Dr. B. R. Ambedkar:
"Of the two ways of classifying people of India the religious classification is the one which is more impressive and arresting for the foreigner... 1/n
"Of the two ways of classifying people of India the religious classification is the one which is more impressive and arresting for the foreigner... 1/n
The impression of the foreigner is that there are only Hindus and Musalmans in India and that there are none others worth bothering about. That this should be his impression is quite natural. The air is filled with the din and noise of the Hindu-Moslem conflict. 2/n
How grave the conflict is, can be seen from the number of Hindu-Moslem riots that have taken place in recent years and the casualties and deaths that resulted from them.
But this struggle is a struggle for establishing an empire. 3/n
But this struggle is a struggle for establishing an empire. 3/n
There are Hindus who are agitating for establishing in India a Hindu Raj with Mahomedans as subject only. There are Mahomedans who are dreaming of Pan Islamism and of making India a part of a Muslim Empire with a choice for the Hindus between the sword and the Koran. 4/n
In between these two extremists, there are sober persons who are for a state in which both Hindus and Muslims can live as equal partners. Whether the extremists will succeed or the moderates will succeed time alone can show. 5/n
In the meantime the extremes in both the camps are making headlines by their blood baths. But, be that as it may, I venture to think that there are many who will not feel much interest in this struggle between the Hindus and the Mahomedans. 6/n
After all it is a struggle for mastery for dominance...It is a struggle for establishing an empire of one over the other. They will be more interested in the struggles of the downtrodden, of those who are fighting to obtain the title deeds to respectable humanity...7/n
Those Hindus and Musalmans who are now fighting...want to establish their classes from them as the governing body. The masses whether of the Hindus or of the Musalmans are merely used for establishing the ascendency of the classes. 8/n
This struggle that is going on is really a struggle of the classes. It is not a struggle of the masses. Those who are interested in the struggle of the masses must learn to look at the population of India from another point of view. 9/n
They must cease to look at it purely from the point of view of religion. They must look at the population of India from the social and economic point of view. 10/n
This does not mean that one need not care to know how religion has affected the economic and social life of the people of India...But it is equally true to say that a purely religious point of view would give only a superficial picture. 11/n
What is important to know is how the masses and the classes in India live? What are the social and economic terms of their associated life? To what extent are these influenced by religion?" 12/12
