11-28-2005, 06:45 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->11. India: The Transfer of Power, Vol III, No. 280 (16.12.1942) (HMSO, London). The expression one card and the second card is in the original file (in IOLR) on the Secretary of Stateâs draft on this subject. The draft also carries a marginal comment by the Secretary of Stateâs deputy, the under Secretary of State for India, stating that the second card, i.e. the card of the sched-uled castes was weak as it had already been cut by Gandhi. A few months later the Secretary of State seems to have had some after-thought. Writing to the British Viceroy in India he then said: âThe fundamental weakness of the scheduled castes is that they are neither one thing nor the otherâ, and added: âIf they had the courage to turn Christian or Muslim en bloc it would be much easier to legislate for them. But so long as they remain a part of the Hindu system, with no separate religion or basis of organisation as such, and continue to regard themselves as Hin-dus, it does look as if their only chance of betterment lay, not on the political side, but on gradually winning their way so-cially in the Hindu Community.â This was on February 2, 1943 (India: The Transfer of Power).<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->