In the early days of February the Franchise Committee visited Bihar. The Depressed Classes greeted Dr. Ambedkar with great enthusiasm at every place. The Committee then moved to Calcutta via Patna. Depressed Class leaders of his persuasion, while giving evidence before the Franchise Committee, supported the scheme of separate electorates as they feared that in the System of Joint electorates with reserved seats the candidates of the Depressed Classes would be at the mercy of the majority of electorates, and in order to win their votes they would have to ponder to their prejudices, or there would be every possibility of the seats being occupied by the stooges of the majority community. It was observed by many leaders of the Depressed Classes that if the Joint Electorates were to work successfully, that pre-supposed broad-mindedness on the part of the majority community. It was their view that such a favourable atmosphere did not exist then” (Keer, pp. 194-195).
“Letter to Mr. Gavai
In the mean time, in this regard Dr. B.R. Ambedkar wrote a letter to Mr. G.A. Gavai, MLC, General Secretary, All-India Depressed Classes Association. The letter is as follow- Patna, February 13
I was expecting you at Lucknow and also at Patna and was wondering why you had not turned up at either of these places till I got your letter. I am sorry to read that your illness preventing you from making the trip.
I am sending you a copy of the Memorandum containing my views which I am sending you for your information. You will notice from the last paragraph in the Memorandum that our Committee ‘cannot’ and therefore your Committee ‘cannot discuss the communal question. The Prime Minister’s letter and the Questionnaire issued by the Committee makes this clear and Chairman of our Committee has given a ruling on this question both at Delhi and Lucknow which is in accord with this view. Therefore you must tell your “Committee’ that they cannot discuss this question and if they insist, you should refuse to discuss it.”
“Change of Views
Your separate minute instead discussing Separate Vs. Joint Electorates should simply say that you refuse to discuss it because it is outside the terms of the Committee. I know your Association has got a questionnaire. There is just one thing i must point out. I was shocked to find that Mr. Rajah has changed his opinion and is now advocating Joint Electorates. I hope your Association will not follow him in this policy which is suicidal in every way. But if it does then you must take the consequences of a permanent breach between us and a war ‘amongst our selves which I am trying to avoid at any cost. So don’t persist in it. I am glad to have the assurance that you won’t do anything without my knowledge and consent. I have written out a detailed set of answers to the Franchise Questionnaire. I will send you a copy as soon as they are typed.
I am sending a statement of my answers to the Questionnaire for your use and also a copy of the revised Questionnaire. You will see that the Communal question is altogether eliminated” (The Bombay Chronicle, dated 7th April 1932).
“Now another trouble brewed for Dr. Ambedkar. Dr. Moonje made a pact with M.C. Rajah on the basis of reserved seats and joint electorates. Rajah submitted to the British Premier his memorandum telegraphically giving details of his pact with Dr. Moonje. This pact put Dr. Ambedkar in a awkward position. It may be recalled that it was Rajah who had cabled to Dr. Ambedkar and supported his demand for Separate Electorates, saying that Gandhi evidently did not know their woes, and therefore he had tried to force Joint Electorates down the unwilling throats of the Depressed classes. Originally, the Rajah Party stood for Joint Electorates with reserved seats. But he changed sides. Rajah was the only Depressed Class Member in the Central Assembly, and he was not invited to the Round Table Conference. Perhaps grieved at this omission from the Round Table Conference, or greatly perturbed by Gandhi’s professed claim to represent the Depressed Classes, he had dropped the idea of Joint Electorates and insisted on Separate Electorates. And now he reverted to the original demand.” (Keer, pp. 195-196).
“Misleading Information
Mr. Gavai has taken an early opportunity to issue the following statement to members of Depressed Classes.
