Thatha Rettamalai Srinivasan: One of The Pioneers of The Scheduled Classes Movement of India.

Thatha Rettamalai Srinivasan and Dr. Ambedkar

"Both me and Dr. Ambedkar worked as nail and flesh. We both went as representatives of the depressed classes at the second Round conference in London and fought for their political rights."

~ Thatha Rettamalai Srinivasan.

Let we tribute to the first degree holder from the Scheduled Classes of India, a brilliant of tongue and Master of Pen, Saviour of downtrodden - Diwan Bahadur Rettamalai Srinivasan. He was educated at the Government Arts College of Coimbatore. He was an Indian Freedom fighter and one of the Pioneers of the Scheduled Classes movement in India. When Dr. Ambedkar was one year old, Thatha Srinivasan organised India's second conference of the then Depressed Classes in Madras. India's first Conference of Depressed Classes was organised by Pandit Iyothee Thass and Rev John Ratnam. He brought the rights that the Scheduled Classes to use the public roads, wells, tanks, etc in erstwhile Madras Presidency (Present-Day Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and parts of Kerala, Karnataka and Odisha) in 1924. It was because of Perunthalaivar M. C. Rajah and Thatha Rettamalai Srinivasan, for the first time in India the Communal representation for the Scheduled Classes given under the Act of 1919. So the Scheduled Classes were nominated to the Provincial Legislatures from 1920 [ Provincial Legislatures: Madras- 10, CP- 4, Bengal- 1, UP- 1, Bihar- 2 and Bombay- 2 ]. The Government of India Act of 1919 made provisions for the grant of 10 nominated seats to them in the Madras Legislature. Before this, there was no representation to the Scheduled Class in India. He represented the Scheduled Classes of India in the 1st and 2nd Round Table Conferences in London along with Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar.

Thatha Rettamalai Srinivasan and Dr. Ambedkar at the First RTC, London.

In November 1930, along with Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, he represent the interests of the Scheduled Classes, both favored the extension of minority status to the Scheduled Classes. His participants in the First Round Table Conferences in 1930 was a red letter day in the History of the Scheduled Classes. In this conference George-V hosted the delegates at the Windsor Castle Royal Palace and inviting them by shaking their hands but Srinivasan refused to shake his hands because George-V was the Emperor of India and the Indians were the slaves of the Emperor and Srinivasan was the slave of his slave and more over he was an Untouchable. Then the Emperor came to know what Untochability was. Both Thatha Srinivasan and Dr. Ambedkar were presented their proposals, "A Scheme of Political Safeguards for the Protection of Depressed Classes in the Future Constitution of Self Governing India" at Round Table Conference on behalf of the Depressed Classes. They laid down certain terms and conditions under which the Depressed Classes would accept the rule of majority in a self-governing India.

Dr. Ambedkar, V. I. Munuswamy Pillai and Rettamalai Srinivasan.

Thiru. Ve. Ka honoured Diwan Bahadur R.Srinivasan with the title of 'Dravida Mani'. Thatha Rettamalai Srinivasan was instrumental for Mr. Gandhi in putting his signature in Tamil in South Africa.

His words: "We are the sons of this soil and our history start from the good old ancient past, but our civil Rights are denied by the invaders. Rights are not given as alms but they must be got by Struggle and fight. We ought to fight for our rights and not expected to be granted by grace of others".

Thatha Rettamalai Srinivasan

           

Dr. Ambedkar on the Communal Award (23 Aug 1932):

"No one expected the Communal Award to be everything to everybody and I myself was prepared for some variations in the proposals made by me and my Colleague Rao Bahadur Srinivasan at the Round Table Conference on behalf of the Depressed Classes."

Compiled:

Ambeth.

Dharmapuri,

Tamil Nadu.

Reference:
* 'Rettamalai Srinivasan' by Dr. G. Thangavelu. [NCBH Publications]