z:\ ambedkar\vol-02\vol2-09.indd MK SJ+DK 21-9-2013 701
EVIDENCE : RAJKUMARI AMRIT KAUR AND MRS. HAMID ALI 701
C364. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : You do ?
Rajkumari Amrit Kaur : Yes.
C365. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : That is one objection?
Rajkumari Amrit Kaur : Yes.
C366. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : You do not want the women representatives who are to represent women in the Federal Lower House to be elected by indirect election from the Provincial Legislative Council ?
Rajkumari Amrit Kaur : Most definitely not.
C367. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : You want some sort of a direct constituency provided ?
Rajkumari Amrit Kaur : As we are against reserved seats, if they are reserved for us on a communal basis, of course, really this question as far as we are concerned does not arise, but we would, of course, want women to enter.
C368. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : Let me put a question first to clear the ground. Do you want any seats to be reserved for women at all in the Lower House ?
Rajkumari Amrit Kaur : I have said that we would recommend for the time being until such time as adult suffrage is obtained through our organisations, the acceptance of reservation, provided it were definitely laid down that the women’s seats would be on a non-communal basis, and through the means of joint electorates. That is the only condition on which we would accept it.
C369. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : I quite follow two things. You want for the time being a certain number of seats reserved for women ?
Rajkumari Amrit Kaur : We have always been opposed to reservation.
C370. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : The second thing I have understood from you — correct me if I am wrong — is that you do not want that provision for the representation of women in the Federal Lower House by any system of indirect election. That is the second point you have made ?
Rajkumari Amrit Kaur : Yes.
C371. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : What I want to ask you is that ……?
Rajkumari Amrit Kaur : You say we want reservation, I have hold you we have always been opposed to reservation.
C372. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : You do not want any reservation at all ?
Rajkumari Amrit Kaur : We have always said that we do not want reservation, but, as I say, if reservations are to be forced down on us as so many things have been forced down on us against our wishes, then the only conditions on which we would recommend the acceptance of reservation to our organisations would be definitely that they would be through a system of joint electorates and direct election, and if the seats were on a purely non-communal basis, that is to say, that we have the right to put on woman of our choice.
C373. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : If the matter were left to your choice, you