Letter from M. Satyapal Bhikshu to M.A. Jinnah

Sub title : On the Representation of the Depressed Classes League

Subject: Depressed Classes | Representation | M.A. Jinnah | Muslim League | Punjab Provincial Depressed Classes League

Date of publication: 1944

Language: English

Page: 1 p.

Source: National Archives of Pakistan

Serial no: 28349

Keyword: M. Satyapal Bhikshu -- Depressed Classes -- Scheduled Castes -- Punjab Depressed Classes League | All-India Depressed Classes League -- Jagjivan Ram -- B.R. Ambedkar -- Representation -- Hindu Identity -- Communal Question

Abstract: This is a letter dated 19 September 1944 from M. Satyapal Bhikshu, President of the Punjab Provincial Depressed Classes League, to M.A. Jinnah, President of the All India Muslim League. The writer asserts that the only legitimate representative organization for the Depressed Classes is the All-India Depressed Classes League led by Jagjivan Ram, M.L.A. He argues that Dr. B.R. Ambedkar does not represent the Depressed Classes because he "does not profess himself to be a Hindu," unlike the majority of the community. The letter requests that in any communal settlement, only Jagjivan Ram should be consulted regarding Depressed Classes' rights. Copies were forwarded to the Viceroy and Mahatma Gandhi.

Description: This letter provides insight into the intra-community politics and rivalries within the Depressed Classes (Scheduled Castes) leadership during the crucial pre-independence negotiations. It highlights the contention between factions led by Jagjivan Ram (who worked within the Congress framework) and B.R. Ambedkar. The author, claiming to represent the Punjab branch, explicitly rejects Ambedkar's leadership on religious grounds, aiming to influence major political stakeholders like Jinnah on who should be considered the valid negotiator for the community's rights. It reflects the complex interplay of caste, religion, and political representation in mid-1940s India. SCANNED BY: NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF PAKISTAN.

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