Impact of Poona Pact on Dalits

The Poona Pact, despite giving certain political rights to the depressed classes, could not achieve the desired goal of emancipation of the depressed class. It enabled the same old Hindu social order to continue and gave birth to many problems.

● The Pact made the depressed classes political tools which could be used by the majoritarian caste Hindu organisations.

● It made the depressed classes leaderless as the true representatives of the classes were unable to win against the stooges who were chosen and supported by the caste Hindu organisations.

● This led to the depressed classes to submit to the status quo in political, ideological and cultural fields and not being able to develop independent and genuine leadership to fight the Brahminical order.

● It subordinated the depressed classes into being part of the Hindu social order by denying them a separate and distinct existence.

● The Poona Pact perhaps put obstructions in the way of an ideal society based on equality, liberty, fraternity and justice.

● By denying to recognise the Dalits as a separate and distinct element in the national life, it pre-empted the rights and safeguards for the Dalits in the Constitution of independent India.