Thatha Rettamalai Srinivasan and Dr. Ambedkar |
"Both me and Dr. Ambedkar worked as nail and flesh. We both went as representatives of the depressed classes at the second Round conference in London and fought for their political rights."
~ Thatha Rettamalai Srinivasan.
Thatha Rettamalai Srinivasan and Dr. Ambedkar at the First RTC, London. |
In November 1930, along with Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, he represent the interests of the Scheduled Classes, both favored the extension of minority status to the Scheduled Classes. His participants in the First Round Table Conferences in 1930 was a red letter day in the History of the Scheduled Classes. In this conference George-V hosted the delegates at the Windsor Castle Royal Palace and inviting them by shaking their hands but Srinivasan refused to shake his hands because George-V was the Emperor of India and the Indians were the slaves of the Emperor and Srinivasan was the slave of his slave and more over he was an Untouchable. Then the Emperor came to know what Untochability was. Both Thatha Srinivasan and Dr. Ambedkar were presented their proposals, "A Scheme of Political Safeguards for the Protection of Depressed Classes in the Future Constitution of Self Governing India" at Round Table Conference on behalf of the Depressed Classes. They laid down certain terms and conditions under which the Depressed Classes would accept the rule of majority in a self-governing India.
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Thiru. Ve. Ka honoured Diwan Bahadur R.Srinivasan with the title of 'Dravida Mani'. Thatha Rettamalai Srinivasan was instrumental for Mr. Gandhi in putting his signature in Tamil in South Africa.
His words: "We are the sons of this soil and our history start from the good old ancient past, but our civil Rights are denied by the invaders. Rights are not given as alms but they must be got by Struggle and fight. We ought to fight for our rights and not expected to be granted by grace of others".
Thatha Rettamalai Srinivasan |
Dr. Ambedkar on the Communal Award (23 Aug 1932):
"No one expected the Communal Award to be everything to everybody and I myself was prepared for some variations in the proposals made by me and my Colleague Rao Bahadur Srinivasan at the Round Table Conference on behalf of the Depressed Classes."
Compiled:
Ambeth.
Dharmapuri,
Tamil Nadu.
Reference:
* 'Rettamalai Srinivasan' by Dr. G. Thangavelu. [NCBH Publications]
* 'Rettamalai Srinivasan' by Dr. G. Thangavelu. [NCBH Publications]
This is a rare piece of document.
ReplyDeleteReally valuable for researchers.
Thanks for sharing!
Kindly read the Tamil book Marakkapatta ma mani dark al by Manjai
ReplyDeleteThe man who was the back bone of AYODIDAS PANDITHAR AND AMBEDKAR, TODAY is his BIRTHDAY 07-07-1859.WE WILL GET HIS DREAMS COME TRUE.
ReplyDelete