The Untouchable Campaign: A Survey of Assam’s Experience through the perspective of Gandhi and Ambedkar

In examining the Ambedkar’s searching for political concessions to the low castes of India; simultaneously Gandhi’s social reform agenda however made a hot debate in the political intelligentsia in and outside in India, the paper raises questions about the exact manner of their political and social agenda on the caste question and its impact. At the time of Freedom Struggle, Dalit activist began calling for separate electorate for untouchable in India with an objective of fair representation. It was officially labeled that alongside the Untouchables, the other minorities comprising of the Sikhs, Muslims, and Christians would also get a fair chance to represent them in the newly found Indian Government. The Communal Award launched by Ramsay Macdonald was readily accepted and supported by Ambedkar to eliminate Caste System i.e. they demanded the participation of the Untouchables in the public festivals, access to temple and wedding rituals. Gandhi didn’t want any division among the Hindu community. In such situation an obvious cleavage between Ambedkar, there effective thinker of India and Nation’s hero Gandhiji on the questions of Untouchables in India come to center of attention. By August 1932the Civil Disobedient movement seemed to be at low ebb. The announcement of a fast by Gandhi, as a protest against the grant of separate electorates to untouchables was to stir public opinion powerfully, but it was to divert it into non-political channels. As a part of the all- India Untouchable Campaign, he had visited the state of Assam. His visits to Assam, the people were deeply influenced by Gandhi’s words and actions. But he gained more popularity along with the prevailing campaign during his third visit to Assam in April 10, 1934 –in connection with Harijan Sewak Sangha to eradicate untouchability.