Untouchability, Representation, and the Round Table Conferences

Abstract

This paper analyses Ambedkar’s early efforts to internationalise the problem of untouchability by looking at his participation in the Indian Round Table Conference held in London from 1930-1933. The Round Table Conference [RTC hereafter] were a series of encounters between Indian and British politicians to discuss the future constitutional structure of this colony, including aspects such as federalism, political representation and the division of powers between the central government and the provinces. I will argue that Ambedkar used these gatherings as a stage to present the plight of Dalits to an international audience beyond the subcontinent. In particular, Ambedkar used the political structures and technologies in place to sustain London as an imperial capital to move the question of untouchability from being considered a socio-religious issue into a political question. This secured Ambedkar’s status as an ‘All-India’ political leader and permitted him to present his ideas to an international audience.