Sir, the problem of the scheduled castes and the scheduled Tribes is not a new one. The British rulers, in the latter part of their regime, recognised this problem and made some provisions for it. It is true that they made those provisions not out of genuine love for the scheduled castes and the scheduled Tribes, not for the welfare of those classes, but they did it for the benefits that they themselves hoped to acquire from them. The Indian National Congress became conscious of the problem at the instance of Mahatma Gandhi. Mahatmaji found that millions of people in this country were groaning under inhuman oppression for thousands of years. The distinction between man and man, the distinction between one class and another did not escape the notice of Mahatma Gandhi. This diabolical contrivance to enslave humanity did not escape the discerning eye of Mahatmaji and he declared to the people of India that emancipation of the country from a foreign yoke will be nothing but a mockery to the millions of down-trodden Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes of this land, if we fail to tear away, if we fail to break down this diabolical contrivance for enslaving humanity.
