Miscellaneous - This Day That Age   

dated June 26, 1953: India's Social Order

Scheduled Caste leader, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, who resigned after serving four years as Law Minister in Mr. Nehru's Central Government formed in 1947, was interviewed in a B.B.C. television programme. Dr. Ambedkar wanted the social structure altered in India. He admitted it would take some time to carry out such an alteration peacefully, but said that somebody had to make the effort.

Asked whether such an effort was not being made, Dr. Ambedkar said there were endless speeches, and one was sick of speeches. Action was needed, some programme, some machinery by which the social structure could be altered. Asked what the alternative was if democracy did not work in India, Dr. Ambedkar said that some kind of Communism might come.

"Who cares really for elections?" he asked and went on, "People want food, they want their material needs to be met. We have no land, our rainfall is so short, and our forests are destroyed. What can we do? I do not think the present Government can tackle this problem. The system is likely to collapse pretty soon. My own people are very impatient," Dr. Ambedkar said.

Mr. Morarji Desai, Chief Minister of Bombay, on the other hand, said in the same programme, "I feel quite confident that democracy is going to succeed tremendously in India.

Those who doubt its success in our country are precisely those who have done little for free democratic ideals. I am not afraid of Communism, and do not think it is growing.

Communism will have an opportunity only if Government does not rule efficiently. With democratic procedures, we and our Government will solve our food problem and that in a short time."

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