight the battle against poverty on both the fronts.
9. For the purpose of reducing population, it would advocate an intensive propaganda in Favour of birth-control among the people. It will advocate the opening of birth control clinics in different parts of the country. It regards the growing rate in the increase of population in the country so grave an evil that it would not hesitate to advocate more drastic methods of controlling it.
10. For the purpose of increasing production, the Scheduled Castes Federation will not be bound by any dogma or any pattern. The Pattern of industrial enterprise will be a matter regulated by the needs of the time and circumstances. Where national undertaking of an industry is possible and essential, the Scheduled Castes Federation will support national undertaking. Where private enterprise is possible and national undertaking not essential, private enterprise will be allowed. Looking at the intense poverty of the people of this country no other consideration except that of greater production and still greater production can be the primary and paramount condition. A pre-conceived pattern of industry cannot be the primary or paramount consideration. The remedy against poverty is more production and not the pattern of production. Once reservation, the Scheduled Castes Federation must however make. Any scheme of production must in the view of the Scheduled Castes Federation remain subject to one overriding consideration, namely that there should be no exploitation of the working classes.
11. While the rapid industrialization of the country is very essential in the opinion of the Federation, agriculture is bound to remain the foundation of India’s economy. Any scheme of increased production which does not take into account the re-
construction of Indian agriculture is doomed to disappointment
12. The Federation holds that for increased production in agriculture the following plan must be adopted:-
(i) Agriculture must be mechanized. Agriculture in India can never become prosperous so long as the method of cultivation remains primitive.
(ii) To make mechanized farming possible, cultivation on small holdings must be replaced by large farms.
(iii) To increase the yield, there must be provision for adequate manuring and for the supply of healthy seeds.
13. It is not possible for the average agriculturist to adopt this plan and work upon it. He has no means to bear the cost involved in the plan. The Scheduled Castes Federation believes that the plan should be put into effect by the State. The first item in this plan should be the responsibility of the State. The State should supply all the mechanized equipment to the farmer on hire and at a rental to be recovered along with the land revenue.
14. With numerous small holdings, the problem of creating large scale farms becomes very difficult. But the problem must be solved either by introducing co-operative farms or collective farms.
15. Although India is an agricultural country, there are a vast number of people who are just landless labourers, who are ekeing out a miserable living and who are exploited by cultivators and majority of whom we are Untouchables and other backward classes. There is no need why this body of landless labourers should be left to their fate resulting in their misery and in the poverty of the country. This is all the more regrettable because the situation is not beyond remedy. In this connection the following figures relating to available land in India are very instructive:
Total Geographical area
811 million acres
(To be continued)
Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Writings & Speeches, Vol. 17, Part-1 (p.391-393) 2003, Rs. 125. Maharashtra Govt., Manager, Govt. Central Book Depot, Near Charni Road Railway Station, Netaji Subhash Road, Bombay 400 004.
