Fundamentalism and the Sikh Religious Tradition by T.N. Madan

epudiated this charge that my selfish motive is disproved by my resignation." Ambedkar
recalls, "That this is true and that Gandhi objected to the Untouchable being included in
the Cabinet, is evidenced by the fact that when a new Congress Ministry was formed in
the Central Provinces, this Untouchable, who functioned as a Minister for a day, was
excluded.... That he was not, shows that Gandhi was opposed to his inclusion on
principle."
Ambedkar concludes that Mahatma Gandhi's real consideration was for the
maintenance of the caste structure, with Untouchables as a subservient section of it; but
he was not for the amelioration of the conditions of the Untouchables in the Hindu
Society, which because of its religious injunctions, could hardly take place. Hence
Ambedkar's final decision to suggest to' the Untouchables to change their religion. It is,
however, relevant to state that since then within the Hindu society, the conditions of the
Untouchables have not materially changed. Only recently in June 1992, according to
reports in the Tribune dated the 18th June 1992, about 14 persons or more were murdered
by the higher castes. The whole-sale attack and burning of the locality of the lower castes
followed a dispute, because four boys of the lower caste sat on chairs instead of squatting
on the ground in the local cinema at Kumher in district Bharatpur, Rajasthan. In fact,
incidents of this kind including attacks and elimination of the lower castes of a village are
not uncommon. Hence the Congress acceptance of the ideology of looking back to the
Hindu past, has alienated the depressed castes and other classes. The strong reaction of
the higher castes to the recommendations of the Mandal Commission is an evidence of
the existing approach of the Hindu elite to maintain status quo in its social structure.
The second major incident relates to the formation of a Congress Ministry in
U.P. in 1937. Before the elections the Congress obtained the cooperation of the Muslims
on the understanding that their representatives would be included in the Cabinet, which
would be a Coalition Ministry. But the Congress went back on its understanding, when it
got a clear majority in the Legislature. Jinnah specifically approached Gandhi for his
intervention to ask the Congress to include League representatives in the Ministry.
Gandhi's reply was euphemistic rejection, saying, "I wish I could do something. But I am
utterly helpless. My faith in the unity is bright as ever, only I sec no daylight, but
impenetrable darkness, and in such distress cry to God for light."'" Tendulkar writes that
"the 'cry to God for light' was to remain unanswered." "You (Jinnah) ask me whether I
have now seen the light. Much to my regret I have to say,'" 'No'." Both Seervai and
Maulana Azad regareit as a wrong and narrow-minded decision of the Congress, which
conveyed a clear message to the Muslim community. For, the Muslims became
convinced that once the majority community was in power, it would disregard Muslim or
minority interests or voice. Maulana Azad records, "The basis of Pakistan is the fear of
interference by the Centre in Muslim majority areas as the Hindus will be in a majority in
the Centre." The situation in India is such that all attempts to establish a centralised and
unitarian government are bound to fail."
The third major step of alienation of the minorities, especially the Muslims, was
the backing-out of the Congress, Jawaharlal and others, from the accepted interpretations
of the Formula for a Federal India proposed by the Cabinet Mission. Seervai, while
analysing the entire history of the Pre-independence days, concludes that the Partition of
the country was entirely due to the communal trends in the Congress and its reluctance to
share power with the minorities, or give an assurance to the Muslims about due reward