Why didn't Gandi do anything to change the caste system and help the Dalits (untouchables)?

Question

Gandhi went on hunger strike against the Poona act 1933, as the British proposed that the Dalits reserve the right to elect their own leaders, much like democracy today. Dr. Ambedkar the first Dalit to receive an education was chosen to write the new constitution by the British. Dr Ambedkar with a degree in Law, had come to the conclusion that after spending his life trying to overcome caste discrimination that the only way Dalits could improve their lives was to allow them the right to vote for their leaders. Gandhi went on hunger strike to prevent this, being a high caste himself. As a result there were many riots and tens of thousands of Dalits were slaughtered. With an increase in violence predicted if Gandhi died, Dr Ambedkar gave in to Gandhi and Gandhi gave up his hunger strike.  Dr Ambedkar later regretted his decision.

Answer 1

Anyhow, most of the Dalit's life have improved by the education. It will improve more in the coming years with the arrival of the new generation.

Answer 2

Dear Katherine,

Thank you for your Q as I had not known of that...from Googling, I am guessing that Gandhi made a bad mistake there. I will leave you a link, the author actually visited India looking for answers...

Apparently Gandhi felt that for the Dalits to elect their own leaders would remove their issue from the rest of Hindu society...and he wanted India to have a full change of heart about untouchability. In other words, he did not believe political solutions were effective, and he did not want a partial solution.

However in other areas he did make compromises for the sake of expediency, as did the US civil rights movement, patterned after his principles. 

https://wagingnonviolence.org/feature/gandhi-and-the-dalit-controversy-the-limits-of-the-moral-force-of-an-individual/

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So I am guessing that Gandhi's heart was in the right place but he made a big mistake as to the means...his fast ultimately hurt his work for the Dalits, rather than help...this photo is from an anti-Gandhi protest in San Diego in 2011.

Comments

I still don't understand how Gandhi thought he'd be helping the Dalits by not allowing them human rights?

Here is a link to the round table meeting in Indian

http://www.ambedkar.org/ambcd/41D.What%20Congress%20and%20Gandhi%20CHAPTER%20III.htm

Here is how untouchables are treated today, even though it was meant to be abolished.

https://www.ukessays.com/essays/sociology/the-problems-of-untouchability-in-india-sociology-essay.php

http://www.countercurrents.org/dalit-mountain200306.htm

Did Gandhi simply believe that the untouchables deserved their status in the realm of karma?

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Hi Katherine,

Again, please keep in mind I have not studied extensively this tragedy of the Dalits. However, having some familiarity with Gandhi's life, I do feel very sure he did strongly support equality for the Dalits.

From one of your links: "Gandhi called the outcastes Harijans - the children of God - and wanted to accommodate them within the fourth varna."

Gandhi's mistake was that he supported equality TOO strongly, and was unwilling to compromise. He wanted all of India to fully change their hearts, and wipe out the whole concept of untouchability. And, he felt this could not happen if the Dalits were segregated into voting for their own representatives...he felt this would just continue the separation. Thus he fasted almost unto death; however history has shown he was wrong here, I feel. You do need to make realistic compromises.

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Incidentally, I also read in your links that Ambedkar wanted to abolish the caste system altogether...and that is indeed in harmony with the ancient teachings. The actual wisdom from ancient seers is that we are all born with certain inclinations, tendencies, which fall into four overall groupings. But never were those four groupings intended to be formally established as a social caste system, because we are all individuals who need to find our own way; not born into a rigid caste from which you cannot escape.

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Thank you Virginia that makes things clearer.