Congress leaders in 1892 explicitly denied any link between caste reform and political fitness.

Evidence

I for one have no patience with those who say we shall not be fit for political reform until we reform our social system. I fail to see any connection between the two … Are we not fit (for political reform) because our widows remain unmarried and our girls are given in marriage earlier than in other countries?…because our wives and daughters do not drive about with us visiting our friends?…because we do not send our daughters to Oxford and Cambridge? (Cheers from the audience) I have stated the case for political reform as put by Mr Bonnerjee. — Ambedkar, B R, Annihilation of Caste_ The Annotated…, 819

Categorization

• QUESTION: Ambedkar is about to rebut this with the Untouchable evidence — worth chasing how the ‘social reform has no bearing’ position was actually argued and later abandoned.