Bombay Meeting

At Gandhi’s invitation Ambedkar went to meet him Malabar Hill, in Bombay, on august
14th, 1931. the meeting did not go off well. Gandhi stated that he had been thinking of
the problem of Untouchables ever since his school days, well before Ambedkar woes
born. He had incorporated the fight against untouchability in the programme of the
congress. he was surprised that Ambedkar opposed him and the Congress. Ambedkar
replied sarcastically that it was true that Gandhi started to think about the problem of
Untouchables before he was born. Old people always liked to emphasise the point of
age.

However, the congress had done nothing beyond digging formal recognition to the
problem. had the Congress party been sincere it would have made “the removal of
Untouchability a condition, like the wearing of Khaddar, for becoming a member of the
congress”. Ambedkar states that Hindu were not showing any change of heart concerning
the problem of untouchables.

He continued: We believe in self-help and self-respect. We are not prepared to have
faith in great leader sand Mahatmas. Let me be brutally frank about it. history tells that
Mahatmas, like fleeting phantoms, raise dust, but raise no level. Why should the
Congress men oppose our movement and dub me a traitor? towards the end of the
meeting Ambedkar asked Gandhi what his position was on the question of special
political safeguards and adequate political representation for the Depressed Classes.
Gandhi replied: “I am against the political separation of the Untouchables from the
Hindus. That would be absolutely suicidal.” When Ambedkar heard this his worst fears
about Gandhi were probably confirmed for the brusquely thanked the latter and left the
hall.