z:\ ambedkar\vol-02\vol2-07.indd MK SJ+YS 21-9-2013/YS-8-11-2013 543
IN SUB-COMMITTEE NO. III 543
Federal Executive. On behalf of the smaller minorities a claim was put forward for their representation, either individually or collectively, on the Provincial and Federal Executives or that, failing this, in each cabinet, there should be a Minister specially charged,” and so on. That is exactly what was put forward.
Lord Reading: Yes.
Chairman: Officially.
*Chairman: As a matter of accurate recording, the use of the word “Muhammadans” is perfectly right.
Sir Muhammad Shafi: Federal stands on a special footing.
Chairman: “Muhammadans” stands.
Mr. Joshi: Yes, I agree to that.
Dr. Ambedkar: Then you must add to “Muhammadans”, “and other important minorities”.
Chairman: No, you cannot. That was the claim.
Dr. Ambedkar: May I not say so for myself ? Speaking for myself, I speak on behalf of the Depressed Classes as well.
Mr. Joshi: It is not agreed. You did not make the claim.
Dr. Ambedkar: It is not a question of whether I did or not.
Chairman: Now, we are doing business, and it is two minutes to eleven.
Dr. Moonje: I would ask, instead of the word “agreed,” that we should say, “it was also claimed that on the same grounds,” and so on.
Sir Muhammad Shafi: No, no, it was agreed. That is a matter of fact.
Dr. Moonje: I do not know what took place in the Federal Structure Committee.
Sir Muhammad Shafi: The record shows it.
Dr. Moonje: But here, of course, I do not agree with that point.
Sir A. P. Patro: That is accepted, and it goes to the next paragraph.
Dr. Moonje: A claim was put in.
Chairman: The statement was made that the Muhammadans should be recognised, and to that, according to the minutes, there was an agreement, and that has just been lifted out of the records.
Mr. Joshi: The records of this Committee ?
Lt. Col. Gidney: I made a distinct statement on this matter when we had this before the plenary session, and I made statement to this effect—that it is all very well for the larger communities to demand certain things, but the minorities wanted some representation.
Chairman : That is in.
Lt. Col. Gidney: This is only an alternative.
Chairman: Oh, no, it is not. The sentence gives an alternative, but it says the claim was made that there should be either representation of the
- Proceedings of the Sub-Committee No. III (Minorities), pp. 144-46.