Mahatma Gandhi's opposition to separate electorates for untouch- ables was because

Mahatma Gandhi's opposition to separate electorates for the Depressed Classes was rooted in his belief that such a system would permanently segregate them from the rest of Hindu society. During the Round Table Conference, Gandhi explicitly stated that separate electorates would ensure "bondage in perpetuity" for the untouchables. He argued that while other minorities like Muslims or Sikhs were already distinct communities, the untouchables were an integral part of the Hindu fold; granting them separate electorates would "vivisect and disrupt" the religion and perpetuate the social stigma of untouchability forever [2]. Gandhi believed that the true solution lay in the "root and branch eradication" of the caste system and the integration of Dalits into the general electorate to ensure their social assimilation [2]. Consequently, he undertook a fast unto death in 1932, leading to the Poona Pact which replaced separate electorates with reserved seats within a joint electorate [4].

Sources

1. [2] India and the Contemporary World – II. History-Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: Nationalism in India > Discuss > p. 44
2. [1] THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART III, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 11: MAHATMA GANDHI AND THE NATIONALIST MOVEMENT > Mahatma Gandhi and the Nationalist Movement Civil Disobedience and Beyond > p. 300
3. [4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poona_Pact