Despite the boycott by Mahatma Gandhi and the Congress Party, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and 18 Dalit organizations welcomed the Simon Commission. They gave the Commission a memorandum on their rights. Dr. Ambedkar, on behalf of the Debated Interest Group, gave a memorandum to the Simon Commission for the elimination of social oppression, caste-based excesses and manumitted slavery and held discussions with the Commission. Keeping in mind the different views of the Indians, the British government announced that after the completion of the work of the Simon Commission, Indians would be given an opportunity to debate on it before making a new constitution. Three Round Table Conferences were held in London in 1930, 1931, 1932 to debate the report of the Simon Commission. The British Emperor George V inaugurated the first Round Table Conference in London on 12 November 1930. At the Round Table Conference, Dr. Ambedkar demanded complete freedom for India and said, ‘I am speaking on behalf of those people (Dalits) who constitute one-fifth of the population of India, which is more than the population of England or France. The condition of these people is worse than that of slaves. Before the British rule, our condition was disgusting due to untouchability. Has the British government done anything to remove this? Before the British, we could not draw water from wells, has the British government taken away our right to draw water? Before the British, we could not enter temples, can we enter now?’
He said, ‘I am not against freedom, but freedom should not be lame, it should be complete. We need a government in which power is in the hands of people who love only the country and society the most. We need a government in which power is in the hands of people who will not be afraid to change the social and economic structure and do justice.’ After the conclusion of the three Round Table Conferences held in London, British Prime Minister Macdonald announced the Communal Award on 17 August 1932, in which Prime Minister Macdonald gave the right to separate electoral systems to Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Europeans, Anglo-Indians and Untouchables (Dalits) in the state.
For the first time in the history of India, through the Communal Award, Dalits got the right to elect their representatives through legally separate constituencies in the state. But Mahatma Gandhi opposed the separate rights of the Untouchables (Dalits). Mahatma Gandhi wrote a threatening letter to Prime Minister MacDonald from Yerwada Jail that if the separate and independent electoral rights of the untouchables were not withdrawn, I would bet my life. Not only this, Gandhi started a fast unto death against the separate rights of the Dalits. Dr. Ambedkar was in a great dilemma at this time that if he let Gandhi die, then even the 7 crore Dalits of the country could not escape the massacres committed by the so-called upper castes as a result of Gandhi’s death.
The end! On being assured by the main leaders of the upper caste that, ‘Give Hinduism a last chance to reform itself, we will wipe out the name and trace of caste and untouchability from the country in 10 years.’ Dr. Ambedkar, with a very sad heart, gave up the demand for separate electoral rights of the Dalits to save Gandhi’s life. As a result, an agreement called the ‘Poona Pact’ was signed between Gandhi and Dr. Ambedkar (who represented two communities) on September 24, 1932, under which the untouchable Dalits (Scheduled Castes, Tribes) were given reservation facilities for the first time. Therefore, reservation is not a beggarly act or mercy for the Dalit classes, but rather a great sacrifice by the Dalits in return for giving up their separate election and double voting rights. Dr. Ambedkar also had a very deep thought behind taking reservation by forcibly giving up the separate rights given through the communal award, because he felt that a person must have one of the four means of survival – employment, land, industry and trade. But my people do not have any of these means. Therefore, unwillingly, they had to swallow the bitter pill of the Poona Pact and accept reservation. The backward, downtrodden, untouchables, slaves of centuries started becoming ministers, MPs, MLAs, Panch-Sarpanchs and employees-officers on reserved seats. The sad thing is that these ministers, MPs, MLAs who won on reserved seats do not speak in Parliament and Legislative Assemblies because if they do, their ticket and ministerial post will be cut off next time. Now the leaders of the ruling and opposition parties have started using the celebration of Dr. Ambedkar’s birthday as ‘opium for the Dalits’ so that the Dalit exploited workers and farmers remain their unconscious voters, because they have no concern with Dr. Ambedkar’s socialism, only with votes. That’s it! This is the reason for the tragedy of the Dalits.
