Which one among the following was demanded by the All India Depressed classes Leaders' Conference at Bombay in 1931?

The All India Depressed Classes Leaders' Conference held in Bombay in 1931 was a pivotal event where Dalit leaders, under the leadership of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, formally demanded separate electorates for the untouchables [5]. This demand was rooted in the belief that the Depressed Classes constituted a distinct and independent minority, separate from the caste Hindu community, and thus required specific political safeguards to ensure their representation [2]. Dr. Ambedkar later championed this cause at the Second Round Table Conference in 1931, leading to a significant clash with Mahatma Gandhi [1]. While Ambedkar had previously advocated for universal adult suffrage before the Simon Commission in 1928 [2], the specific focus of the 1931 Bombay conference was the insistence on separate electorates [1]. This demand eventually led to the British Communal Award and the subsequent Poona Pact of 1932, which replaced separate electorates with reserved seats [4].

Sources

1. [5] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 19: Civil Disobedience Movement and Round Table Conferences > Ideological Differences and Similarities between Gandhi and Ambedkar > p. 400
2. [2] India and the Contemporary World – II. History-Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: Nationalism in India > Discuss > p. 44
3. [1] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 19: Civil Disobedience Movement and Round Table Conferences > Civil Disobedience Movement the Salt Satyagraha and Other Upsurges > p. 390
4. [3] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 18: Simon Commission and the Nehru Report > Dr Ambedkar and the Simon Commission > p. 359
5. [4] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 19: Civil Disobedience Movement and Round Table Conferences > Poona Pact > p. 392