Representation and office rights are denied to Untouchables by caste itself

Evidence

The right of representation and the right to hold office under the State are the two most important rights that make up citizenship. But the untouchability of the untouchables puts these rights far beyond their reach. In a few places they do not even possess such insignificant rights as personal liberty and personal security, and equality before law is not always assured to them. These are the interests of the Untouchables. And as can be easily seen they can be represented by the Untouchables alone. They are distinctively their own interests and none else can truly voice them … Hence it is evident that we must find the Untouchables to represent their grievances which are their interests and, secondly, we must find them in such numbers as will constitute a force sufficient to claim redress. — Ambedkar, B R, Annihilation of Caste_ The Annotated…, 314

Categorization

• DEFINE: Establishes Ambedkar’s grounding argument for why separate Untouchable representation — the core claim of his political program — follows logically from the nature of their interests.