z:\ ambedkar\vol-02\vol2-09.indd MK SJ+DK 21-9-2013 725
EVIDENCE : DR. B. S. MOONJE AND OTHERS 725
Mr. M. R. Jayakar: Bengal is represented in the Central Legislature.
Sir Hari Singh Gour: With reference to an imputation made by Dr. Ambedkar, that when Sir Harry Haig, the Home Member, made an announcement to the Legislative Assembly there was no protest from any member. I wish to draw the attention of the Joint Committee to the fact that it is not in accordance with the practice of the Legislative Assembly when an announcement of a decision by His Majesty’s Government is made for any reference on any protest to be addressed by any member of the House.
- Lieut. Colonel Sir H. Gidney: I was in the House when the statement was made by Sir Harry Haig, and it was met by universal acclamation ?
Mr. Bhai Parmanand: I was also there, but there was no acclamation about it
Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: There was applause, if you will take a word as it was given.
- Lieut. Colonel Sir H. Gidney: I meant applause, yes ?
Mr. Bhai Parmanand: Some people might have done it.
Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: The whole statement is given in the Legislative Council proceedings for the 26th September 1932, Volume 5, No. 5, and the statement is concluded there is in brackets “applause”. The same statement was made in the Council of State. What I want to put is this, is it not a fact that the following gentlemen represented caste-Hindus in the Legislative Assembly ?—(Naming). Then in the Council of State there are the following :—(Naming them.)
Mr. B. C. Chatterjee: My answer is that they did not realise the repercussions of the Pact and they are now unanimous in condemning it.
Mr. Bhai Parmanand: May I explain this point ?
- Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: I do not know that there is any explanation needed. They are members of the Assembly and they did not protest. With regard to the protests in the Bengal Province itself after the Pact in September 1932, there was a session of the Bengal Legislative Council in November, 1932 ?
Mr. B. C. Chatterjee: Yes.
- Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: There was no formal resolution moved in the Council protesting against the application of the Poona Pact to Bengali?
Mr. B. C. Chatterjee: No.
- Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: I am referring to the Report.
Mr. B. C. Chatterjee: 1 must reply to this question. The first thing we did was to get together all the influential Hindu members of the Council within a short time of the Council Meeting, and we decided that we should jointly .....
- Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : May I have an answer to my question, and then we can have an explanation. I want to know whether there was