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Q.Study the following statement carefully : "I believe separate electrorates will be suicidal to the minorities and will do them tremendous harm. If they are isolated for ever, they can never convert themselves into a majority and the feeling of frustration will cripple them even from the very beginning." Who among the following made the above statement ? (A) Dr. Ambedkar (B) Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru (C) Govind Ballabh Pant (D) Sardar Patel

CBSECBSE Class XII Board 2020MCQ· 1mImportance★★★★★
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The statement warns that separate electorates will permanently isolate minorities, preventing them from ever forming majorities and breeding frustration — a position championed by Dr. Ambedkar during the Constituent Assembly debates.

This question tests your understanding of the constitutional debates around minority representation in independent India, specifically the controversy over separate versus joint electorates.

The statement reveals a sophisticated political argument: separate electorates (where minorities vote only for minority candidates in reserved seats) would create permanent political ghettos. The speaker argues that isolation prevents minorities from building coalitions, gaining majority status in any constituency, and participating fully in democratic politics. This frustration would be psychologically damaging "from the very beginning."

This was precisely Dr. B.R. Ambedkar's position, though it might surprise students who associate him primarily with Dalit rights. Let me explain the historical context:

The Separate Electorate Debate

During British rule, the Communal Award (1932) had proposed separate electorates for various communities, including Dalits ("Depressed Classes"). Ambedkar initially supported this for Dalits but later changed his view after the Poona Pact with Gandhi, which established reserved seats within a joint electorate instead.

By the time of the Constituent Assembly (1946–50), Ambedkar had become a strong opponent of separate electorates for any community, including Muslims. His reasoning:

  1. Political isolation: Separate electorates would permanently wall off minorities from mainstream politics.

  2. No path to majority: A community voting only within itself could never build the coalitions needed to form governing majorities.

  3. Psychological damage: The "feeling of frustration" would undermine democratic participation and citizenship.

  4. National integration: Joint electorates would force all communities to engage with each other, building a unified nation. …

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