CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY REMEMBERING MAHATMA JYOTI RAO PHULE

 

CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY DEBATES (PROCEEDINGS) - VOLUME XI

Monday, the21st November 1949

Shri H.J. Khandekar

 

Well Sir, even the social, political and religious reformers in the country like Gautama Buddha, Ramanuja, Kabir, Sant Tukaram, Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Swami Dayanand Saraswati, Paramahansa, Mahatma Jyoti Rao Phule , Vithal Ramji Shinde, Thakkar Bapa and last but not the least, Mahatma Gandhi, found  it very difficult to get rid of this ghost of untouchability. They agitated in the country but they did not succeed. Now, Sir, we have embodied an article No. 17 in this Constitution to remove  untouchability and I am sure that untouchability will be removed, but I have seen Act for removing untouchability in the Provinces, the Temple Entry Act and the Removal of disabilities Acts passed by the different Provinces in this country. What is the effect of these laws? Not an inch of untouchability has been removed by these laws and, therefore, if this law of removing untouchability remains in the book of Constitution itself, I do not think that untouchability will be removed. If at all the ghost of untouchability or the stigma of untouchability from India should go the minds of these crores and crores of Hindu folks should be changed and unless their hearts are changed, I do not hope. Sir, that untouchability will be removed. It is now upto the Hindu society not to observe untouchability in any shape or form