Context
On 20th September 1932, in the Yerawada Central Jail in Pune, Mahatma Gandhi started out fasting unto death against the award of separate electorates to the Scheduled Castes.
Background
- At the 1931 Round Table Conference in London, Gandhi and Ambedkar had a disagreement concerning the representation of the Untouchables.
- Gandhi accepted separate electorates for Muslims and Sikhs but felt the Untouchables could be integrated into Hindu society without having separate voters.
The Poona pact
- The origins of the Poona Pact are tied to the Communal Award of August 1932, which sought to allocate separate electorates for numerous minority agencies, inclusive of Muslims, Sikhs, Indian Christians, and the Depressed Classes.
- As part of this Award, 71 seats in the critical legislature had been reserved especially for the Depressed Classes.
- Gandhi, in Yerawada Jail, opposed separate electorates for the Depressed Classes, and commenced a fast unto loss of life in protest.
- On September 24, 1932, Ambedkar met Gandhi in prison, and they signed the Poona Pact.
- Instead of separate electorates, the Untouchables might have reserved seats in preferred constituencies, with the wide variety of seats in provincial legislatures growing from 78 to 148.
Gandhi vs Ambedkar on caste
- Mahatma Gandhi views on caste system;
- He adverse untouchability, calling Untouchables “Harijans” (Children of God). Despite this, Gandhi never fully rejected the caste system itself.
- He believed that caste could be reformed from within, by eliminating untouchability and fostering social harmony, even as nevertheless retaining the traditional varna (caste) system.
- Gandhi saw caste as a social business enterprise that had an area in Hinduism and thought reforms inside it may help uplift marginalized corporations.
- Ambedkar views on caste system;
- He absolutely rejected the caste system as a whole, believing that it became inherently oppressive and divisive.
- Ambedkar argued that caste discrimination became rooted in Hindu religious scriptures (Shastras), which gave it divine legitimacy and believed no reform should successfully dismantle this deeply entrenched discrimination.
- He endorsed separate electorates for the Depressed Classes to make certain political illustrations and power for marginalized groups.
Conclusion
- Gandhi sought to reform the caste system by disposing of untouchability and maintaining social harmony, Ambedkar called for the entire rejection of the caste system, seeing it as inherently unjust and rooted in religious authority.
- Gandhi’s method was closer to reform within society against the novel approach observed by Ambedkar.
Source: Indian Express