GRIEVANCES OF THE SCHEDULED CASTES

INTRODUCTION

This Memorandum sets out the grievances of the Scheduled Castes in British India and suggests the measures that are necessary for redressing them. In listing the grievances I have taken note of such grievances only as the Central Government alone can remedy.

The grievances listed in this memorandum are divided into three categories (1) Political, (2) Educational and (3) Other Grievances, and are discussed separately. Part I deals with Political grievances. Part II with Educational grievances, and Part III with Other grievances. To this I have added Part IV in which I have ventured to speak of the duty which every Government must assume towards those who are living in a life of perpetual distress, in the hope that the Government of India will recognise it and do what they are bound to do to the Scheduled Castes.

I have thought it advisable to give below a table divided into Parts. This table, it will be seen serves two purposes. It gives at the start the contents of this memorandum, and secondly it helps to convey at the outset a general idea of what these grievances are.

Part 1. Political Grievances

1.  Inadequate Representation in the Central Legislature.

2. Inadequate Representation in the Central Executive.

3. Absence of Representation in the Public Services.

4. Absence of Representation on the Federal Public Services Commission.

Part II. Educational Grievances

5. Want of Aid for University and for Advanced Education.

6. Want of Facilities for Technical Training.

Part III. Other Grievances

7. Untouchables and Government Publicity

8. Untouchables and Government Contracts.

 

Part IV. Duly of Government towards Distressed people.

PART I POLITICAL GRIEVANCES

1. Inadequate Representation in the Central Legislature

1. As at present constituted the Central Assembly consists of 141 members. Of these 102 are elected and 39 nominated. Of the nominated members 19 are non-Officials and 20 are Officials. Of this total of 141 there are two who belong to the Scheduled Castes. Consider as against this the population of the Scheduled Castes. The census in India has become a political affair; and the Hindus, Muslims and the Sikhs have been attempting to cook up the census so as to show a rise in their numbers. This is done mostly at the cost of the untouchables. It is therefore difficult to get a correct figure of their population. Whatever estimate the census gives, it is bound to be an underestimate. However, taking the figure of 40 millions which is the figure given in the census of 1940 there can be no doubt that the representation of the Scheduled Castes in the central Legislature is ridiculously low.

2. To make the position clear, I give below two tables, which have a bearing on this question:

 

TABLE No. I

Population in British India

Communities	Total  of each community in 1941	Order of importance in terms of population	%  to total  population ill
1	2	3	4
Total	295,808,722
Hindus	150,890,146	1	50.0
Muslims	79,398,503	2	23.6
Scheduled Castes	39,920,807	3	13.5
Tribal	16,713,256	4	5.7
Sikhs	4,165,097	5	1.3
Indian	3,245,706	6	1.0
Europeans	122,788	7
Anglo-Indians	113,936	8
Parsis	101.968	9

 

Note.—In this table only the population of those communities whose position is relevant to the purpose of this Memorandum is given.

TABLE No. 2 Communal Composition of the Central Assembly

Community	Elected Members		Nominated		Nominated		Total including		Total excluding
			Non-Official Members		Official Members		Official Members		Official Members
	No.	Per cent	No.	Per cent	No.	Per cent	No.	Per cent	No.	Per cent
1	2		3		4		5		6
Hindus	56	54.9	4	21	8		68	60	60	49.5
Muslims	34	33.5	7	37	3		44	41	41	33.8
Sikhs	2		2	10.5			4	4	4	3.3
Parsis	1		2	10.5	1		4	3	3	2.4
Europeans	8	7.8	1		7		16	9	9	7.4
Indian Christians			1				1	1	1
Anglo-Indians			1				1	1	1
Scheduled Castes			1		1		2	1	1
Vacant	1						1	1	1
Total	102