z:\ ambedkar\vol-02\vol2-08.indd MK SJ+YS 21-9-2013/YS-8-11-2013 648
648 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
Presidency of Bengal. It is a Court which is a joint Court for the Presidency of Bengal and for the Province of Assam. It was for this reason that the Simon Commission recommended that the system should continue and be extended to other Provinces. That is the reason why I think this suggestion ought to be welcome.
That is all I have to say on this subject of the Federal Court.
Forty-fourth Sitting—2nd November 1931
Discussion on the Draft Third Report
*Dr. Ambedkar: I should like to draw your attention to the last four lines of the paragraph. After stating, in the beginning, the recommendations of the Sub-Committee in paragraph 34 of their Second Report, Your Lordship stated :
“We make no recommendation here relating to the first four of these interests, since the decision on this point is one for the Minorities Sub-Committee.”
I do not think that Your Lordship means that the Committee is indifferent to the representation of those interests, nor, I think, does the opinion expressed in paragraph 34 of the Second Report mean this. What you mean is that you “cannot make any recommendation as to the extent or method of representation. I should therefore be obliged if you would amend the passage by adding, after the word “recommendation”, the words—
“as regards the extent or method of their representations.”
Mrs. Subbarayan: You may remember that I spoke at one of our sittings on the possibility of securing some special provision for the representation of women in the Legislature, and suggested that the consideration of this matter should be deferred until the Minorities Committee published their Report. But, lest the point be overlooked, I should respectfully suggest that some reference to it be made here, and that the following words be added in line 9 of paragraph 28 ; after the word “interests”, insert the words—
“or to the representation of women in the Legislature.”
Chairman: I am much obliged—I am sorry that we left it out—and I am also much obliged to Dr. Ambedkar. We will put in both those amendments. That was an oversight.
Mrs. Subbarayan: On a previous occasion, while recognising the valuable work done by many of the nominated members in the past on the Legislatures, I objected to nomination in the new constitution on principle. I feel that I object to it all the more when I find that the two Chambers may have co-equal powers. I quite agree with the Report that the services of persons of the elder statesman type are most valuable ; but I am also convinced that the system of nomination is unwise and undemocratic, and. therefore, that it will be better if the services of such persons too are secured
*Proceedings of the Federal Structure Committee and Minorities Committee, Vol. 1, pp. 882-83.