After 90 years of the Poona Pact on September 24, 1932, while looking at electoral systems of the country, a debate over separate electorate or reserve seats in joint electorate still holds worth. The Poona Pact was an agreement between caste Hindus, represented by Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya of Hindu Mahasabha and depressed classes (DCs) represented by Dr Ambedkar. The pact was about representation of DCs in legislatures of British India. Not just social reform but Dr Ambedkar was convincingly advocating for political power and a political solution to issues of the untouchable, then named as DCs, later officially called Scheduled Caste in 1936, and now Dalit as popular socio-political identity.
DCs need political power for removal of untouchability was the opinion of two members,such as Dr Ambedker and R Srinivasan of Madras Depressed Class Federation, while representing DCs in round table conference of London in 1930.
In a memorandum, they both demanded for guaranty of equal civil rights, safeguard against social prosecution, free and compulsory primary education, adequate representation in legislature, council of ministers, public services, and special department for DCs. Along with this there was demand for universal adult suffrage and most important, the separate electorate. Now, what is this separate electorate? It is an arrangement to elect the DCs leaders to legislatures by the DCs voters only without depending on caste Hindu voters.
The then British Prime Minister Ramsay McDonald proposed communal award on August 17, 1932 to Muslims, Europeans, Indian Christians, Anglo-Indians, Sikhs and DCs of India for their representation. Along with separate electorate, the DCs were also awarded with right to vote and contest in the general unreserved constituencies.
It was proposed that special DC constituencies for twenty years to be framed in selected areas having concentration of DC population. Out of total 1,508 provincial legislatures, 71 seats were allotted to them. The move of the British Government especially for DCs was vehemently opposed by Gandhi with apprehension of further social and political segregation of Hindu society and the possibility of increasing bitterness among caste Hindus and DCs. He was not in favour of recognizing DCs as a separate community for political purpose.
He visualized the possibilities of bloodshed as he said “the untouchable hooligans will make common cause with Muslim hooligans and kill caste Hindus.” Gandhi’s understanding was that the problem of the untouchable are socio-religious and there must not be any separation of untouchable from Hindu society as his main apprehension was the
separation may weaken the domination of Hindu political power. He expressed his dissatisfaction to the British Prime Minister and went on a fast to death in protest against the communal award for DCs. In order to save the life of Gandhi, the Hindu leaders such as C Rajgopalchari and Dr Rajendra Prasad, BS Moonje, and Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru and on the other side, DC leaders such as Ambedkar and PG Solanki supporting separate electorate and MC Rajah, P Baloo and BJ Deorukhar supporting joint electorate met in a conference at Indian Merchants chamber Hall, Bombay on September 19, 1932.
Finally, as a solution to Gandhi’s apprehension and Ambedkar’s demand, the leaders came to a pact. The pact recommended that all the members of the DCs registered in the general electoral roll in a constituency will elect
a panel of four candidates belonging to DCs for reserve seats by method of single vote. The four persons getting highest of votes in primary election shall be candidates for the election by the general electorate and this has to be followed for both provincial and central legislatures for ten years.
Based on this, the Government of India Act 1935 made provision of 151 seats reserved for SCs in provincial legislative Assemblies, 19 seats in federal Assemblies, 6 seats in Council of States.
The election held in 1937 had created an opportunity for the SCs to elect their community leaders. There were double member or multi member constituencies along with general unreserved seats.
In the election of 1937, out of 151 SCs seats, Congress contested in 139 seats and won 78 seats and other parties and individuals contested in 137 seats and won 73 seats. There was no candidate to contest in 26 seats out of which Congress could win 14 while the non-Congress won 12.
There was lower level of literacy and lack of political awareness among both caste Hindus and SCs, even in some constituencies caste Hindus did not cast their vote to SCs candidates. The SCs had no political parties of their own except Ambedkar’s Independent Labour Party that captured 10 seats out of 15 seats in Bombay Legislature.
There was alliance of Congress and Depresses Classes League in Bihar. Ambedkar commented that the huge victory of Congress in SC seats was result of manipulation with caste Hindu votes, splitting of SCs votes and lack of interest of SC voters in electing their own leader.
The main two objectives of Poona Pact were defeated in 1937 election as in many seats there was no primary election to elect a panel of four candidates. The non- involvement of caste Hindus in electing SC
leaders was also quite visible. But the pact moved the issue of representation to a different height and SCs were emerged as a formidable political force. Gandhi with all seriousness had formed the Harijan Sevak Sangha with GD Birla as president and Amritlal V Thakkar as general secretary. It started its mouthpiece “Harijan” and organised Harijan Padajatra. The pact nonetheless paved the way for joint electorate with reserve seats which has been in practice now and accordingly 131 seats in Parliament and 1,169 seats in Assemblies are reserved. But still the dispute is going on.
Who decides the candidates for elections in reserved seats? Are the SCs electing the leaders of their own choice to make them accountable towards their community or are they forced to vote candidates decided by caste Hindu political parties. During last 90 years, the political literacy has increased as well as socioeconomic development but still caste issues remain unresolved.
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